Report on The Chicagoland Pet Show

[Edwina's Secretary]

Yesterday, Tubby & Peanut' parents, Debbie and Terry, met us at the PetShow.

All the dog breed rescue groups were there. Here's my favorite breed...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p321f0a9127e18711ca31ae4dedfc2602/fc7ee910.jpg

Italian Greyhound
There were dog clubs, shelters, pet food companies giving free samples, ferrets, birds, and a zillion vendors.

Upstairs was the cat area. The Firsky cats from print and TV ads were there (including shows!) First was the household division.

Trevor's Twin
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p21a2c8d20ddd30c1d98511f67ec8357c/fc7ee789.jpg

"Send the electrolysist over here"
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p043d3e52060254c2f9c615394c6374b4/fc7ee8e8.jpg


The Breeds

My favorite...Devon Rex
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p3815555228d874ef3bfa3fcb38b398a9/fc7ee76d.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pc738784e5611019d79bef08a3a355596/fc7ee774.jpg

and the much anticipated Hedgehog Olympics
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pc4e2bc352d214cc633661862283f7823/fc7ee8fe.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pbf18b7a4428b722b47768a2b0232807f/fc7ee907.jpg

I know Debbie has photos as well!

[Desert Arabian]

I am so mad, ma (ACGAS) and I were suposed to go on Saturday, but no one would take her shift at work. :(

@#(%&#$*^%)(@#^%@#%$@&#%^@)*&#%$)@#%*&@#%@&)#%^@# (&%^@#)&*%^@#$@_#%^@#*&$@_#%^&*@ #%$@#%(&_@#%@&#%^(@&#%^@#^% (quick vent, sorry).

Sounds and looks like it was fun...maybe next year we can go. :)

Hey...I have that colored playpen (last pic) for my ratties, they can get out of it though. Stinkers! :p :p

[lovemyshiba]

Looks like fun!!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Ok, I remember last time we realized we didn't take enough pictures, so I tried to take more this time. Sara, I can't believe your camera took such great pictures of the Hedgehogs! That's an awesome zoom lens you have! My pictures aren't in any order, so I'll just put them up as they appear on Imagestation.

This was a beautiful 9 month old Maine Coone girl. Her mom was brushing and combing her so we just had to stop and admire. (Terry is very partial to the Maine Coones since his snotty little girl Peanut is part Maine Coone).
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pea70b9a1706e88002b9dd3a62b9d839a/fc7d48cb.jpg

This was an Aby that just got done being judged. He/she did get ribbons, but I guess we didn't ask what ribbons. :rolleyes:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p1182933c1c20ff62c86012733beaf20a/fc7d48c6.jpg

Here we are waiting for the Hedgehogs to get going. I'm the one with the white shirt with the blue jean shirt over. Sara is to my left (your right as you're looking at the picture) and her husband Don is to her left (your right) on the end of the bleachers. Terry took the picture.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pb24d20a5df4a0b81f8cf9d6b72e8bbf0/fc7d48c4.jpg

I didn't catch this sweeties name, or the group he was collecting for, but he/she was sooooo adorable holding the pot asking for donations! The girl said he usually does very well in his collections. You can kind of see his....coat? with all sorts of patches on it. The group was something like "Dogs for the Blind" or "Pet Companions" or something like that. It was a worthy cause, and how could we resist such a face!!!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p239f24e894b6979fdc18bdf4ef0a225e/fc7d481e.jpg

If I remember right, this was in the household area. These kitties must really like being stuffed in the bag because their cage was sitting there empty. :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p62b2026f808cd857c9f5caa0f514ff91/fc7d4819.jpg

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

This is what you call a cat tree! It was on the stage for the Frisky's cat trick show (which we missed - darn!) so I didn't get a name or company that makes them. Might have been specially made for Friskys too for all I know.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p1f0a1ef68e2ea27c51bd9527e879a550/fc7d4818.jpg

This is a dilute calico Brit. He/she was adorable!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p2b7b3f3fbad77c15c7124062c63aecbe/fc7d4786.jpg

This next one is Sara's husband, Don. Another lady wanted to take a picture, so the kitty's mom handed Don the feather in hopes the kitty would look up for the lady to get a nice picture. The picture of Don turned out good, but I don't think the kitty was being very cooperative. ;) Oh, the kitty is the little black one - a Devon Rex or similar.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pd90df18194ea1af2d93b1fded073cf68/fc7d4784.jpg

This is one of Edwina's British cousins.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p5c41b11d764f00b937c577c5243eb161/fc7d4781.jpg

And Fister's British cousin. He looked so much like Fister we couldn't believe it. The only thing is he has the Brit head/face which Fister doesn't have. He was a real poser and seemed to love having his picture taken. His mommy said he was a real lover boy and just loved being in the limelight. I never knew Brits came in Tabby or Calico colors. 'Course, pretty much the only Brits I've really seen are the British Blues, and Efrats white colored ones, so shows what I know about Brits. ;) :rolleyes:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p058df07952481424a020b99a425bca7d/fc7d4728.jpg

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

This is the most adorable Maine Coone kitten! If he had been for sale - for something less than $500.00, T & P might have had a new brother. Terry was really taken with this little guy. :)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p4638064c3c07e7923f7eaeb51ab45136/fc7d4726.jpg

This is the same "Charlie Chaplin" kitty that Sara posted. I loved his little mustache, and his little black socks on two feet.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pc1b437104eb78b50b9ddff46f5233bc9/fc7d4722.jpg

And another one of "Charlie." I was trying to get a good pic of his moustache, but of course the camera was slow and he was looking for attention. http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p7e0832b557e44ff7c683f0a55522cf8e/fc7d46d2.jpg

And here's two pics of some kitties that have had a very rough day at the show. Now it's nap time.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pe73ac7a745c70771c3ca14ebfbba3d84/fc7d46cf.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p769523b6e42a312c1cfaa9e0ffb94d5d/fc7d4662.jpg

And the last pic is a bunny. There was a purebred bunny rescue there, so I just had to take a pic for you bun lovers. :)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pa22d7a1139839ab01a27da04b6c69097/fc7d46d1.jpg

I hope you like the pics. We had a great time, and there was way more to look at than we had time for. And the crowd just getting bigger and bigger too. It's good to know there are so many pet lovers out there, but we had to get out into the beautiful sunny warm day, so that's all there is! :D

[Edwina's Secretary]

Wow Debbie! You took fabulous pictures. Proving more than just a good camera is important!

So many of mine are "through the bars"....yuck....

but here's Nikita's twin
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p23ef0ab509a766433599322790d723a7/fc7ee778.jpg

and one of the Frisky's cats on stage
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/pa5508e6d183e793814da06001957b215/fc7ee8ee.jpg

[Vermontcat]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom

If I remember right, this was in the household area. These kitties must really like being stuffed in the bag because their cage was sitting there empty. :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p62b2026f808cd857c9f5caa0f514ff91/fc7d4819.jpg
I love this picture the best!:D
It is so funny the way they are both stuffed in there!
It sounds like you all had fun and took lots of great pictures!:)

[Karen]

Great pictures every one! :) Thanks for posting, but I wanna BE there!

A co-worker called from Busch Gardens in Florida today, and said he had just seen the Clydesdales. I told him to bring one back for me if any wanted to come north! :)

[anna_66]

Looks like you really had alot of fun!

I just adore the kitties in the bag:D

[lovebird567]

aww! it looks like so much fun! all the pictures are wonderful;) thanks for sharing.....

[zippy-kat]

I soooo wanna go now!!!
I love the hedgie pics, the snuggly 'almost-K'Cee-in-a-bag', the Frisky cat, and of course the bunny!! :D :D

Hmm... maybe next year!!

[Steffi N]

What great pictures. Thank you Sara and Debbie for sharing them.

[AmberLee]

Wow! It looks like you guys had a GREAT time. I almost feel like I was there with you...

I want to go to another cat show. NOW. Calming down -- there's one somewhat local in early April... need details though!

Thanks for sharing the photos. It looks like a marvelous time!

[wolf_Q]

Great pics!! Loved all of them..and I think I'd wanna take home that little Maine Coone kitten too! Cutie!

I wish we had something like that here. The only shows like that I know of are Home and Garden crap.

Were people allowed to walk around with their own pets? Or just pets that were in the show?

Is this the first time you guys have met up? I wish I could meet a Pet Talker! Looks like fun! :D

[Ann]

Wow, that looked like a lot of fun! Wish I could have been there! Great pics, thanks so much for sharing :)

I especially liked the begging dog, if I had seen her/him I would have given away all my money for sure ;)

[moosmom]

Trevor's twin could also be Casey "Bubba Dude" 's twin as well!

Ewina's Secretary,

:confused: :confused::confused: What??? No Sphynxes?? Oh well, then just picture the Devon Rex with no fur. That's my boy!!! :D :D :D

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh, and I forgot to mention the Great White Cat! I didn't get a picture because this cat was in one of those collapsable cages with the mesh, so he wouldn't have shown up very well, and I thought the guy was not too friendly when I asked if he could take the cat out so we could see him better and take a picture.

Anyway, I think it was a Maine Coone, so I'm not surprised he was big, but this cat weighed 25 1/2 pounds (11.5 kg)!!! And he didn't look fat at all, he was just huge. His paws were literally almost the size of Inka's head! And his head....well, lets just say he could easily have passed for a medium sized dog, like a poodle or something. I've never seen a cat this big. He was laying down, sleeping, and he completely filled the cage. I bet he was laying down because if he sat up he would have had to hunch over because he would have been too tall for the cage. :eek: It would have been nice to see him outside the cage, sitting or standing....maybe next to another cat just to emphasis how big he was. Sure wish I could have gotten a picture - drat!

And, after seeing all those purebreds, we decided that Tubby is a purebred too. He is of the rare Domestic Black Panther breed. And the name on his papers is Lord Tubias de'Cat of Burr Ridge Manor. So, you think that'll work for the next show? ;) :D :rolleyes:

[Cookiebaker]

Awesome pictures!! I feel like I was there! :) It looks like so much fun! I wanna go too!!! :D

[Edwina's Secretary]

Don still talks about the BIG white cat. (He likes big, fat kitties...:rolleyes: without comment!!!) That cat was sooo big ...but proportioned right.



What??? No Sphynxes??

That's why I was hoping you would enter Moo! Next year when Tubby the ....
Domestic Black Panther is in it too!

[Rachel]

I debated going to the show, but I knew there would be a lot of people and I just didn't have it in me to fight the crowds. Maybe next year.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Rachel, we would have loved to have you just to get a "dog's perspective" on everything. ;) :) Seeing as Sara and I both only have cats, we did tend to spend more time "on the cat side."

We got there early Sunday morning, and the crowds weren't that bad. Of course they progressively got worse and it was time to leave when we did (about 1:00 pm) but it wasn't so bad at first.

Hopefully next year you'll join us! :)

Oh, and I don't handle crowds that well either, so it's interesting that three of us from the Chicago area (a crowded area by my estimates) really don't enjoy large groups of people. That's why when Terry and I go on vacation these days, we try to avoid big cities. I figure I fight the traffic and deal with the "big citiness" everyday so when I go on vacation I want otta here! ;) :D

[zippy-kat]

I would like to go there as well!

Maybe this should be the meeting place for the "Enormous PT Gathering" Aly posted about! Definitely has something for every one!!!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by zippy-kat
I would like to go there as well!

Maybe this should be the meeting place for the "Enormous PT Gathering" Aly posted about! Definitely has something for every one!!!

Hey, that's a great idea! Like you said, it definitely has something for everyone including birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, hedgehogs....you name it!

It will probably be held about the same time next March, and Chicago is pretty centrally located - a bit further from the West coast, but still pretty central. There are plenty of hotels, it's easy to fly in and out of...well, relatively speaking that is. ;) :)

[Barbara]

Sounds like you had lots of fun. I also would have adopted the Maine Coon kitty -soo sweet. And the begging dog. And the 2 in the bag -feeling comfy and snuggly in all that trouble. Thanks you took a picture of an Aby for me;)
I must say Fister looks better than his purebred look-alike.

I would have loved to see you there. Thanks for sharing.

BTW one day I saw at a cat show a 10 kg -22 lb Maine Coon Tom. He was the biggest slim cat I've ever seen and would have been too much of a cat for me (more than the 2 of mine together) but my was he beautiful!