Robin Higgins

an interview with TICA Judge Robin Higgins

By Jay Lehman

Jay: What made you decide to get your first cat and what kind was it?
Robin: I have had cats all my life. As a child I would pick out a kitten from those from barn cats at a nearby family farm; they'd be kinda wild but I'd manage to catch the chosen one when they were first getting to run around a bit. It would be popped into a mesh bag and off I'd go home. Close my bedroom door and turn the kitten loose- usually about two weeks to tame.

Jay: When did you get your first pedigreed (show quality) cat and what breed was it?
Robin: My first pedigree cat was a Siamese given to me in college to be my "roommate" and "to stay with you when I am gone"! He, Sartoris, did.. making three moves with me and only he did!

Jay: When did you become involved in breeding and why?
Robin: As we finshed college Sartoris and I somehow added a husband. He wanted his own cat so we went to a cat show and he selected a Himalayan female. She was bred back to a cat at the breeders; we joined a cat club and started showing. We liked showing and breeding to produce a kitten to show got us totally involved.

Jay: What breeds have you/do you breed, and why?
Robin: I mainly breed American Shorthairs today. After breeding Himalayans, Persians and Exotic SH's, I got my first American SH when I entered the judging program. They reminded my of the cats I'd had as a child and the tabby markings were of appeal to me. Having taken off on my own, working, the American Shorthair was better suited to my lifestyle than the longhair cats. I also like the personality of the American, not wired...but not passive, just great companions.

Jay: When did you become involved in TICA and why?
Robin: I was a charter member. I was a friend of Jim Costellos, we were both living in Florida and I was involved with showing there and when TICA was formed right after a regional we'd had - he told me that I was now going to work with TICA... so ok!

Jay: What other associations were you ever involved with?
Robin: I was very active with CFA belonging to several clubs, clerking..had advanced to master clerk and working on shows. Moving to Florida, I showed whatever was close-it takes so long to get out of Florida driving so had also joined a nearby ACFA club and was working with them when TICA was formed.

Jay: When and why did you decide to become a judge?
Robin: I liked clerking so had been very active for quite a while in shows. At a New Years show in Greensboro, NC we were having a New Years party and I said to Larry Paul that I thought I might like to be a judge. He said fine, he would be my AB sponsor and the next week he'd gotton me the application and plotted out all the steps for me to proceed.

Jay: What is your fondest memory of TICA?
Robin: Although I had shown extensively, I had never campaigned - we just didn't have the money, but at a SE regional show in VA in 1983 (I think) I was showing a bluepoint Himalayan than I had bred - he was good, ahead of his time actually- Larry was judging and he got to his top 3 cats and said "These three cats are cats that I fully expect to see campaigned this year" Well I went and told my husband that Larry said he expected to see Shannon campaigned and Tom said "Well, if Larry said that I guess you should do it" Thus Shannon and I went off on our own, too much, and the course of my life was changed! (For the second in three times)

Jay: What advise would you give to Russian Blue exhibitors about showing this breed?
Robin: Keep doing whatever you have been. I was showing when the class was pretty hard to handle. Clerking we'd usually bring them up by themselves, they had a bad reputation but today you'd never think of that.

Jay: Do you have anything else to add?
Robin: Nice idea. I chose to be a TICA judge because I felt I could be myself. I would not have to set aside having friends that showed, that I could continue to actively show as I like to and I think sometimes exhibitors forget that we judges are just people too and think we can't be friends too.