Animal Welfare Policy

Animal Welfare is at the heart of the strategy and operations of The Cat Show Live. This document sets out the Animal Welfare Policy, sub-divided for each of the main stages of the event.


Pre-Event

Cats on exhibition will have been pre-selected by the organisers following applications submitted by their owner(s). Welfare criteria for selection include known temperament and previous exposure to similar environments.

All owners of cats must sign a declaration that they have never been subject to prosecution via the RSPCA, Police or Local Council for cruelty to animals. They must also confirm that they have not been suspended by any of the cat registries operating in the UK.

All cats entered must be over 4 months old and hold current vaccinations.


Build-up

No animals will be allowed in the hall during the show build up.


Event Day

The only animals permitted in the show hall are those cats that have been pre-booked into the show. All other animals (with the exception of Assistance Dogs) will not be allowed into the show hall.

Assistance Dogs are welcome in the show hall, however, to avoid any distress or injury to any cats, owners or visitors, Assistance Dogs will not be permitted within The Cat Village. Whilst the dogs are trained not to react, the cats are not trained to expect a dog amongst them and may act unpredictably. The show team will provide a quiet area, including access to fresh water, for Assistance Dogs to wait (accompanied by a member of the show team) whilst their owner visits The Cat Village. Anyone with an Assistance Dog should contact Customer Services on arrival.

All cats attending will be vetted in on entry and vaccinations cards checked, Any cat not passing the vet-in check will not be admitted to the hall.

Duty vets will be available throughout show hours in case of any issues. A local vet practice will also be on standby if required.

In the unlikely event of a cat becoming unwell during the show, an early exit can be authorised by the duty vet.

There will a quiet area of the hall (away from the public) for isolation purposes if required.

Exhibitors with cats will have a separate dedicated entrance/exit and this will be manned by NEC Security throughout the day.

In accordance with NEC policy, no cats can be taken out of the main entrance into NEC Concourse areas.

No cats will be permitted to be sold/adopted/re-homed at the show.

Noise abatement measures on the day include:

  • Trade stalls will not be allowed to use noisy equipment that might upset the cats.
  • The hall PA system will only be used for key announcements and will be at an acceptable volume.
  • The lecture theatre will be sound-proofed to minimise any noise escaping from the theatre.

Exhibitors will be briefed on the day about the fire and evacuation procedures.

All cat pens must have water, food, litter tray and bedding (supplied by owners). The pens can be closed off with curtains (or equivalent) to allow cats respite and rest (cat nap).  There will be a benching area adjacent to cages for public to see and touch cats (with prior permission from owners).

All visitors will be issued with “rule cards” for interaction with the cats on exhibition.

Sanitisers will be available to minimise any cross-contamination.

There is a limit on the number of visitors to the show to avoid any overcrowding, and stewards will be present to ensure a smooth flow of visitors through Cat Village.


Tear Down

No animals will be allowed to stay in the hall during show breakdown

The Cat Village will close 30 mins before the show closes to allow exhibitors time to pack and leave before breakdown commences.