What Is the Best in Show
The Best in Show (BIS) is the final stage of a cat show: the moment when all the cats that earned a Nomination from the various judges come up on stage to be compared against each other, in order to determine the winning cat for each grouping. It is the culmination of the beauty competition, the moment the audience awaits with the most curiosity and excitement.
Who Can Judge the Best in Show
Unlike the morning breed judging, where each judge only evaluates the breeds they are qualified for, the Best in Show can be judged only by All Breeds judges — those qualified to judge every category present at the show — or by judges qualified for a specific category, who judged that category during the morning. This requirement is essential, since cats of completely different breeds, colours, and categories are brought together on stage for the BIS.
How Voting Works at the Best in Show
The mechanics of the Best in Show differ from the morning judging in the method used as well:
During breed judging and the Nomination stage, the judge's choice is made more or less openly, through direct selection of the best cats.
The Best in Show Groupings
As already happens at the Nomination stage, the nominated cats in the Best in Show are compared within the same grouping (for example, all the nominated male kittens 4–8 months, all the nominated adult entire females, all the nominated neutered males, and so on). For each group, the judges identify a single winner: the cat with the highest score earns the title of Best in Show for that specific category.
Best in Show vs. Best of Best: A Clarification
It's important not to confuse the Best in Show with the Best of Best (BOB): the latter is a merit title, mostly found in Italian show tradition and not recognized by every federation, nor at World Shows. The BOB compares all the Best in Show winners of the day, split between Adults, Kittens, and Neuters, to determine a single overall winner for each of these three macro-categories.
Quick Summary: How the Best in Show Works
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Show stage | Final stage, following the Nomination |
| Who can judge | All Breeds judges, or category-specific judges who judged that category in the morning |
| Judging method | Voting by numerical score |
| Who takes part | All cats that earned a Nomination |
| Groupings | Same as the Nomination (kittens, juniors, entire adults, neuters, by sex) |
| Outcome | A single winner per grouping (no ranking) |
| Following title (in Italy) | Best of Best (BOB), among the Best in Show winners of Adults, Kittens, and Neuters |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which cats can go on stage for the Best in Show? Only the cats that earned a Nomination during the morning judging, one for each grouping provided.
Why do only some judges judge the Best in Show, and not all of them? Because they must be qualified to evaluate every breed and category present on stage: this qualification belongs to All Breeds judges, or to category-specific judges who already judged that category during the morning.
Is a ranking produced at the Best in Show? No: only the winner of each grouping is determined, based on the overall numerical score given by the judges.
Are the Best in Show and the Best of Best the same thing? No: the Best in Show applies to individual groupings (kittens, juniors, adults, neuters, by sex), while the Best of Best is an additional title, typical of Italian shows, that compares the Best in Show winners among Adults, Kittens, and Neuters.
Does the Best in Show count toward merit titles? Yes: results such as BIS and BOS (Best Opposite Sex) are among those used to count toward merit titles such as the DSM (Distinguished Show Merit).