Introduction
In the first guide, 'The FIFe Show Day', we touched briefly on the awards
that can be won at a show, and the titles the adult cats can win over a few
shows, but there are a number of other titles and awards that can be won by
those cats that are good enough to get them! First we'll go over the show ones
again, then on to the extra special ones. 
Show Titles
The Basic Titles
The basic titles that a cat can attain by gaining a certificate when winning
its class at the requisite number of shows are as follows (note: this is UK
only, continental titles have slightly different requirements):
Champion = 3 CACs*
International Champion = 5 CACIBs*
Grand International Champion = 7 CAGCIBs*
European Champion = 10 CACEs*
Altered cats compete for their own set of titles, with identical requirements:
Premier = 3 CAPs*
International Premier = 5 CAPIBs*
Grand International Premier = 7 CAGPIBs*
European Premier = 10 CAPEs*
*certificates
Kittens and Juniors are not eligible for titles, gaining only the basic 'Ex1'
for winning their class.
Domestic pets (non-pedigree cats) do not currently win titles of this sort.
Best in Variety (BIV)
Once all cats in each group of that breed have been judged in their classes,
they are judged together for Best in Variety (BIV). There needs to be a
minimum of three each of cats, kittens, juniors and neuters for a BIV to be
awarded, although all except the neuters can be combined to make up the
numbers if necessary. Neuters are always done separately.
For instance, say one judge has 2 kittens, 2 juniors, 4 adults and 2 neuters
in one particular breed group (eg Group 7 (silver tabby) Maine Coons). The
class the neuters and adults are in, ie which title they are going for, is
ignored for this purpose.
The neuters always have to be judged separately, so with only two in
competition there can be no neuter BIV on this occasion. The four adults can
have their own BIV award since there are more than three in competition.
Finally the kittens and juniors can be judged together for a BIV award since
together, there are more than three of them.
Domestic pets do not have BIV awards.
There is now a new title available to cats that get a number of BIV awards -
see 'Distinguised Variety Merit' under 'Special Titles'.
Best in Show (BIS)
Each judge can nominate one each of adult male, adult female, neuter male,
neuter female, junior and kitten, in each category (s)he judges. These cats
are then brought back to the Best in Show panel and all the judges qualified
to judge that category vote for which of the nominated cats of each type they
think is the best in the show (BIS); some shows then have a 'Best in Category'
award for the best of the winning cats in each case, and there can also be an
Overall Best of the Best for their choice of the best of the 'Best in
Category' winners - ie the best pedigree cat in the show that day - but the
last two are only awarded at the discretion of the club running the show.
Domestic pets also have their own BIS awards.
Cats with a number of BIS awards can become eligible for the title
'Distinguised Show Merit'.
Special Titles
Distinguished Variety Merit (DVM)
This title is a new one which only came into effect on 1 January 2008 - it
will be awarded by FIFe to any cat that has won, since 1 January 2008, 10 or
more BIV awards, as long as there is at least two years and one day between
the first and latest awards. That is, if a cat wins 10 in less than two years,
it has to wait until after the end of the two years and gain another one,
totalling 11 (or more), in order to qualify. The first winner of this title
will therefore not be found until on or after 2 January 2010.
The title is shown as 'DVM' after the cat's name.
Distinguised Show Merit (DSM)
This works in the same way as DVM above, and is awarded to a cat that has won
10 or more Best in Show awards. For this purpose 'Best Opposite Sex' counts as
a BIS award.
This title is shown as 'DSM' after the cat's name.
Distinguished Merit (DM)
This title is awarded to cats that have given birth to the required number of
kittens that have gained titles of IC/IP or higher in FIFe. Females cats need
to have five qualifying offspring to gain the title; male cats need ten.
This title is shown as 'DM' after the cat's name.
Junior Winner (JW)
Any cat that attains five BIS awards whilst still in the kitten and junior
classes qualifies for this title, which is shown as 'JW' after its name.
World Winner (WW)
This title is only awarded to a cat that wins a BIS award at the annual FIFe
World Show, and is therefore fairly rare, especially for UK cats since the
World Show is invariably held in Europe.
Special Awards/Occasions
Felis Britannica Points Awards
Every calendar year, Felis Britannica runs an annual competition based on
points; every time a cat competes in a FIFe show in the UK and wins a BIV,
nomination or BIS award it is awarded so many points, based on the number of
cats it was in competition against and has beaten; full details of how this
works can be obtained from the Felis Britannica website (Shows > Points Awards
> How it works):
www.felisbritannica.co.uk/PA_desc.htm
These points are recorded and current standings of the fifteen or so cats in
each category - adults, neuters, kittens, juniors and household pets - with
the most points at any one time are listed on the Felis Britannica website
(Shows > Points Awards > Current Standings):
www.felisbritannica.co.uk/PA_list.htm
At the end of the year the cats with the most points are declared the winners
and the owners invited to an annual Awards Dinner held around February of the
following year at which they will be presented with their awards. The winners
are also listed on the Felis Britannica website. For instance, the winners for
2005 can be seen here (Shows > Points Awards > Final Results 2005):
www.felisbritannica.co.uk/PA_Res_OA_2005.htm
The FB Winners Show
This is the most prestigious show on the FIFe show calender and is usually
held around November each year. A cat must be invited to attend and to get the
invitation it must have attained one of the following during the qualifying
period (which is roughly the year since the last Winners Show):
Adults/Neuters: a BIV, nomination or BIS award, or a title of IC/IP or above
Kittens/Juniors: If under six months of age on the day of the Winners show,
one Ex1 - if over six months on that day, three Ex1s. Hope this guide helps!
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