Cats converge on Costa Mesa

Paul Clinton

Cat lovers from all over the Southland entered their prized

kitties in competitions at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center

on Saturday, the first day of a two-day event.

More than 500 people converged on the event Saturday, many

showcasing the 220 cats entered in the competition, a beauty contest

for felines.

“It’s all an ego thing,” said George Eigenhauser, an event

organizer. “People come here because they think they have a pretty

cat.”

The Maine Attraction Cat Fanciers, a Southern California group,

hosted the event, which went from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The

show will continue today during the same hours.

This was the Cat Fanciers’ Association’s annual show, a marquis

event on the cat-judging circuit.

More than 220 cats had been entered into the event’s competition

and were judged on a number of criteria in four categories --

kittens, championship, premiership and household cats. Premiership

entries have been spayed or neutered.

Rita Baligad, a cat breeder who drove from Perris, Calif., took

home a first-place ribbon for her black Bombay kitten, Stitch.

Holding Stitch in the air as she admired the cat’s “shiny coat”

and “gorgeous expression,” Judge Leslie Falteisek handed out the

prized ribbon.

Baligad went goo-goo with glee after the win.

“It’s an honor,” Baligad said. “This is a very rare breed. It’s

unusual to win with a Bombay.”

Judges at the event said certain traits make an award-winning cat,

but a cat that climbs the ultimate ladder to glory must be attractive

and well behaved.

Unlike at dog show, the cats don’t parade in a circular ring for

judges. Yet, the philosophy of the judging is similar, Judge Walter

Hutzler said.

“A cat always has to pose,” Hutzler said. “It has to show the

essence of what it’s about. It has to show a sophistication.”

At a cat show, the animals are picked up, poked and prodded after

they’re lifted from their metal cages. Judges scribble notes and

ratings for each cat on score sheets that are used to determine the

top 10 animals in each category.

Much like one of David Letterman’s Top 10 lists, the cats are

handed “rosettes,” or ribbons, in reverse order. The winning cat

pulls in the winning fabric last, a moment usually greeting with

excited applause from the crowd.

“To appreciate the cat is like appreciating a fine painting,”

Hutzler said. “It gives you pleasure to look at it.”

Cats have been shown in competition for slightly more than 100

years, dating back to 1875. Dog shows, on the other hand, date back

to ancient times.

In addition to the competition, the weekend show features a host

of vendors selling scratching posts -- officially called “trees” --

grooming products, cages, mini tents, toys and other cat-related

items.