The Swagerty Entry in a Cat Show

by Donna Swagerty Shreve

My parents were living in Linden in a small rental house with two young children, a brother-in-law and a Siamese cat. This was in the late 1940s and there was a small town pride in Linden. My father had started his career at the High School as a history teacher and coach of most of the teams. He then moved across the street to the elementary school as the seventh/eighth grade teacher and principal. He knew most everyone in town and they knew him. 

The local grocery store was a gathering place for the small population. Various notices were posted on the community bulletin board. The owner of the store knew most of his customers and when he saw my parents, he drew their attention to a certain notice. The big town of Stockton was hosting a cat show. My parents were the proud owner of a Siamese cat named Corky. He was adored by his family and was known by many in the neighborhood as he was an inside/outside cat. My parents were convinced to enter their prize cat in the cat show.

Entering a cat show was a new experience for my parents or their friends. Uncle Ronnie decided he would get involved and he made an elaborate privacy screen to hide the cat box from view. The screen had an elaborate dragon and pagoda to create an Asian theme. Corky’s name needed to be exotic also so his name plate read “Kor-key”. I remember as a small child feeling the pride of our family in our special beautiful cat.

Corky had been placed in his cage the night before and the judging would begin the next morning. My parents arrived to view the other cats and were even more convinced their cat was a prize winner. So many cats were too thin and funny looking. How could they have a chance compared to Corky?

When my parents arrived at their cat’s cage they found a cat yowling on top of rubble. He had shredded every decoration available and was not enjoying his cage or environment. There also was no award in front of his cage. Attached to the front of the cage was the judge’s evaluation. Corky’s tail was not long enough. He did not have an all white tummy. He was too hefty.  His head was not elongated. He was altered. Ah! The insults!

My parents took their disgraced cat home in a huff. How could this be?

Soon they were back at the grocery store and various town people wanted to know all about the cat show. Mom and Dad told their sorry tale. They had felt like country bumpkins bringing in their inferior feline. What had they been thinking?

 The next time Mom returned to the store she noticed a huge blue ribbon on the community notice board. The owner of the grocery store had created quite an elaborate prize ribbon. In the minds of Linden, Corky was a winner. Somehow that prize was much better than anything the cat show could have given.

518 words

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1/21/23