In their inaugural visit to the Greater Sudbury area, Chats Canada Cats is in Azilda this weekend to showcase the best of the best when it comes to domestic felines.
Members of the Quebec-based organization have come equipped with 52 cats representing 20 breeds, which judges are inspecting to determine which ones have the best traits.
The show began on Saturday, and continues on Sunday at Dr. Edgar Leclair Community Centre in Azilda from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Included in the show is Jasper, a four-year-old manx who was named Best Canadian Cat last year.
Jasper’s human friend, Caroline Gamache, took a moment to gush about her celebrity feline housemate with Sudbury.com between judiciaries inspecting him..
“He’s an excellent specimen of the breed,” she said of the tailless cat. “He’s chubby and he’s got a big ol’ face that looks like a teddy bear.”
Offering a few pages from her encyclopedic knowledge about the manx breed, Gamache said the breed is believed to have originated from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea and have been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a heritage breed.
“There are very few breeders in the world right now, and we’re trying to save it,” she said of the manx.
The manx, and other cat breeds, are intertwined with history, she said, adding that although the history of dog breeds is better known due to the jobs they’ve served for humans, cats have a strong history with humans as mousers and companions.
Chats Canada Cats association president Michéle Ann Desaulniers told Sudbury.com that although this is their first show in the Greater Sudbury area, it won’t be their last.
The Quebec-based organization has been around for 10 years, and she said this is the first year they’ve broken out of their home province, which they intend to now do on an annual basis.
“We have the intention to come every year,” she said, adding that those interested in starting their own cat association locally can connect with their organization for advice on how to get rolling.
Desaulniers attended this weekend’s show with her nine-month-old tonkinese named Tiptoes.
He’s a mix of siamese and burmese, and blends the hyperness of siamese with the calmer burmese, she said.
“It reduces the energy,” she said of the breeding, “but he’s very active all the same.”
Monique St.-Louis attended with her sphynx, Raya, whom she described as “so sweet.”
“Where you are, they are,” she said, adding that Raya is pretty much always either on her or around her for a cuddle.
Michelle Rympel and her daughter, Serena Studzinski, left Saturday’s show with a new family member, a bengal cat tentatively named Miso. They purchased the cat at the show.
“He was just so calm in our arms and laid back,” Rympel told Sudbury.com as her daughter cuddled the feline.
The Chats Canada Cats show has an admission price of $15.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall, political and feline affairs for Sudbury.com.
