Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Judge Rachel Anger takes a good look at Maine coon Van Abel, owned by Bill Buckland of Parma.

Gibraltar Trade Center
hosts biannual cat show

By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

MOUNT CLEMENS — Hundreds of feline friends and nearly a thousand people filled the halls of the Gibraltar Trade Center March 29-30 during the Mid-Michigan Cat Fanciers Cat Show.

Held biannually in Mount Clemens, with four other shows in Michigan and Ohio throughout the year, the shows bring cat lovers from near and far to share their passion for various breeds, explore the vendors who’ve set up shop, and compete for top awards.

“It’s a mixture of people from every walk of life — every age group, every strata — they all come together, and the thing in common is their love of the animal,” said Eve Russell, manager of the show.

The Mid-Michigan Cat Fanciers Cat Shows were established in 1972, as a member of the international Cat Fanciers Association.

“At that time, there was very little CFA activity in the state, and the hobby was growing and there was a desire for more,” Russell explained, adding that cats have become the No. 1 pet in the U.S. “There’s a kindredship of the cat. They become part of the family. And many housecats are quite affectionate now. A lot of breeding today is done to complement the personality of the cat and weed out features found to be undesirable.”

Cats are entered into one of four different categories at the cat show: kitten, championship, premiership and household pet. The kittens range in age from 4 to 8 months, and the premiership cats have been neutered or spade, but adhere to the same standards of the championship cats.

Some 230 cats were entered in the March 30 cat show. Winners included Tom Baugh of Rochester, whose Cornish rex was recognized in the premiership category; Gerri Urban of Ohio, whose European Burmese took top honors in the championship category; Jaynie Clark of Ontario, whose Cornish rex took home the prize in the kitten category; and Hope Ganano of Pittsburgh, whose Norwegian forest cat was also honored in the premiership category.

“We had a lot of exhibitors from all over — Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Missouri and Kansas,” said Carolyn Kingsley, who served as entry clerk for the competition.

The draw of the cat show kept local businesses busy.

“Our people filled the hotels and restaurants that weekend,” Russell said. “It’s a boost to the local economy. It may be a small one, but every bit counts.”

The Mid-Michigan Cat Fanciers will return to the Gibraltar Trade Center Nov. 1-2 for another show.

For more information about the cat show, call (734) 651-2302 or visit the Web site, www.midmichigancatfanciers.com.