When rarest breeds of cats vied for furry crown

Bengaluru: It was a ‘purr’fect Sunday at St Patricks Community Hall, when 73 cats — furry, glossy and full of elegance — from across the state and country came together for the 8th International Cat Show of India.
Some of the rarest breeds of Persian and Indian cats vied for various titles at the show. Bengal cat with leopard prints, domestic long-hair breed, Siberian cats, British Longhair, Arabian Mau were seen at the show.
While some cats preened from inside their beautifully decorated cages, a few pet parents were seen cuddling their feline beauties.Also at stake was a ‘best cage’ title.
“I have brought my five Persian cats, who are from the same family and each cage has a different story,” said Noorjahan Anees, a pet owner.
Sultan, a Bengal cat owned by Mohammed Hameed of Mysuru, was the most active. With its special leopard prints, it was the cynosure of all eyes. The cat has its roots in Ukraine and its parents were brought to New Delhi. Hameed’s family brought Sultan to Mysuru.
“I have about 13 cats, and I picked up this hobby from my mother; I inherited my love for cats from her. Unlike other cats, Sultan is very active. Just open the cage and he’ll jump on you to play and cuddle. He loves running around and getting clicked. Sultan is the only one of his breed in Karnataka,” said Hameed.
Deepika Pandita couldn’t stop beaming as her cats basked in adulation. “I have 13 cats at home and it’s purely a hobby. I fell in love with cats when my husband gifted me one after our marriage. I have bought my three-month-old Siberian forest cat’s kittens along with their father,” she said.
The show is an effort to place India on the world cat show map and also bust the myth that petting cats is inauspicious, said Prithvi Jaykaran, vice-president of Indian Cat Federation (ICF).
Said Shree Nair, president, ICF: “We want to create awareness about the cat population in India. We need every Indian to participate in saving cats from the streets by urging people to adopt them. We strongly believe in cage-free homes and want to make ICF certification a must for every cat.”
The cats were judged by Cornelia Hungerecker from Russia and Irina Sadovnikova from Germany, both members of World Cat Federation. Among the special features that were judged were their fur, fitness, cage, breed, get-up and level of activeness.