Looking at a show schedule for the first time might be a bit confusing for some, but once you understand the terms and abbreviations, it’s actually not so complex.

All of CFA’s shows are listed at the CFA Show Calendar and https://ecat.cfa.org/Userfiles/grandtitles/showcalendar2.txt   and by months within the show season year. The show season runs from May through April.

The CFA Show Calendar will also have links to the show’s flyer, online entry links, count updates and breed summaries, if there will be Feline Agility or a photographer at the show, and any other extra info.

Let’s look at a typical listing from a show listed in that schedule:

28 - 29(L), UNITED STATES, MINNESOTA, ST. PAUL, St. Paul River Centere - Exhibition Hall, 175 West Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN, SAINTLY CITY CAT CLUB, 6 AB, 2 SP, HHP	
Judges:	P. DEGOLYER(LH/SH), J. ADELHOCH(AB), K. BLACK(AB), B. PEARSON(AB), P. BASSETT(AB), T. SWEENEY(LH/SH), B. JAEGER(AB), C. BIZZELL(AB)
Entry Limit: 225	
Entry Clerk: SUSAN  KLINE, 1419 SUMMIT SHORES DRIVE, BURSVILLE, MN, 55306, UNITED STATES, 801 645 4730 	
Email: scklinemn@gmail.com	

28-29 – the date of the show. If this is a one day show, only one date would appear

(L) – the show has been licensed. Shows for which Central Office has not received a licensed, but have received at least one judge’s contract for are designated as “Pending” and denoted as (P)

MINNESOTA, ST. PAUL – city and state the show is held

St. Paul River Centere – Exhibition Hall: the name and location of the show hall

SAINTLY CITY CAT CLUB: The show’s sponsoring club

6 AB, 2 SP, HHP: The show’s format. AB – allbreed ring, Spec – a longhair/shorthair specialty ring, HHP – Household Pet judging

Judges: a list of the 8 judges who will be judging this show. The AB after a name means they will be judging an Allbreed ring. LH/SH after a name means that that judge will be judging a Longhair/Shorthair specialty ring. Some judges may have only a LH or a SH after their name. This shows that they will be judging only that one specialty with another judge taking the opposite specialty ring.

Entry Limit: The number of cats permitted to enter the show. By show rules, one day shows may have a maximum of 225 cats entered. 2 day show may have up to 450 cats entered. Note that that this is the maximum number of cats accepted – not the actual number that enter or show up.

Entry Clerk: The entry clerk’s name and their contact information

CD – Closing Date – the last date entries will be accepted

Other terms one might see include:

TBA – To Be Announced. (instead of a judge’s name). A judge has yet to be contracted for that show.

Information that has been struck through – the original information has changed. The original information is left to stand but struck though and the current information follows it.

Agility  – this show offers Feline Agility.