The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Hundreds queue to witness top cats
Show: Popular event is once again a huge hit
Dundee’s Caird Hall was a Mecca for cats on Saturday when almost 200 were in the venue to be judged as part of the annual Dundee Championship Cat Show.
Various breeds of cats were assessed by members of the public and judges.
Hundreds of spectators queued in the rain to catch a glimpse of the feline competitors.
Now in its 46th year, the event is jointly hosted by the Nor’ East of Scotland Cat Club and the Siamese Cat Society of Scotland.
Persian long-haired cats, Sphynx cats as well as domestic pets and various other breeds were all on display.
According to show manager Bruce Bennett, the event is always a hit with Dundonians.
He revealed: “It’s been very popular with the Dundee public.
“There aren’t many shows which are in the centre of cities.
“The Caird Hall is an absolutely ideal venue because it has an open space in front of it and people can bring their cats and spend a bit of time in the centre of town.
“The Dundee public obviously likes it because they have attended in considerable numbers over many years now.”
A winner is chosen from each breed of cat before the winners are presented in front of spectators and a panel of judges. An overall winner is then chosen. Bruce and his wife have been running the show since 1980, with the contest growing in popularity throughout the years.
The level of interest is no surprise to Bruce however.
He explained: “I think cats are appealing.
“Most cats will be suitable for laps and many of them have appealing expressions.
“They’re a bit more independent than dogs and people appreciate that.”
The overall winner of the contest was a white Norwegian Forest cat.
The Caird Hall is an absolutely ideal venue because it has an open space in front of it. BRUCE BENNETT