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Pets: Country Fest going to the cats, with new show

Annual agricultural fair July 25-26 in Maple Ridge
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Cats will be on centre stage at Country Fest.

newsroom@mapleridgenews.com

Country Fest will feature a cat show for the first time in its 114-year history.

“The Cat Show has been a huge hit in the past at different venues and we plan on having 125-150 entries on July 25-26,” said organizers.

The Cat Show will be put on by the Cat Fanciers of B.C. Founded in 1957, they were initially affiliated with the American Cat Fanciers Association and held their first show in 1958.

The Cat Fanciers of B.C. changed their affiliation in 1979, when the International Cat Association was formed.

Country Fest will be the first to showcase a new breed of cat, the Lykoi, a rare breed, according to the International Cat Association.

In Canada, there have only been one or two litters born of this cat, referred to often as “werewolf cats.”

The Lykoi is a natural mutation from a domestic shorthair that has the appearance of a werewolf, with the mutation only occurring over the last 20 years.

The International Cat Association only recognized the Lykoi breed as a “Preliminary New Breed” in 2014.

Learn more about this new breed at Country Fest, July 25-26 at the Albion fairgrounds.

“We will have over 300 exhibitors and over 65 breeds from all across Canada and the United States,” said Country Fest organizers.

The Cat Show will have 10 judges, including those from  California, Washington, Quebec, Ontario, and Vancouver.

There will be awards for “Best of Colour,” given to  the Top 5 cats for that specific breed.

From the “Best of Colour” rankings, the “Best of Division” category awards three cats.

Finally, the judges award places one through three in “Best of Breed” from all the divisions.

Entrants are those who are registered with the International Cat Association and the breeds will vary extensively.

“We expect to have very large attendance from the global cat community,” said organizer.

“A great way to expand your knowledge and love of cats, as we will have many experienced breeders to answer your questions.”

• If you think your household cat is worthy of an award, there will also be a household cat competition. learn more at http://www.cfofbc.org.