SPRINGVALE — Cats from here and cats from elsewhere — from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Florida, from Wisconsin to Nova Scotia, were shown in  Springvaleon Saturday to determine who was a champion, or the best in their class.

Alltogether, the Coast to Coast Cat Club and the Seaside Cat Club’s one-day show at Nasson Community Center saw about 45 cats and kittens take part.

It is one of the smaller shows, said Dona St. Hilaire, who manages the show with her husband George, and is also a judge. But it is a friendly one, with  cats vying nicely —  no hissing and spitting — for awards.

Cats are judged by breed standards, from the shape of their head to the color of their eyes to the length of their tail — and more. A British longhair, a relatively newly-recognized breed, must be very amenable to handling, the standards say.

St. Hilaire, as well as being a judge, breeds Oriental shorthair and Siamese cats.

According to breed standards, Oriental shorthairs “should be graceful, svelte, muscular and fine-boned.” Its head and ears are intended to form an isosceles triangle, said St. Hilaire, demonstrating on Estana, a bicolor Oriental shorthair she imported from Germany.

“They’re supposed to be tubular,’ she said, holding Estana out lengthwise.

The clubs are affiliated with the American Cat Fanciers Association, which formed in 1955 and hosts a number of shows annually across North America.

Felix, a 4-month-old British longhair, is called “lavender,” in cat parlance, but he isn’t, really. Folks not in the cat world would call him a bluish-gray. 

As judge Heather MacDougall held him and looked at his head, body and tail, he was calm and relaxed.

His owner, Tammy Rhyno, hailed from Windsor, Nova Scotia, and brought 11 cats and five people to the show.

“He’s a lot of fun,” she said of Felix, who was ultimately named to second place in the best kitten awards.

“He’s exquisite,” said MacDougall, the judge.

Taking first place in the kitten class was Mondari, a Chartreux owned by 9-year-old Connor Marjerrison of Thunder Bay. While he was doing cat duty at another show ring, his mother, Lori Swalwell-Marjerrison, said the family breeds Maine Coon cats, and Havanese and Biewer dogs.

“I used to have horses,” she shrugged.

Other breeds in the show included Maine Coon cats, American wirehair cats, and an array of others.

In the kitten show ring, MacDougall took a good long look at Mondari. She held him, looked at the shape of his head and shoulders, and teased him with a feather toy — and he responded, quick,  strong and lively.

Laurie Spinney of Wells was watching the action in the show ring.

“I just came to look,” said Spinney, a professional pet sitter. “I just love them.”

The next cat show in Springvale is scheduled for Oct. 15-16, and is hosted by  the United Maine Coon Car Association of the Cat Fanciers Federation.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.

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