The 2025 Edition of the Crab and Mallet Cat Show
Chai Wuttivorrvattana
Since I started showing in the cat fancy four years ago, I have been hearing about a “must-go show” during pre-spring season, the “Crab & Mallet Show,” or simply referred to as “THE Baltimore show.” When it came around this year, I finally had a chance to experience what all the fuss is about.
This year it took place on March 8-9 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. It was about a 10-minute drive from my hotel in Hunt Valley, where several other hotels and the Hunt Valley Towne Centre (a lot of shops and restaurants catering to locals and out-of-towners) are located, my favorite being the Wegmans supermarket! The show hall is convenient to the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), about 40 minutes away.
On Saturday morning, I stepped into the 35,000 square-foot show hall, which looked bigger on the inside than on the outside. There are plenty of parking spaces for exhibitors and spectators in this vast complex of exhibition halls, with a short walking distance to the show hall in the 4-H building. Two exhibitor benching areas were set up at each end of the hall, separated by the judges’ rings: four rings on one side and two on the other side adjacent to the master clerk table, plus an empty ring used for the cat costume contest and the breed showcase. At the exhibitor check-in desk, I was greeted by enthusiastic team of “crabettes” and given a welcome bag with a few goodies, including a sealed bag of two homemade chocolate-chip cookies!
Janet D’Agostino (a.k.a. “Mother Crab”) has been baking her homemade cookies for over 29 years since she started the Crab & Mallet Cat Club. Every year she bakes them in her own kitchen along with her crabettes a couple days before the show so they will still be fresh. I had a chance to ask her, “Why not buy them in bulk from a store?” “It’s part of being hospitable,” she told me with a big smile. “I also want those cookies to be fresh so exhibitors can enjoy them – knowing they are homemade, not from mass production.” And they indeed tasted fresh! This year she baked about 600 cookies for exhibitors. Can you imagine how long that would take in your own kitchen?
On Saturday, there was a cat costume contest with a big, enthusiastic crowd; on Sunday (with another pleasing crowd), Janet organized a “Showcase of Breeds” in the designated ring, where she had asked several exhibitors to bring their cats and explain to the spectators about their breed and its judging standard. “Why not ask a judge to present like at other shows?” I asked. She replied, “Well, I think it has a greater effect because cat owners describe their breeds with a certain passion, and later on spectators can talk to each owner when they walk around the show hall and recognize the owner and the cat.” She continues, “Also, our show is one of a few shows left in the cat fancy that still offers a veteran class competition.” Janet spoke proudly, “I honestly believe we initially started it, and the others have followed.”
And of course, as the old saying goes, “An army marches on its stomach.” Janet had the Corner Stable Catering Service in the show hall to serve lunch, which included one of Baltimore’s most famous dishes: crab cakes. Other mouth-watering fare included beef brisket, BBQ pork, and Carolina pulled-chicken sandwiches. Each portion was generous and reasonably priced.
It was a bit stressful and fun at the same time, competing in my first Crab & Mallet show with a 6×6 format: a fierce but still friendly competition. My smart watch showed that I walked more than 8,000 steps each day. Some steps came from being at each ring to compete, some from mingling with old and new cat fancy friends, some from checking out the great vendors and food, but I think majority of those steps might have been chasing down the mother crab, Janet, wanting to ask her more about this successful show: Just what is it that inspires her to put it on year after year?
This Baltimore show has been going on consecutively for the past 69 years. It was initially held by the Chesapeake Cat Club for forty years, then turned over to the Crab & Mallet Cat Club; Janet D’Agostino belongs to both clubs. Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, she then moved to Maryland. She has been the show manager for the Crab & Mallet show for the past 29 years. She believes the success of this Crab & Mallet show has to do with time, location, and her team of crabettes.
“It’s closer to the end of show season, and it unofficially starts the spring season. Our big show hall is so close to several hotels, restaurants, shops, and conveniently accessible to the highways and a major airport,” she clarified. “Hospitality is what we try to achieve in order to make everyone feel welcome and plan to come back,” she added.
She also told me that it takes many hours and months to organize this magnitude of a cat show. Janet and her crabettes make many trips to various stores for supplies, spending hours to set up, breaking everything down after the show and re-packing everything for next year. I am sure those are challenges other clubs face, but the most important challenge is the cost to put on a show … and she agrees.
At the end, Janet expressed sincere gratitude to her crabettes, exhibitors, judges, spectators, and everyone involved with the show. Her crabettes help her in any capacity needed, no questions asked. Even though she stands only 5 feet 4 inches tall, she is a mighty woman to be reckoned with: She takes charge, is strong mentally and physically, and is resilient – flashing a big killer smile to go with it all!
“I love people, and the challenge of putting on the show makes me want to continue,” were her final words before walking away to perform other tasks. I also walked away with another bag of cookies, not sure if she noticed me taking it.
