Feline Agility Trials - Who Knew?

June is a busy month for animals. Sat., 6/7/08, the Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV, will be hosting the 2008 annual CFA(Cat Fanciers Association), Allbreed cat show and Feline Agility Trial. It opens to the public at 9am and ends at 5pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Adults - $6.00, children and senior citizens - $4.00. And, children under 5 get in free.


The reason I am writing about this is due to the Feline Agility. I didn't know that cat's would do, or could be trained to go through an agility course. If you have ever seen a dog agility course, you would understand my sentiment. It seems that most cats are very trainable. People use feathers on sticks and other toys to get them to do what they want. I had a cat for almost 17 yrs., and Sybil(I named her after the movie - I swear she had multiple personalities), train her, Ha!! To me, cats have their own agenda. I like them, I just like dogs better. After Sybil passed away, I said I would never have another cat, and haven't gotten one.


But, while doing research on this, I discovered that more care is used when setting up the agility course. They have them away from high traffic areas, i.e. concession stand, restrooms. And, it seems that cats like to be up high, so that is also considered. If you want something different to do this weekend, head up to Charleston and check out the Feline Agility trial, and the cat show. Some of the different types of cats that will be there are: Maine coon, Tonkinese, Ocicats, Siamese and Persians.

Allergies To Pets And How To Deal With It.

Tolerance - that is the key when a pet owner is dealing with the allergies to their pets. They bring us such joy, but also require a lot of maintenance. i.e. vet care, grooming(if required), bathing(smooth coats), ears cleaned out, attention, exercise, and the most important of all - "TIME."

I found out that 15% of our population is allergic to dogs or cats. And, surprisingly, it is estimated 1/3 of Americans that are allergic to cats, have at least one in the household anyway. It just goes to show just how much some people love their pets. I found another study of 341 adults, allergic to cats or dogs, advised by their personal physicians to get rid of their pets, only 1 out of 5 did. And, another shocking fact: 122 of the people got another pet after a previous pet had died.

Pet companionship, as far as I am concerned, far outweighs the drawbacks of pet allergies for quite a few pet owners. I call those people that are willing to be uncomfortable and take medicine for their allergies, and keep their pets, true animal lovers. They put the animal before themselves to give an animal a safe home and love. Contrary to popular belief, there are no "non-allergenic" breed of dog or cat. Shockingly, even the hairless breeds of both species can be highly allergenic.