Fame for feline
Willangi Nadal may be the New Zealand Cat of the Year but owner Sue Gordon says he will be keeping his paws on the ground.
The exotic short-haired persian cat did the business on his home turf on June 14, taking a collection of ribbons at Ngatitoa Domain hall in Mana.
But The Cat of the Year judging was separate to the other categories, and Ms Gordon says it came down to Nadal, a ‘‘beautiful’’ norwegian forest cat and a well-presented burman.
‘‘I was convinced the norwegian forest cat had the edge, but the burman was very, very nice.
‘‘It was close but when she called Nadal’s name I was just so excited. We [ Ms Gordon’s granddaughter took care of Nadal on the big day] were just so surprised, it’s wonderful.’’
According to the judge, Nadal was stocky and round, just like his breed should be, had lovely markings and an excellent nature.
Ms Gordon says despite foul weather outside, the hall was ‘‘packed’’.
More than 80 cats were on display and it was great to get the public’s support, she says.
‘‘ We had all ages coming through, people were really excited and I had a number come up to me to see Nadal.’’
A maine coon matched Nadal’s accomplishments with four ‘‘best in show’’ prizes.
Along with rosettes and other prizes, Nadal won 19 kilograms worth of high-grade cat food, which ‘‘should sort him out for a while’’, Ms Gordon says.
Ms Gordon and Nadal have a competition coming up in Nelson and plenty more this year to ensure Nadal stays ahead of a rival ragdoll, who is very close to him on overall points.