Most Valuable Cat Competition 2005
The Most Valuable Cat Competition, or MVC for short, is a traditional summer animal contest. It is enjoying a revival this summer (2004 - 2005), as new Moosey animal arrivals give it new life.
Rusty - Contestant 1
Introducing the Contestants
At the beginning of the year 2004 there were three adult cats and a deaf old dog living peacefully at Mooseys Country Garden. Each had their own routine, and there was a certain animal equilibrium. Several events happened to change all that!
In the middle of 2004 a visiting rooster and two wife-hens settled in at Mooseys. They arrived by chance, and liked what they saw - grass, gardens, and bugs. Later that year, just before Christmas, Mooseys Country garden welcomed a new puppy called Rusty and two new kittens (Tiger and Smoocher).
Tiger - Contestant 2
The Rules of the Competition
So when the MVC started on Boxing day there were seven contestants - three adult cats (Jerome, Stumpy and Mugsy), two kittens, one puppy, and the chooks, who were allowed to enter as a group.
The Most Valuable Cat Competition has rather simple rules. All contestants become honorary cats for the duration, and points are awarded for the quality of cat-company provided to the head gardener each day.
The competition runs for at least three weeks, or until the head gardener gets bored with it. And only the head gardener can give out points.
Smoocher - Contestant 3
How to Gain MVC Points
Winning behaviour can include some or all of the following:
Cats: Walking with, sitting on, smooching, showing extreme devotion to the head gardener...
Kittens: being cute, chasing their tails, amusing the head gardener...
Cats and kittens can gain points for indoor or outdoor activities, as long as they catch the head gardener's eye.
Mugsy - Contestant 4
Points for Dogs and Chooks
Puppy: behaving, digging sensibly in garden, obeying the head gardener...
Chooks: laying eggs (specifically the white hen, in the pot behind the variegated cordyline), eating appropriate grubs in garden, listening to the head gardener...
It looks like there's no fun in gaining points if you're a dog, but dogs are far less disciplined that cats.
A sad canine note needs to be made here - the deaf old dog didn't quite make it. Dear TajDog! We miss you!
Stumpy - Contestant 5
Provisional Results
The MVC Competition has been running now for nearly three weeks. Smoocher the ginger kitten has leapt out to a handy lead.
Sadly Mugsy the cat has absolutely no points at all. Her contributions have been minimal - she only wakes up when the kittens are being fed, rudely uses their dirt box, then wanders back to her sleeping spot. But then Mugsy is disabled, and finds it hard to concentrate.
Jerome - Contestant 6
A Serious Contest
The other animals are taking the contest very seriously indeed. For example, white hen (on behalf of the chook team) is laying an egg every second day, and Rusty the puppy is trying really hard not to chew the wrong things.
The grey sister-cats Stumpy and Jerome are racing to beat the kittens to whichever human lap is on offer. The kittens purr immediately they see a human - though they get a little confused between human legs and tree trunks - ouch!
Chooks - Contestant 7 (Group Entry)
Poultry Protests!
There have been several protests (mainly at the eligibility of the chooks) by other members of the Moosey human household. However the head gardener is standing firm (and collecting an egg almost every day).
Nor can Mugsy the cat get any special dispensation for being disabled. She wouldn't want it that way. The rules must be fair for all.
Good luck to this year's Most Valuable Cat Competition contestants, and may the best cat (or honorary cat) win!
Results of the Cat Competition
The competition was heated this year; you can read all about it in the January's journal pages. The final points awarded were:
Most Valuable Cat Competition 2004/2005
- 4 - Mugsy the Cat
- 23 - The Poultry
- 38 - Stumpy the Cat
- 42 - Rusty the Puppy
- 43 - Jerome the Cat
- 44 - Smoocher the Ginger Kitten
- And the winner was, with 47 points, Tiger the Kitten!!!
Go Tiger!!!