40th Annual Diamond State Cat Club Show

Cat lovers from around the world showed up for the 40th annual diamond state cat club show, where 225 cats were shown off and judged by the experts.

One cat owner and breeder Nancy Sullivan brought her Himalayan show cat to the contest.  She stated that "It's like being a fashion model…You need something for everything. This comb cost $50. It's imported from Belgium. They are very hard to get."

This been said as she swabbed the eyes of her cat to remove excess moisture and gunk with a makeup pad.

The contest which takes place at the Nur Shrine temple in Newcastle, Delaware was quite a hit for the Fourth of July weekend and many cats won ribbons and awards.

Another cat breeder Tracy Smith of Millsboro proved that it takes a long time to get their cats ready for this major competition, as well as other competitions. She stated, "You're talking about at least three hours of grooming…That's for the show bath, plus you have a maintenance bath during the week. You have to keep the oils out of the skin. If you start them at 6 weeks, they don't mind the water…It's fun to spend time with the cats on the weekend…I've been showing for 11 years now."

It seems these cats get more pampering than most people on a daily basis. I can say this, because I really don’t wash my hair as often as I should, or wear the amount of hair gel, mousse and make up that these cats do...nor have I ever won a show prize.

This competition saw quite a crowd of admirers. By late morning the parking lot was filling up and attendees began parking on the grass. Organizers stated that the competition attracts between 500 and 800 hundred people every year. This is quite the crowd for small state like Delaware.

Source: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080706/NEWS/807060358