TYPHAST ZSAMI
Click for my: - 'GUIDE TO SHOWING BENGAL CATS'
Zsami, pronounced Sami, is now twenty one months old. He began his show career at the tender age of seventeen weeks old and took to it right away. Not only has he proved successful in his show results, he is so relaxed and very easy for the Judges to handle.
His very first show was also my lovely Ziggi's retirement show. It soon became obvious that little Zsami would become an admirable successor to my wonderful Ziggi who had been a great Ambassador for the Bengal breed over his many years of showing before he sadly passed away at the age of ten in November 2010.
Many of our shows are quite a distance from home as we live deep in the Devon countryside, our 'local' shows being held at Taunton and Paignton, both one and a half hours away. Consequently we tend to travel away and stay in a hotel the night before a show so that we are fresh and ready for the short trip to the show and the long day ahead.
I have never known such a wonderful travelling cat as Zsami! As soon as he is in the car in his large travel pen containing his bed and a litter tray he settled down, never uttering a sound throughout the whole journey. That is a rarity amongst cats and to have such a good traveller is hard to find. He also loves his hotel stays and all the goings on through the windows, which can vary from the hustle and bustle of the hotel car park, to the view of fields with rabbits hopping around at dawn or dusk.
Show preparation for Zsami is very easy compared to Ziggi, who had to be bathed a couple of days before a show which he tolerated rather than enjoyed. Zsami's coat is so silky and clear that a quick damp down the day before followed by a brush and polish up are all that he needs for a glistening sheen to show off his beautiful glittered coat.
After a few miles drive from the hotel to the show, our arrival is followed by the compulsory vetting in to check him over before we go into the show hall to locate our assigned pen. I disinfect his pen before putting in his show kit and opening his carrier door. He struts confidently out onto the floor where I have a brush ready to give him a quick spruce up and he knows what comes next. Rather than wait for me to lift him up into his pen, he now jumps up there himself!
Zsami and I tend to go to shows about once a month and we are very much a team, each knowing what is expected of the other and each having trust in the other. Not all shows bring fantastic results but who cares when a cat is so much pleasure to present to the Judges and to the visitors at shows.
Zsami is SO low maintainance that when I sit down and think about it, I really can't believe my luck that he is that way. When he came to me at the age of fourteen weeks I had no idea whether he would travel or even have the right temperament for showing. It really is hit and miss when buying a kitten with a view to showing.
We show with the GCCF organisation mostly and on occasion with Tica. The Tica shows tend to be further afield and often clash with the GCCF shows I like to attend, but I do enjoy them as they are so different from our usual format. So far he has been shown on two Tica weekend shows and has done very well, so I'm very pleased and will hope to be going to more as time goes on. He is still young and has plenty of time in the future to get those titles so there's really no hurry! The main thing is that he enjoys his days out which makes him happy which is fortunate for me as showing is my absolute passion.
Zsami was bred by Barrie and Rosie Alger-Street of the distinguished Typhast cattery on the banks of the Thames. He comes from a most illustrious pedigree on both his Sire and Dam's side, and it certainly shows. Super type with the most gorgeous clear donut rosette markings and covered in sparkling gold and pearl glitter. I'd been very impressed with the Typhast cats and kittens I’d seen at various shows over the past few years. Cats with fabulous looks, richly coloured coats, lovely laid back temperaments and producing great show results. I feel very proud to be entrusted with one of them and know that they are as proud of him as I am!
ZSAMI's PEDIGREE
Sire: UK & Imperial Grand Champion Typhast Greatballsofire x Dam: Typhast Kalendargirl
Below: Cats in Sire's pedigree with show titles in red:
.... and below: Cats in Dam's pedigree with show titles in red:
