Purrfect: Garden of the Cats Brings Furry Tails Show to Golden

"If somebody comes up to me and says, 'Can I see your cat?,' I'm pulling them out and putting them in your arms," says Catherine Rudy.

Rudy is president of Garden of the Cats, an animal advocacy nonprofit that she co-founded in 2018 based in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. She also manages the nonprofit's Furry Tails 2023 cat show, which will be happening at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds this weekend, April 14-16, with public access on Saturday and Sunday — and she would like nothing better than for Denver cat lovers to come celebrate a wide range of felines.

More than 160 cats are registered for Furry Tails, where they can be seen on a show floor full of exhibitors, or competing in one of the eighteen rings, as well as five additional rings dedicated to title points. The titles they're competing for? Championship levels all the way up to Supreme Grand Champion, as well as annual awards that are usually breed-specific, such as Best Maine-Coon.

Judges observe the cats in place (there's no gait standard, as at a dog show) at each ring, scoring them on various criteria. For pedigree cats, these are based on breed-specific guidelines; for household cats, judges look more to condition, beauty and presence. And when it comes to household categories, "They can be rescue cats, they can be three-legged cats, something could be wrong with them — there's no standard for them," Rudy notes. "And they're our beloved pets. Even though we have pets that we love that are pedigree, we also love our cats that we don't know where they came from."

Cat fights are rare at the shows, owing to an enclosure policy for all entrants as well as an emphasis on socialization; Garden of the Cats only wants to display cats that enjoy taking part in the competition. The nonprofit's shows always have a theme that allows members to express creativity in designing the competition rings; Furry Tails is a play on Fairy Tales, and previous themes include Kitty Prom and Halloween Hiss-teria.

Those entering their cats come to the show for a variety of reasons. Many are there working toward a particular title or award, but Garden of the Cats also collaborates with 4-H clubs around the state, so there will be exhibitors as young as ten competing. For these young participants, the show gives them a unique opportunity to be involved at the same level as the adults.

The show hall will be packed with kitties for spectators to explore and enjoy during public-facing hours. "They get to mingle with all the cats, and we encourage people to go and walk among the cats and the people and talk to them. You have to ask to pet the cats," Rudy says, "but [most exhibitors] love spectators. They love to show off their kitty."

And it isn't just about the competition: There will be several booths from animal organizations there, as well. Garden of the Cats provides abundant community outreach, particularly as a charter member of the International Cat Association, "a vast, welcoming community that does a lot of work with rescues and shelters — a lot of them that are kind of forgotten," according to Rudy.

Garden of the Cats aims to make connections with partners that have similar goals. "We always invite the local rescues that are within the area where we are holding our show," Rudy says, adding that smaller organizations can sometimes be overlooked, and Garden of the Cats events like Furry Tails help to raise awareness. "Nothing wrong with the Humane Society, but given that they're so big, people will go to them to look for a pet," Rudy notes, "and they might not realize that there's a local one right down their street or within their neighborhood that has all these wonderful cats."

The event also gives local groups "an opportunity to get out there and meet the public and say, 'Hey this is what we do; this is how we care for cats.'"

That makes Furry Tails a good place for prospective cat owners to get some free education and perhaps meet a breed they're curious about. "You're talking about a lot of experts in cat care, cat hacks, cat breeds," Rudy notes. "People can come there and say, 'I want to learn about Sphinxes,' and I'll tell you where to go. We've got Sphinxes entered!"

For Furry Tails, Garden of the Cats will be working with Angels With Paws out of Lakewood. "What I love about Angels With Paws is that they do have cats with special needs, the ones that need extra attention and that are often overlooked," says Rudy. "Most families...want a cute little kitten. But there are people that will open their homes up to a special-needs cat, and that's what we love to do: find homes for these often forgotten ones."

The volunteer nonprofit will be prominently located at the show with cats for adoption. "We gave them the front," Rudy says, because "we want that to be the first thing you see. We are also donating a portion of our entry fees to them."

Although submissions to enter cats officially closed on April 7, Rudy encourages interested local pet owners to reach out, even after that date, as exceptions have been known to be made. "If you are a household cat," she says, "you are not second-rate."

Furry Tails 2023, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 16, JeffCo Fairgrounds, 15200 West Sixth Avenue, Golden. Admission is $5; get tickets here.