For thousands of years going back to the Ancient Egyptians, cats have been put on public display. But the first cat shows in the United States, held in Maine, didn’t appear until between 1860 and 1870. Finally, in 1895, a show clawed its way into New York City, hosted in Madison Square Garden.

Badoop-badoop! Fast-forward to the present: Cat clubs and cat fancy organizations are everywhere, holding local, state and national shows in every part of the country. And no wonder: If you search YouTube, either online or on your TV with your TiVo HD DVR, it’s very clear that you don’t have to be a cat breeder to be easily amused and entertained by the very funny videos featuring endless breeds of cats–from hilarious cat bloopers to just cute cat behaviour. But what’s missing from most of these viral videos are a the cat fanciers themselves, who regularly travel across the country attending cat shows. Talk about a special breed of PEOPLE! Perhaps you’re familiar with the crazy cat lady on some of The Simpsons episodes? I guess they’re not all THAT crazy–are they?

So… I went to Pleasanton, California with a very clear mission: to find out just how crazy people can get about cats–and, while I was there, to learn out how well they know their famous felines of Film and Television with our very first Badoop-Badoop Cat Quiz!

What better place to get a close-up perspective of the cat fancier lifestyle than the Crow Canyon Cat Show! I couldn’t believe all the cats I saw: Siamese cats, known for their legendary voice and captivating blue eyes; Persian cats, with their long flowing coats and open pansy-like faces; Himalayan cats, actually a Persian cat with the color pattern of a Siamese cat (who knew?!); the Egyptian Mau, which were worshiped as deities in ancient Egypt; the remarkably dense and muscular Tonkinese; Burmese cats, often described as “bricks wrapped in silk”; Exotic cats that look like a Persian but have short hair; Siberian cats, which history shows have been around for at least one thousand years; Sphynx cats, which are the most famous of the hairless cats, and probably made most popular in recent years by Doctor Evil from the Austin Powers movies; and Abyssinian cats, one of the oldest known breeds on this planet. One of my favorites was a plump Russian Blue Cat with a plush double coat similar to a beaver–gorgeous!

What a spectacle, these fancy cat shows! Cat toys are everywhere, grooming stations and supplies to style and fluff abound, and the large crates where the cats are displayed are decorated with animal prints, feather boas and more! In preparation for the show, cats are bathed, nails clipped, and ears cleaned. And some cats are more “high-maintenance” than others. A longhaired cat requires much more effort than a shorthaired cat and, if shown on a regular basis, must be bathed weekly and combed twice daily! What divas!

Here are a few grooming tricks I learned while I was there: By fluffing up the hair on top of a cat’s head, you can modify the appearance of large ears; to make a cat’s tail appear shorter, trim the excess hair at the end of the tail; to give the kitty a rounded look, clip the hair around the face; and to make their eyes look rounder, cut the hair over the eyes; finally, to make the cat’s neck look thicker or shorter, just comb out its ruff so that it stands out to frame its face. Do you think our favorite Hollywood stars heed any of this advice?

Even though our breeders didn’t get every answer correct in our Cat Quiz, it’s clear that these folks clearly know and love their cats. I got a particular kick out of the fact that while that the show manager assured me that cat people are not crazy, the club’s treasurer told me that the difference between cat owners and dog owners is that Dogs have “Masters,” and Cats have “Staff.”

A massively powerful animal, the African Lion weighs in the range of four hundred and fifty to five hundred and fifty pounds for healthy adult males whereas females are usually in the range of three hundred to three hundred and fifty pounds. Length is between six to eight feet for males and five to six feet for females, excluding a near three foot tail. Significantly bigger individuals have been recorded though. The largest wild lion ever weighed was close to seven hundred pounds. In captivity a specimen of well over eight hundred pound is documented. Height at shoulders is close to four feet for males and three and a half feet for females.

The lion’s coat is tawny in coloration and plain. Fur is short and somewhat coarse. Males are distinguished by their big mane that covers head, neck and part of belly and back. The mane is pale in coloration initially and goes through shades to golden to black as the lion ages. A black colored full mane signifies a mature lion with good breeding potential and is often preferred by lionesses for a partner. In some parts of Africa, including Senegal and notably Tsavo, Kenya, maneless male lions are recorded, possibly in adaptation for the thorny habitat of that regions. Overall the built is muscular for both sexes. Lionesses are more athletic since it allows them to excel in hunting, their primary role in the pride. Male lions are bulkier since the added weight and strength allows them to fight off intruders and defend the pride’s territory. Weapons include sharp claws and near three inch canines. Jaws are powerful and skull is bigger than any other cat specie. Eyes are set in front as in case of most land predators rather than on sides as in case of prey. The field of vision that is so essential for prey animals to look out for hunters comes with widely set eyes. This visual field is compromised in favor of better depth perception and binocular vision in lions that comes with relatively narrowly placed eyes, that aid them in judging distance from prey for pouncing upon it. Tail has a tuft of hair that covers the spine at the tip of tail. Belly skin is loose and shields the internal organs from viscous kicks of hunted ungulates during a kill.

Social cats, African Lions are apex and keystone predators. They live and hunt together, increasing the chances of success and survival for themselves and their cubs during harsh seasons. Lionesses do the bulk of hunting by laying a sort of organized trap for the hunted. Each lioness performs a specific role in this form of group hunting. Usually the weak and old are chosen and isolated from the herds. Then one or two lionesses expose themselves by breaking cover and charging at prey. The panicked animals take off and usually end up in jaws of a waiting lioness in their flight. A suffocating hold is placed by biting at the neck of smaller prey or covering the mouth and nose of larger prey. In contrast with previous beliefs, it is now estimated that male lions take part in up to fifty to sixty percent of all hunts, being of particular use in taking down larger prey like buffalo. Other animals taken are of a vast variety depending upon the type and abundance of prey animals in a particular territory. These include eland, gemsbok, hartebeest, impala, kudu, warthog, wildebeest and zebra. At times even giraffes and the young of rhinos, hippos and elephants are killed. Opportunistic predators, lions will hunt and eat anything in times of need including carrion. Some lions in Botswana have been filmed killing elephants after a period of severe drought. Calves were regularly taken and occasionally so were adults under cover of darkness.

African Lions are at the top of food chain in African Savannah and do not refrain from wiping out competition if opportunity presents. Conflict with spotted hyenas are common who are often able to intimidate lionesses and cubs owing to their greater numbers, but suffer heavily when they come in contact with males. Adult male lions have been witnessed displaying rather savage behavior towards hyenas on occasions, actively chasing and killing off adult and the young of hyenas. At times lions have been recorded scavenging off hyena kills. Interspecies conflict with other big cats also occurs and African Lions often kill leopards and cheetahs and their young, possibly to ward off competition.

A number of subspecies of lions are recognized, based upon their area of distribution in Africa.

Panthera Leo Azandica (North East Congo lion) - North-eastern Congo

Panthera Leo Bleyenberghi (Southwest African or Katanga lion) - South-western Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Katanga (Zaire), Zambia and Zimbabwe

Panthera Leo Krugeri (Southeast African or Transvaal lion) - Transvaal region of South eastern Africa, including Kruger National Park

Panthera Leo Nubica (East African or Massai lion) - East Africa from Ethiopia and Kenya to Tanzania and Mozambique

Panthera Leo Senegalensis (West African lion) - Western Africa from Senegal to Nigeria

Territorial cats, African Lions live in pride areas of up to tens of square miles depending upon the concentration of lions and prey in a particular region. Males regularly patrol the territory, marking it with scent from their paws and urine. At dusk and dawn they roar to establish their presence and warn off intruders. The roar is loudest among cats and can be heard up to a distance of five miles. A pride consists of one to four males and up to a dozen or more of females and young cubs. Females are generally related to each other and usually stay in a pride for the duration of their life whereas young males are kicked off by adults when they are between two to three years old. These young males then pursue a nomadic lifestyle, forming coalitions with other solitary males and hunting and surviving on their own. When they are four to five years old they are capable of taking over a pride of their own. Next they move into the domain of resident males of an established pride and attempt to take over the territory and lionesses. This often results in a bloody and at times fatal battle. If the resident males lose out, they slink away and the nomads are quick to kill any cubs sired by previous males. This brings the females into estrus. The new males also kill or drive away any young males. The take over is often brutal and sometimes takes months. After the lionesses have finally settled down, the new males have only a period of two to three years on average to produce cubs of their own that can successfully reach adulthood and propagate their genetic line before they are ousted as well. Females come into estrus year round and produce a litter of two to three cubs after a pregnancy lasting between three to four months. The young learn hunting by one year and are fully independent by two years of age. Maturity is reached by four years in females and five years in case of males. Lifespan is between twelve to fifteen years in the wild and around twenty five years in captivity.

When you have decided that the cat is the right pet for you, there are many other decisions you need to do before you’re ready to get your cat. Choose a breed of cat can be one of the most important decisions you make for your pet. Simply choose the race that will be best for you. There are many types of cat breeds to choose from, and they all vary in shapes and sizes and their behavior.

If you are considering buying a cat or a kitten, you want to know more about some of the most popular breeds of cat, to help you make an informed decision about the type of adoption. What kind of cat are you drawn to? The simple, elegant carved face of a Siamese, or the beautiful long fur of the Persian, perhaps? There are many breeds and choose a number of mixed race and now.

Each cat breed has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, the Himalayas and elegant Ragdoll cats have fur, but they require more grooming. And the Siamese and Persian are regal carriage, but Siamese cats are very vocal, which will be problematic if you have a young child trying to sleep.

Some of these races you might consider Abyssinian cats, which look much like a Siamese, with the exception of coloring; Exotic Shorthairs, which have the appearance of royalty, with less fur, Maine Coon cats with their trademark or missing stubby tail; Bengals, who are in fact a hybrid between a Bengal cat and a domestic cat. Bengal cats should be handled with a lot of kittens and cats, or some of them return to wilderness.

Burma may be the cat for you if you are looking for an intelligent and active cat. They generally get along well with children, and they even give the dogs a chance.

Another of the family of races is the Turkish Angora cat. This race seems to require a groomer on call, but in fact, you can answer this cat needs a coat, once-through every day. These cats are very playful and gentle, and they are great pets.

The American Shorthair is the descendant of the first litter of cats in America with the Puritans. They are excellent hunters of rodents and are often very active and curious. They are adorable and easy and may adapt to other cats, dogs and children.

The Ocicat is a human cat breed, which Siamese and Abyssinian breeds in its background. It is considered a short-haired, and is very active and affectionate, but it looks a little on the wild side. May it welcomes visitors, and is dedicated and loyal to its owners.

Devon Rex cat is a short, thin and soft coat, big eyes and wide. Their coat is curly, but short enough that you can wash without a brush, using a glove rather mild. These cats have their history in England, but they have been bred at the American Shorthair to propagate the race in the United States.

Whatever the breed of cat you check in, try your best to choose a cat that fits your family and your routine. A large number of bad results can be avoided if you do your research first.