We have received a huge number of letters, emails and phone calls from readers and exhibitors who are very angry and concerned about the decision of the GCCF to move away from Our Cats after 24 years working together.

A number of these letters are due to be published in the paper and other comments will be included here.

We are also aware of a number of websites that are running campaigns and carrying conversations in their chat rooms. Again some are featured here:

http://www.wedont-fancythat.co.uk/

People who show under GCCF not considered at all

I am writing to air my views on the prospects of yet another way the GCCF have got us by the short and curlies.

According to the GCCF website, a new publication, called 'Fancy That’ is to take over from ‘Our Cats’ in the new year and that is all well and good if
(A) As GCCF members we were consulted;

(B) The clubs we pay into and support were informed.

I am also very concerned that apparently the GCCF has decided we should not know about FIFE / TICA shows and that is allegedly one of their gripes with ‘Our Cats’, which is 'The Official Journal of the GCCF'

Why not I ask, are they frightened we will see how we are being held in a dictatorship under their realm?

As breeders and exhibitors we should know what is going on in the world of cats, we are adults and old enough to decide for ourselves where we prefer to spend our money.

Having heard that some fellow exhibitors have been warned to be careful for speaking their minds and having an opinion, I am irate.

This is a good indication of what the GCCF think of their members, we are not to be considered at all.

My reply to their actions, is that for the first time in 26 years, neither I or any of my cats will be attending the Supreme Show and I am seriously, and I mean seriously, looking into the prospects of showing for 'the other side', making my first steps this very morning by posting off a membership application to FIFE.

I look forward to seeing many of my friends and acquaintances in the world of FIFE/TICA where members appear to matter!!

For various reasons I have asked for my name and address to be withheld as I do not want to have any unpleasantness in my breed or from anyone who may have associations with any future publications... in print or online.
Name and address supplied

Totally disgusted
I have had a GCCF registered prefix since first applying in 2002. Since this time, every kitten I have bred has been registered with the GCCF, and not only do I show my own cats approximately once a month at GCCF shows, I also encourage my kitten owners to do the same as I am sure GCCF records will show. As such, I am totally disgusted that the GCCF has chosen to make such a major decision without consulting any of the breeders who have a GCCF registered prefix and who exhibit their cats.

During my time of breeding and exhibiting cats, I have been a huge fan of the Our Cats newspaper and currently subscribe to it, and am more than happy with their prices and the service they are offering. I would like to ask the GCCF what lay behind their decision to award a contract to a company with absolutely no publishing experience. The GCCF is a business not unlike any other, however, in the case of this contract being awarded, it makes very little sense. I cannot understand why tenders were not called for from any of the big publishing firms. If this is to be the GCCF’s way forward, then I will have no part of it.

Should this contract stand, then as of next year when critiques are no longer going to be published in Our Cats, I personally will be withdrawing all funds currently being paid to the GCCF. I am more than happy to register my prefix, my cats, and every single kitten I breed with either TICA or FB and since hearing this news, I have already been on both web sites and downloaded the necessary forms.

At the end of the day it is WE breeders who continue to fund the GCCF’s existence and perhaps in the future, this is something the GCCF will take into consideration prior to making decisions of this magnitude. The GCCF is not the only cat fancy organisation covering the UK.
Name and address supplied

Appalled & disgusted
Having been a member of the cat fancy for almost 25 years I have seen quite a number of changes during this time. In my opinion some for the better, some not quite so, none of which can begin to compare with the change that is scheduled to take place in February 2008.

Quite frankly I am appalled and disgusted that the contract for the GCCF official magazine has been awarded to someone who was boasting “cat world domination” weeks prior to the official announcement being made. Is this professional and unbiased? I’m afraid in my opinion there is nothing further from the truth!

It appears that people are banned from their website, known as Hubbbell Bubbell. More often than not, photos of show winning cats are omitted from the show gallery page. Does this mean it is a foregone conclusion the same behavior will prevail once she has taken over publication of the monthly magazine “Fancy That”? Not only with the omission of cats’ photos and miss-spelt names but judges’ critiques also?

Surely if the GCCF were no longer happy with Our Cats, a conference with them should have taken place and grievances aired? If these could not be resolved then tenders should have been requested from various other professional bodies. Furthermore why weren’t clubs or their members notified in order that their voices could be heard? Notification is soon received by exhibitors should we make any mistake at all on a show entry form.

Personally I think it an extremely sad affair that a long standing breeder such as myself should have to think of joining an alternative governing body after all these years – does the GCCF no longer care about its members?

I have always been happy with Our Cats and feel very sad that their long-standing contract is being terminated and placed with Sea View Design Group.

Jackie Armstrong (Mrs), Helsbels Siamese

Disaster for Cat Fancy
We would like to make you aware of our objections to the fact that the GCCF have awarded a new publication, Fancy That™, the right to publish show critiques and official GCCF news instead of Our Cats. We feel that this will be a disaster for all the Cat Fancy and we would urge you to visit our website and consider our objections.

The GCCF has given their members no opportunity to decide for themselves if this change in publication is acceptable and so we would urge you to join our campaign to overturn this decision.

If this decision is not overturned then this could be the ruination of the Cat Fancy as we know it! If YOU care about the Cat Fancy as much as we do then you MUST take the time to visit our website http://www.wedont-fancythat.co.uk/

All the team at We Don’t... Fancy That
http://www.wedont-fancythat.co.uk

Stunned
I’m stunned to read the news re. GCCF withdrawal of “Official Organ” status for “Our Cats”. I’m also extremely surprised and annoyed to find out in such a way.

Since I bred my last litter in 1987, I have no cause to visit the GCCF website as I get all the information I need from “Our Cats” thus would have continued in blissful ignorance of the Exec’s decision. Until and unless I receive instructions from the GCCF to the contrary I shall continue to send my show reports to you.
Name & address supplied

I shall miss Our Cats
I RECENTLY received an e-mail telling me that shortly we would not be reading judges critiques in OUR CATS, but in a new publication that had now been awarded the contract by the GCCF. The email also quoted a website number which would give further information.

The website states that as from February 2008, a new publication - an A4 glossy - would be available. This new magazine would give us all GCCF news, judges critiques, articles, show reports etc.

When I first joined the Fancy 27 years ago I bought “Fur and Feather”, later that changed to just a publication for the Cat Fancy and at one time was printed as a monthly A4 glossy - I don’t think it proved all that popular and it reverted to being a “newspaper” that came out fortnightly. This newspaper has kept us all up to date with various issues, changes in the law, events, GCCF news and club news, show lists, breed articles etc.

Being a breeder involved in a less popular breed the fortnightly paper helped me to follow the breed’s progress at shows and to keep uptodate with the number of awards they received and to follow any new interest from breeders in these breed numbers - I don’t think a monthly publication will give me this information so easily.

Several years ago Persian breeders were inveigled to subscribe to a new quarterly magazine specifically for Persian breeds. We were told that if it proved to be well supported that it may even become a monthly publication. Seduced by promises that this really was what long haired breeders had been waiting for - breed features, show reports, health articles, judges opinions etc, many of us paid up. A lot of subscribers, here and abroad, were left out of pocket. Editions not turning up (boxes mislaid at the post office etc) and at the end of the day production folded before some of our fully paid annual subscriptions ran out.

It concerns me that a new publication, untried and untested, may run into difficulties and then where will we be.

I am not interested in the politics of how this all came about, but I know that I shall miss OUR CATS as, no doubt, when it is no longer the official GCCF publication, it will disappear into oblivion.
Rita Quick, Jayjon Persians

You will be much missed
I am so very sorry to hear that Our Cats is, it appears, to vanish early in the New Year. What a shame, after all the hard work and enthusiasm that you and the team have put in - you will all be much missed.
Patsy Yardley

Uncertain quality
I AM writing about the recent revelation that Seaview Design Group, whose director is Mrs A. Shafto, is to be appointed as the official journal of the GCCF in place of the publisher of OUR CATS.

I am uncertain about the quality of Seaview Design Group. For example, at the Croydon Cat Show in June 2006, Mrs Shafto sent a photographer, who tried to take a picture of my Blue Point Siamese - on her first GCCF show outing - without my permission, and then had the cheek to claim responsibility for managing my website!

Should this be the behavious of of someone who hopes to represent the GCCF as its publicist. I understand that those who do not grant permission for publication of pictures are taken to task on websites with various negative comments.

Having looked at various sources of information published by Mrs Shafto, it is noticeable how often cats’ names, titles, awards, owners names, etc., are either mis-spelt or wrong.

I wonder whether the GCCF would like to reconsider risking their reputation as an upstanding, honest body of people who promote the showing, keeping and breeding of cats as a hobby whilst linking these activities to someone who in my opinion is so inaccurate. I could cite other examples, but choose to keep this letter brief.

I would be very interested to know what the GCCF thinks of these comments and wonder whether mine is not the only letter of caution.
R. James (Miss)

Underhand publicity
I WRITE to state that I was surprised and somewhat disgusted to receive emails from a few varied individuals re. the new so-called ‘GCCF publication’. Indeed, two actually began with - cancel your subscription to Our Cats if you have one. I feel this style of publicity is somewhat underhand, especially as the emails predated the announcement on the GCCF website.

As a conservationist, one thoroughly disapproves of yet another excessive new glossy magazine with no additional use once perused apart from recycling, if that makes sense - I don’t plan to waste the money in future as I seldom fully read the glossy productions I HAVE to have already (Reader, Church, Uni, Nursing, etc, etc). Nor do I normally purchase, or have time to read a plethora of hobby magazines. Our Cats at least adds to additional newsworthy material, which cannot be fulfilled in ‘articles’.

The sadness is that the group of people to whom I pass Our Cats reports and information will not have the material in future. For some, the current non purchase already is due to cost. I am able to get online for the GCCF website for significant information, but there are those who do not have this facility.

I am among several who have always disapproved of what would appear to GCCF’s imposing style through the paper, although appreciating both the GCCF and the OC stance - The Kennel Club allows reports in both (all) possible dog newspapers and have their own informative publications which are not responsible for the judges’ reports.

Nor can canine judges be reprimanded for non-reportage apart from Ch shows - in fact there would NEVER be enough space if there were even more publications with all the dog shows there are - the slightly sad fact is that one seldom sees one’s report apart from 1st in Breed Class, but that is not the end of the world, after all, as canine classes are 4-30 times greater than cats, a win or placing is worth its weight in gold.

Surely judges could still send Our Cats as well - many dog judges get envelopes from both Our Dogs and Dog World at shows, and often send to both papers.

F-Elizabeth Evans (Miss), Cadifee Cats & Trufee Cavaliers with Mrs Pat Holford

Voice my concerns
I FEEL I have to write and voice my concern over the recent announcement regarding judges critiques, now to be published by a new enterprise served by Mr & Ms Shafto.

Having had dealings in the past with this group, I am frankly amazed that such a long-standing and professional institution such as the GCCF has chosen to deal with such a “set-up” with little or no consultation with its many members.

I can only assume that the GCCF were “lured in” by the admittedly slick graphics at the forefront of the company - unfortunately, and as many people with the experience will confirm, the actual back-up, maintenance and ethics are not so attractive.

I personally will be seriously considering a move to another registering body - I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of paying a subscription to any company controlled by Mr & Ms Shafto - or want to have dealings with any organisation involved with them.

Lesley Williams, Spireshadow Siamese

Is it possible to fight the GCCF decision?
I can’t believe the way Our Cats has been treated; it is unbelievable that the GCCF have done this after so many years of good service by the paper.

I started buying Our Cats when I first started showing in 1994 and look forward to receiving my copy through the post. Is there nothing that can be done to save the paper; is it possible to fight their decision or is it now a done deal? It would be sad not to see you at shows anymore.
Paula Clarke, Karlac Burmese

Deeply concerned
We are deeply concerned by the GCCF’s decision to choose “Fancy That” to be their Official Journal for the publication of show reports.

We are part of the Siamese and Oriental community of the Cat Fancy and although we realise that our breeds comprise just a small percentage of the Cat Fancy, we do have first hand experience of the Administrators of “Fancy That” in the guise of “Siamese Planet”.

These administrators are, in fact, breeders/cat show enthusiasts themselves and, in our view, have consistently proved themselves incapable of acting in an impartial manner. As a simple test spend half an hour on the Siamese Planet show results pages, look at the names of the cats winning awards and the names of the cats pictured. The same winning cats get ignored time and again, the same cats get featured time and again, win or lose. We therefore ask you to consider the following points before making a decision to subscribe to “Fancy That” as your publication of choice.

1. Do you enjoy impartial publications?

2. Do you consider the “right of reply” to any article/letter to be your basic human right?

3. Do you require the same amount of publicity for your cats as the next breeder?

4. Do you require experienced and impartial journalism?

5. Do you expect the editor of a publication to be impartial?

If you value any or all of the above points, then you MUST consider very carefully whether this will be a suitable publication to represent the United Kingdom’s primary Cat Fancy. Please do not “Do Nothing”, at least contact many breeders/clubs in the Siamese/Oriental fraternity and satisfy yourself as to the credibility of “Fancy That”.

Consider the following quotation from the famous philosopher…
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”
Remember that for the last 24 years you have enjoyed an impartial publication supported by professional journalists. Are you really ready to relinquish this luxury so easily? At the very least ensure that the alternative is impartial.

Suzie & Clive Hall

I wish to express my concern
FIRSTLY, I would like to highlight that I have no connection whatsoever with the proposed new publishers.

As an exhibitor who has registered and shown cats under GCCF rules for over 20 years, I am writing to express my concern regarding the decision to award the contract for GCCF judging critiques to an alternative company with what appears to have been no consultation with we ‘the exhibitors’.

As you will be more than aware, communication from the GCCF is always quickly forthcoming if we spell a name slightly wrong on a show entry form, so why has such a major decision been so low key?

Further to this, I would be obliged if the following questions could be clarified:
• If the publishing contract was coming to an end, did this go out to tender? If so, where was it advertised, how many tenders were shortlisted and what was the criteria to be met for awarding the contract?

• If there were concerns with the present publishers, were they given the opportunity to hear these concerns, and were they given the opportunity to rectify them?

• Do the proposed new publishers have the equivalent qualifications and infrastructure to produce a magazine of equal quality and what is the evidence base for this?

• What evidence have the new company that they have in the past, and will in the future, be able to deliver?

Since this news came to light, I have visited the website managed by these individuals and I have to say some of the comments posted to me are unprofessional. Is this what we the UK cat fancy have to look forward to on a monthly basis?

For myself, I don’t think so! I for one have no intention of subscribing to it.

In conclusion, I feel that the present publishers have given years of high quality, professional service and support to the UK cat fancy, they are a professional, long established publishing house, and I feel that there should have been much more thought put into this decision.
Ian Morris

Personal concerns
I am writing in regarding the news of the contract for the publishing of Judge Critiques being awarded to Mr & Mrs Shafto from February 2008.

I feel that as a member of the GCCF, and an active participant in shows/clubs/breeding - that clubs or members should have been consulted over this development.

I have enjoyed and collected “Our Cats” for a number of years. I enjoy the fact that it is published fortnightly and the website is continuously updated.

Mrs Shafto has. apparently, been a member of the Cat Fancy for approximately three years and I have a number of personal concerns about this appointment, which has come out of the blue. It is my understanding that the GCCF said they have considered the matter very carefully. Well, what happens if this venture fails? Have they any assurances from the new company or have they checked their financial background and stability – surely this should be explored as I presume subscriptions are going to be requested by their company in advance.

As the GCCF is backing this new company by way of awarding the contract to them, are we to take this as meaning that if the new company goes into liquidation, that the GCCF will take responsibility for their judgment in awarding this contract and take full responsibility for refunding all subscriptions?

I would also like to point out that, in my view, Mr & Mrs Shafto have absolutely no publishing experience whatsoever with the exception of a Hubbell Bubbell Calendar upon which the word Calendar was spelt incorrectly on the front cover. This again is surely a cause for concern, particularly when in comparison, Our Cats is part of a publishing company and has successfully published show reports for 24 years.

I was appalled that the first e-mail I received from this new company listed publicly many many peoples email addresses – some of which were obviously work emails – I sincerely hope that none of these addresses, having been made public, are not then misused.

This group also runs a website/chat room. Again, I have seen evidence that this is not run on a fair and impartial basis. People have allegedly been “banned” for imagined slights or having the temerity to disagree with the publishers. Apparently cats names have been spelt consistently incorrectly or completely missed out – is this new venture going to be run on the same principles? It was on this site that before the Committee Meeting had been held, that the phrase “3 Days Until Cat World Domination” appeared. Once the meeting had been held she accompanied her name with the phrase “Cat World Domination Complete”. I’m afraid that this indicates to me the outcome of the meeting was a foregone conclusion – how else could this level of confidence be explained? I am also concerned at the mentality of someone who wishes to “dominate” anything – especially when it will be members’ money funding this business.

I hope I am not alone in registering my deep concern over what I consider a very flawed decision by the Executive Committee of the GCCF.

Sharon Homer Wheeler, Withajay Siamese

Concerns
Concerning the switch by the GCCF of their show report publications to Fancy That.
I am concerned about this change for several reasons.

1. The archives of Our Cats continuing on from Fur and Feather originally, are an invaluable source of information for breeders, and will not be available if there is a change in publishers. Our Cats will probably cease trading, and this information will be permanently lost to their subscribers, and not be available to Fancy That.

2. Our Cats is a specialist publication for pedigree cats and breeders, and is not generally bought by household pet owners. It has an advertising base built up over years, which help keep the cost of subscriptions down. Fancy That will not initially have this, and by publishing as a glossy magazine (an intrinsically more expensive format) there is no guarantee that the current quoted subscription will be adhered to.

3. A new magazine launch is always a risky financial venture, and there seems there is no provision that during the proposed period of Fancy That publishing the GCCF show reports, there will be protection for that information, if the venture fails. I would like a guarantee from the proposed publishers and the GCCF that in the event of the magazine failing, this information will be protected and passed on to the succeeding publication.

4. The change of publications was made without due consultation with GCCF show supporters, GCCF club delegates, show managers or most importantly, judges who should be consulted about where their reports, personally written, should appear. Who actually owns the original copyright of a judge’s report. The resultant dissatisfaction will lead to many not subscribing to the new magazine, especially as its editorial impartiality has already been called into question. This makes the viability of the new magazine even less, and the GCCFs arbitrary decision suspect.

5. I have looked at the Fancy That website, presumably promotional, and it is not convincing. It is difficult to read, and certainly at the moment appears very unprofessional compared to other equivalent sites.

Felicity Hereward, Shweicaun Burmese & Asians

Appalled by GCCF

Being a long-term member of several cat clubs, and being a breeder and exhibitor I am appalled at the latest move by the GCCF. I do hold a subscription with ‘Our Cats’ and I hope to be able to continue to do so. Would it be possible for you to still print the show critiques? It would not matter to me one bit if it was printed later than a certain new magazine, at least it would be accurate and unbiased.

Having been breeding and showing for over 30 years, I have to say if this carries on, I like many other decent minded people will be voting with my feet and no longer showing under the GCCF and that would be a real shame to not be able to support GCCF registered clubs already under pressure.

I do hope we can resolve this very distasteful situation.

I hope you do not mind that I have asked you to withhold my name and address but I have already heard of stories of people being pressurised and threatened from forces within the fancy for having spoken out.
Name and address supplied

Absolutely stunned
My partner and I were absolutely stunned to put it mildly at the GCCF’s sweeping announcement to change it’s official journal to something called “Fancy That”, a terrible title to have to go into a newsagents to buy over the counter without benefit of a plain brown wrapper.

This big decision, and yes, in cat fancy terms it is a very big decision, was taken at one meeting where members of the executive committee were instructed to make the decision there and then, with no chance to take it home and think about it for the next meeting. To us that smacks of corruption in the highest echelons of our fancy.

Why was a person or persons on the executive committee so keen to be rid of Our Cats?

Did some of the views it expressed offend, but then they do say the truth often hurts? Now from memory I’m sure we live in a “free country” where freedom of the press is of paramount importance to our civil liberties, yes? Has the situation arisen because of money? Yet we know that the GCCF pays Our Cats nothing for all the space it gets over the year.

Some mock up covers produced even mentioned a particular member of the Executive Committee, an ego boost to them I’m sure. A politician put in that position would normally have the good grace to resign.

No matter what, we feel that the membership of the GCCF and that means everybody who has ever registered a cat/kitten, transferred a cat/kitten or entered a GCCF rules show has a right to a say and the best way for that to happen is by writing to your club delegates to get them to speak on the matter and demand that the matter of who should hold the contract to be the GCCF’s Official Journal be placed on the next possible agenda of a full delegates meeting.

The signing of contracts should then be held in abeyance until the matter is resolved; I believe that’s what’s called democracy?!!! In importance to the Cat Fancy in the UK we believe it is akin to joining the EU, many of you will be too young to remember but we had a national referendum for that!

All good wishes to the dedicated staff at Our Cats.

Name and Address Withheld

(Regrettably, as I believe there will be recriminations after all of this)

Letters to Viewpoint are welcomed, however, sending a letter to Viewpoint does not guarantee publication. OUR CATS reserves the right to decide what is published and what is not. Letters of an inflammatory nature, especially those containing material which could result in legal action being sought, are particularly unlikely to appear. Letters may be shortened for publication.

The views and opinions contained in any letter to Viewpoint are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of OUR CATS publication. Full names and addresses (not for publication) must always be given.

Editor In Chief