‘On Safari’ show a big draw for feline fans

Fans turned out in big numbers for this weekend’s Spokane performances by the Bengals, the Ragdolls and the Pixiebobs. And while that sounds reminiscent of a 1980s rock music reboot, the stars of this show were largely indifferent to the adoring crowd.

The “On Safari” Cat Show, sanctioned by The International Cat Association Inc. and hosted by the Seattle-area Evergreen Cat Fanciers club, concluded its three-day run Sunday at the Doubletree Hotel in Spokane.

Feline competitions like this may not have the prominence of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, but they are a big draw among the breed faithful and cat lovers of all ages.

Lavon Fabian is so fond of this show she flew in to attend it from her home in Birmingham, Alabama. Fabian owns six Bengal cats, and the first day of the show was devoted just to that popular breed.

“A lot of the major Bengal breeders want to come to this show so they can see how the breed is developing,” including traits such as head shapes and coloring, she explained.

“They’re very smart, they’re very athletic, playful, talkative,” she said of Bengals. “And they’re just beautiful to watch because they’re very muscular, athletic cats.”

Two cats soaking up attention and racking up awards over the weekend were Liam and Courtney, both Peterbalds owned by breeders Steven and Susanna Shon, of Las Vegas.

Courtney, a blue-eyed female just over a year old, is one of the highest-ranked cats in the world and was named Best of the Best at Saturday’s show. She also took top honors at shows in London and Austria during this show season.

“They look just like Siamese – that’s one of the parent breeds – but they have a hair-losing gene that was discovered in cats in Saint Petersburg, Russia,” Steven Shon said.

The cat’s coat feels like suede and is easy to care for, and its personality is similar to a Siamese or Oriental shorthair. Interest in Peterbalds is gaining momentum, Shon added.

A new breed to the show is the Burmilla, a cross of Burmese and Chinchilla Persian with a silky, silvery coat. Stephanie Mohr, of Elk Grove, California, brought two of the cats to the show, an 8-month-old longhair named Mykah and a 5-month-old shorthair named Parker.

“They originated in England about 35 years ago,” Mohr said of the breed.

This is the first year she participated in the association’s championship competition.

“They have to have the right temperament to be a show cat,” she said. “You want them to be calm and well-adjusted, happy and playful.”

Throughout the 10,000-square-foot hotel ballroom, owners answered questions about their cats, kept them groomed and waited to be called to one of six show rings where judges evaluate head structure, body and coat against a breed standard.

The contest included adult and kitten classes for intact cats, those that have been spayed or neutered, and household pets without a pedigree. On Sunday, 154 cats competed for breed and overall honors. They came from all over the U.S. as well as Canada, Mexico, Italy and Germany.

A crowd favorite was Mindie, a 4 1/2-year-old Persian with an impossibly plush coat and an expression that certified her as a veteran of competition.

“She’s been shown since she was 4 months old,” said owner Ann-Charlotte Joseph, of Santa Clara, California. “She has a lot of wins behind her,” including two consecutive international wins in the association.

Spectators voted Mindie their favorite over the weekend, and she also took some of the top honors among altered cats. Joseph, who has shown cats for more than 30 years, also spent part of the weekend training to become a show judge.

“It’s your cat family,” she said of the show. “You get to know a lot of people who become good friends of yours, and you have a great time.”

The Spokane show, she added, drew more spectators than a lot of shows she attends. “So many people coming out to see the cats.”

The club already is thinking about hosting a show here next year, said show manager Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz, of Edmonds, Washington.

“Spokane has been absolutely phenomenal,” she said Sunday. “You have a lot of cat lovers in this town.”