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| An Iams-trained cat rings a bell at a press preview for the CFA-Iams Cat Championship. The event takes place this weekend at Madison Square Garden. |
More than 300 cats are expected to arrive at Madison Square Garden in New York City this weekend for the fifth annual Cat Fanciers’ Association-Iams Cat Championship. The cats will compete to be deemed the best of their breeds.
The first organized cat show was reportedly held at Madison Square Garden in 1895. Today, the streets surrounding the Garden carry banners announcing the CFA event.
Some of the contenders were on hand prior to the show to chat about their cats.
Robin Beckett of Staten Island, N.Y., plans to bring two of her British Shorthairs, including Renegade, the sixth-highest scoring altered cat in the country.
Beckett said breeding cats is an expensive hobby to maintain, costing about $10,000 to $30,000 per year, but that anyone who breeds cats does so for the love of a breed. “You’re breeding for health, for standard and for disposition.”
Diane Coppola, a Birman breeder from Valley Forge, Pa., named her cattery D’elo after her mother, who inspired her passion for cats. Her 4-year-old Birman, Almost Heaven, was the highest scoring cat in its breed last year, she said.
Another breeder, Helene Schneider-Hester of Roxanastasia cattery, comes for the people as well as the cats. “It’s a reunion,” she said.
In addition to pedigreed cats, more than 15 cat rescue and shelter organizations will be at the event, working to raise awareness about homeless cats. Some will have cats and kittens up for adoption.
Also returning this year is the Feline Agility competition, in which cats leap through hoops, climb steps and burrow through tunnels, earning points for each station of the course they complete.
Jill Archibald, a Japanese Bobtail breeder, said cats’ playful dispositions make them naturals at agility. She uses only toys, not food treats, to train her cats on the course. Her cat, Tess, has performed the whole course in less than 9 seconds.
On stage, Iams-trained cats will perform tricks, and veterinarians will offer educational lectures. Vendors will display the latest cat accessories at the Feline Shopping Mall, including toys, litterboxes, grooming aids, cat furniture, health aids and collars.
The show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14. General admission is $15 with discounted rates for seniors and children. For complete details, visit The CFA-Iams Cat Championship website.