Disqualification of a cat.

There are situations when owners usually do not restrain emotions: the judge of a cat "killed" or "hacked". The judges themselves say "removed". Inclined to brisk slang words can say "cut". And only those who are particularly attentive to the purity of professional speech, pronounce completely - "disqualified". But, whatever you call it, the disqualification of the cats has one meaning - animal refused in exhibition assessing. Does this mean that the owner must give up all hopes for a successful career and "legal marriage" for your pet? It turns out, not always. Probably one of the first requirements of "konditsionnost" cats was recorded in the code of the Welsh rulers: "The cat must keep intact eyes, teeth and claws and not wearing traces the impact of fire" (easier to say, should not be counterfeit). Residents of Wales when buying such a valuable and useful animal had to know what to pay good money for... Oddly enough, different felinological organizations are not quite unanimous in their demands to the cats eligible for exhibition evaluation. That is, they all agree that recorded in the Welsh laws — the cat should have a full complement of legs, eyes, ears and tail (with the exception of those breeds, of which the tail is not provided). But what about the claws and teeth already outlines the differences in opinions. If most feline organizations categorically oppose the admission to the evaluation of cats with claws removed, rightly believing this is a mockery of the animal in order to preserve the furniture, the TICA for some reason does not consider it necessary to adhere to such a policy and calmly admits such animals to the examination without reducing the assessment. But all organizations insist that the claws of animals should be trimmed! Incidentally, more than half of Russian breeders will be genuinely surprised if their cat is disqualified on the ground, that her claws weren't trimmed. And the judges-that in fact are absolutely right — this is written in the show rules of virtually all major organizations!

The main reasons for the disqualification of animals are, of course, veterinary. And by them you need to understand not only those that threaten the health of the cat and its future progeny, but also threaten the health of others — both cats and people. Not allowed at the exhibition (that is subject to veterinary disqualification) cats lactating and pregnant (visually determinable pregnancy). The point here is, as you know, not in their beauty, but solely in the health care and the quality of the offspring. The most common cause of veterinary disqualification is poor health, causing suspicion of infectious disease (expiration of the nose, eyes, cough, sneezing). However, these signs can be caused by no means the infection itself, and Allergy, for example, to the drug that your neighbor at the exhibition treated his cell. But go and prove it... Availability of veterinary documents made vaccination-also not an argument, because vaccines invented yet much less than there are infectious diseases of cats... So what is the risk of falling under veterinary disqualification even without the presence of infectious diseases is very real. Another thing is that the normal owner should be much more important than the health of their cats than earned its rating. And at the slightest signs of discomfort of the animal at the exhibition better best to contact the vet (if there is one) or to the organizing Committee with a request to immediately leave the exhibition, instead of waiting, develop suspicious symptoms in serious illness, or "maybe, slip, and even the title, you see, you shall receive.".. Definitely require veterinary disqualify cats from external parasites: fleas, lice, ear mites, and similar filth (the absence of internal parasites should be confirmed by a certificate). More difficult is the case with fungal diseases. Cats with bald spots (except for the hairless, of course), areas of broken hair or peeling, with abundant dandruff are also not subject to admission to the assessment. Again, in some organizations loyally look at the presentation of certificates on the absence of fungal diseases. In some, but not all. And, by the way, fair enough: the exhibition is still a beauty contest.

Non-communicable diseases are most often hereditary. The leader in the number of disqualifications is undoubtedly cryptorchidism — full or one-sided (the latter is often incorrectly called monarchism), that is, non-omission of the testicles in the scrotum. To disqualify this malformation begins in cats adult age from 8-10 months (depending on the feline system). Currently, it is assumed that cryptorchidism is caused by a combined action at least two genes — one of which is located on a normal, incomplete chromosome, and the other-on the sex chromosome X. Because it is so difficult to "lime" this the characteristic of the populations of purebred animals. In females, as we know, two x chromosomes, in males-one, and even if only one mutant allele will be on this the only x-chromosome of the male, it is sure to manifest externally, despite its dominant or recessive nature. Moreover, cryptorchidism is a sign, limited by gender. If the female is at least twice cryptorchids, bring it both cryptorchidism mutant allele on their X chromosomes — no testicles, no scrotum it is still there, so there is nothing to fall and nowhere. It is through such female "genetic cryptorchid" the harmful symptom and is retained in the breed populations, despite the strict selection conducted by the breeders against him. Cryptorchidism, by the way, can have intermediate degrees of expression - most often there is a sharp disparity of the testicles or their "wandering" — they then fall into the scrotum, it is drawn into the abdominal cavity (usually this happens with a large width of the spermatic cord). They highlighted the violations most often in young cats, raznozazornost testicles usually are not penalized, but as "wandering" — that there could be as lucky. If the cat on the referee table is in stress, it is likely the testicles will "pull" and get the result of the examination. Rarely cryptorchidism is not hereditary in nature. It looks often so the kitten is about three months floating testicles were in place, and the eight suddenly disappeared-both or one. This can happen in the formation of adhesions after the inflammatory process in the seminal ropes. Say whether or not kriptorkhizm in this case not hereditary, and acquired, can only veterinary doctor. But, even if a specialist and confirm the similar origin of the defect, to expose a similar animal "with help" still does not make sense. But to use this cat in my cattery as a stud manufacturer on the basis of such a veterinary conclusion breeder may well.

Hernias as a reason for disqualification are relatively rare. Umbilical hernia, unlike inguinal, as a rule, is a hereditary defect, but any of these, it may be a reason for disqualification. The most common of these diseases in Burmese, Thai, Balinese and Neva masquerade breeds, although still since it was not found any connection between alleles color point and the frequency of hernia (it occurs among the color colors of cats and other breeds).

Disqualification for deafness threatens only white cats and cats, but cats of any other color can be arbitrarily deaf their hearing, no one cares. But the owners of white animals must present a certificate of BERA-test, which will confirm that their animal has normal hearing. Needless to say, that in Russia there is simply no place to carry out such a test. Well at least that these rules apply only in Europe, the American organization of white cats deafness is not yet checked.

To obligatory disqualification lead blindness on one or both eyes, cataract, entropion (eyelid inversion). Slight corneal opacities or the presence of the third century is quite enough to deprive an animal of its title. However, our "good" judges often tend to explain the existence of the third century by the fact that the animal was nervous... Very attentive to the number of feline fingers. And it is quite justified, because all these defects are hereditary.

The lack of finger — oligodactylia or fusion — syndactyly and even surplus — polydactyly (except for a single "megaplay" breed — pixie-Bob) is equal degrees are subject to the strictest disqualification. Same applies to the defect "cleft foot" (Split-foot). This defect looks like this-the extreme fingers grow together, and the foot is split in the middle line. Split-foot, like all other malformations of the fingers, are found among Britons, Persians, exotics, and Scottish folds, especially the Russian breeding. Oddly enough, to other bone defects breeders are much more loyal — you could even say, become more loyal during the past ten years.

Asymmetry of the skull and front of the head, hollows and protrusions ("bumps") of the skull, flat (sunken) chest, protruding xiphoid process of the sternum-all these the defect in most cases (with the exception of the leading to disqualification not quite clear position "jaw deformation" in the new WCF Rules) is no longer the basis for disqualification, and lead only to deprivation of title! With the teeth of cats, the situation is even more complicated. According to the exhibition rules of some organizations, the teeth of cats can not to be at all is not an obstacle to getting an assessment, but since there can be no normal bite without teeth (or part of them) , obtaining a championship certificate such a cat "does not Shine". Cross bite ("twist"), snack or undershot more than 2 mm, missing or sawed teeth, constantly sticking out of the mouth the tip of the tongue-all this also leads to mandatory disqualification, but not disqualification. Such a policy, in fact, looks rather strange. It can be understood as far as Persian and exotic breeds-indeed, skull asymmetry and malocclusion are not strictly inherited traits, it is the result of dysgenesis, an unsuccessful combination lines, but why extend this approach to all breeds? And what does the deformation of the chest-their inheritance with a combination of lines is not connected?

But strabismus in Siamese, Thai and Balinese cats is quite possible, and that is connected. In any case, neither recessive nor dominant inheritance of this defect is obvious not observed, and the frequency of its occurrence in offspring from inbred mating is comparable to that of kittens, obtained outbreeding. However, according to the rules of all felinological systems permanent strabismus leads to disqualification, and the "tendency to strabismus" — to deprivation of the title. Here is only distinguish this "trend" from "a permanent strabismus" in stress the exhibition is, Oh so easy. To do this, you need to inspect the animal in bright light, with a minimum of distractions, the cat's head should be on behalf of expert more than half a meter, and we should not play with the kitty "peepers", and gradually led before it as a "teaser" from side to side, and feathers "teasers» should be closer to the expert's face than the cat's face.

"Kinder" have become experts over the last decade and to defects cat-like tails. If before any hook size of 2-3 vertebrae automatically entailed disqualification, and broken form the last vertebra, e.g., "awl-shaped" - could ensure that the deprivation of the title, now kinks, knots, stiffness of the tail and spine (!) threaten only the loss of the title (of course, Bobtail, mancow and other short - and tailless breeds, these provisions do not apply). I'm not sure that such "kindness" will benefit the species. Of course, occasionally defects of the tail are of traumatic origin (fracture, dislocation of the tail vertebrae), but the traces of these injuries are clearly visible on x-rays. Therefore, such animals with proven traumatic defect, despite the absence of exhibition careers, to address the most noted or tribal Commission may well be producers in kennel or club. But for the most part breeders have deal precisely with hereditary defects tail vertebrae, and a new exhibition policy does not contribute to the removal of this feature from the breed populations.

Insufficient gruming and condition, as a rule, always reflected only on the receipt of the certificate. In principle, you could get the cat out of the garbage, to shake from it the most large debris and (in the absence of her parasites and the presence of veterinary documents) to carry on the exhibition. No one would a cat is not disqualified, though the title she hadn't received. Such is the rule and remains to this day. The same applies to cats nonconforming conditions: to deprive of a title bloated or emaciated cat, but to disqualify the impossible. In my personal opinion, this is the wrong approach. Yes, of course, emaciated cat is theoretically possible to feed (the defect is not inherited), but, first, its depletion shows either the presence of the disease (a cat's place veterinary clinic) or the lack of proper care. And that's what disqualifiziert cats is dwarfism, which can be at least two reasons: the result of poor care or the result of a mutation (so-called dwarfism). If be consistent, then, apparently, not lack of departure, namely hereditary the reasons for this defect make feline organizations to show such a strict approach to dwarfs. Sometimes it may seem that it is better to "nedokromila" cat than to overdo it when it is ready for the show. By the way, if the cat is really clean and well — groomed, do not undertake its preparation-entrust it to professional groomers. Otherwise, you can distort the texture of wool and color, cause allergies and so to peremudrit that the poor lose the title, and it will be removed from the examination. And never try to improve the quality color your animal, for example," cover "white" medallion", or" bleach " hydrogen peroxide body darkened color point. Falsification of color, as a rule, easily determined and punishable by disqualification.

Aggressiveness of cats on the judging table — the phenomenon in Russian exhibitions are frequent, but under the exhibition rules all systems of disqualification for such behavior — the case is extremely rare. Whether our judges are very sensitive to stress in cats to the excitement of their owners, to the inexperience of the stewards, whether playing here the role of the Russian mentality-something like " self-respecting animal should be able to stand up for their interests." Maybe it's just the vague nature of the definition aggressive behavior leading to disqualification. For example, according to FIFe Rules, aggressive cat is considered, which two stewards (together or in turn?) unable to get out of the cage. And if they him out of the cage, then pulled out, and on the table he grabbed expert in hand? And if the exhibitions of other organizations do the stewards not provided? By the same logic, aggressive should be considered an animal, which does not allow the judge to examine ourselves and feel separate way, trying (often successfully) to bite the judge, steward or master. It would not hurt to domestic experts to treat themselves more carefully, sometimes applying this paragraph about disqualification — they still do not invite animals to participate in "fights without rules". Sometimes owners try to prevent aggression, "pumping up" cats medicines. In this matter, you need to be very careful, since in principle, the exhibition rules of all systems, the use of such means is clearly prohibited. Detection of signs of use of tranquilizers or other, acting on the nervous system of the animal, medicines-exactly the same basis for disqualification, as well as aggressive behavior. The fact is that to calculate the required for cats the dosage is extremely difficult, as well as to predict her reaction to one or the other not previously used the drug. So-better not experiment!

In addition to the General grounds for disqualification, there are specific to each breed. For example, an Abyssinian may be disqualified for the presence of closed rings " necklace» on the neck of Siam — the white fingers, etc. Sometimes these specific bases can even be contrary to the General rules! In particular, for the Scottish fold extreme shortening the tail and the loss of his mobility due to abnormal vertebral — grounds for disqualification, and not just for deprivation of title. Therefore, choosing a kitten or for the first time heading to the exhibition, be sure to examine the standard of the breed, including the "revocation of certificate" and "disqualifications". That then, as they say, it was not painfully...