A ONE-EYED Persian called Marble was the imperfectly perfect star of a national cat show at Logan Metro Sports Centre, Browns Plains on the weekend.
The 10-year-old Capalaba cat was snapped in the sateen surrounds enjoyed by contestants in the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia show.
That’s not too bad for a puss who almost missed the chance to be a show cat.
Missing one eye disqualifies Marble from regular competition. He competes instead as a companion cat. His 16 rivals range from from older moggies to cuddly kittens. Some have pedigrees but others don’t.
Marble’s owner Jodie Watts has other cats entered in the competition – most in breeding categories.
They go by the names Freckles, Archilles and Harley Quinn, the latter named for actress Margot Robbie’s character in the hit action film Suicide Squad.
Ms Watts’ husband Dugald would rather show his ute than go to a cat show but even he gets protective when it comes to Marble.
“Marble was about 15 months old when he came to us,” Mr Watts said.
“He had two eyes when when we got him. I was the one who noticed something was amiss.”
“One eye didn’t seem quite as a bright as the other. It didn’t have the same reflection in it.
“We took him to a couple of vets before one gave us the news. The eye was dying. So out it came.”
“It has been a long road back to where we are now. He was very timid when we got him. Now he is Mr Sociable.”
The CCCA National Show, this year hosted by Cat Queensland, has judging in pedigree, companion and all-breeds categories.
Three basketball courts at Logan Metro Sports Centre were transformed into a showroom for 367 entrants and about 20 cat-themed market stalls.
Contestant cats competed across six show rings, judged by seven international judges – five from the United States and two from Japan – and others from Australia and New Zealand.
Cats Queensland secretary Chris Merritt said dozens of varieties of cats were on show.
“Persians, exotics, Birmans, rag dolls, Mancunes, Norwegian forest cats, Siberian and Turkish van cats … ”
She takes a breath: “I have to think... I don’t want to miss anybody out: Siamese and oriental – short-haired and long haired – Abyssinian, United States short-hair, British short hair, Mandalay, Burmilla, cats with silver-tips, Korat, Bengals, munchkins – they’re these short legged critters that come in short and long haired varieties.
“I know there’s more ... Burmese, Sphynx, I’ve missed the rexes – Devon rex, Cornish rex and Selkirk rex and perms – they have curly hair.’’
Ms Merritt said the show had been 18 months in making, pulled together mostly by Cats Queensland Inc workers and volunteers.
“It’s been a lot of work to get here, but it’s been worth it,” she said.
