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PAMPERED pets descended on Twyford on Saturday to compete in a special cat show, writes Taz Usher.
Members of The Exotic Cat Club travelled from across the country to take part in its 18th championship show.
Held at Loddon Hall, there were more than 50 feline entrants.
They included Persian, exotic and household breeds, with some imported from Russia, Portugal and Columbia, as well as UK-bred cats.
Competitors had travelled as far as Devon to take part in the day-long event.
A blind judging process was employed to discern the winners, and visitors were asked to select their own top dogs.
Rosemary Fisher’s Persian, Gr Ch Owletts Benjamin Britten, scooped Overall Best in Show and Best Overall Persian and Persian Adult.
Organisers said that the event aimed to provide a setting where exotic cat owners could enter their treasured pets for awards, while raising awareness for healthy animals and their love of the breeds.
Sarah Hemsley, who organises publicity and social media for the club, said: “We have a hard-working committee who made it a fabulous show that received some really positive comments”.
Thanks to the Beast From The East, last year’s event was postponed, and Sarah said that the committee wanted to make Saturday’s event the best it could be, saying that they went the extra mile with winners’ rosettes and a raffle.
And Sarah wasn’t just part of the organising team: She also entered her own cat Yul into the competition.
“The owners are from all sorts of diverse backgrounds,” she explained. “I work in the film industry, and another of us works for London Underground.”
The Club runs under the rulings of The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and is one of the hundreds that take place annually.
Throughout the year, the committee act as an advice service for those looking to purchase kittens and support healthy breeding.
The Club is currently updating its website to include further support for cat lovers.
For more details, log on to www.exoticcatclub.co.uk
