Felines strut their stuff on catwalk
Cat Shows
Long hair, short hair or no hair.
Cat lovers could take their pick Sunday at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper St., as 130 people from 12 states came to Lawrence for the Cat Fanciers’ Association show for pedigreed cats.
“We do this for the thrill of competition and the camaraderie of being able to see people we’ve become friends with,” said Roger Brown, of Omaha, Neb.
Cat winners in three different classes had six chances to bolster their rankings and standing for international and regional awards if they performed well. The show was dually sponsored by the Tornado Alley Feline Fanciers from the Kansas City area and the Creative Cats Club in Omaha.
Brown, a retired veterinarian, helped manage the Sunday show with his wife, Nancy. Six judges from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Indiana and Kansas scrutinized the friendly and playful balls of fur – or no fur.
Breeder Joanne Moehlman, of Bonner Springs, showed her 1-year-old female hairless Sphynx, Fatima. The cats generally do well in the show ring because they crave attention.
“They’re different. They’re everything a woman doesn’t want to be: wrinkled, pot-bellied and bald,” Moehlman said.
The Lawrence show also featured the rare breed of Turkish Angora. “They’re very active and a lot of fun. They will play with anything,” said breeder Alene Shafnisky, of Sycamore, Ill., while showing the playful 2-year-old Tiny Dancer, who is nicknamed “Monkey.”