VENTURA : Orphaned Cats Hunt for New Homes at Show

The hard sell was on, and Pete Siudara of Camarillo was succumbing to the pressure.

“What can I say--I’m a sucker for cats,” he said with a shrug. Oscar, a large 5-year-old abandoned cat, was burrowing into his lap, and Siudara was almost ready to give in.

Anne Stewart, a volunteer with the Animal Shelter Assistance Program in Santa Barbara, brought Oscar and about two dozen other cats to the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Saturday for the 28th annual Cat Fanciers Assn. Championship and Orphaned Cat Adoption Show.

Their hope was to match potential owners and animals--and Siudara and Oscar seemed to be warming to each other.

The cat competition drew more than 200 feline competitors of different breeds. The event continues today from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Part of the proceeds will benefit California State Humane Officers Inc., which operates an “Adopt & Save a Cat Rescue.” The money will also go toward a spaying and neutering program.

While Oscar the cat nuzzled, a Ventura couple mused about just which cat they wanted to bring home. Craig Smith and his friend Linda Root went by each caged animal and peeked in. They picked up a few of the cats and stroked them behind the ears.

“I like Becky,” said Smith, pointing to a small gray cat curled comfortably in a corner. “But (Linda) wants one that’s been de-clawed.”

“It’s so hard to decide,” Root said. “They all are so adorable.”

Despite finding only two homes for the cats by midafternoon Saturday, Stewart said the volunteers were upbeat and hoping all the cats would be adopted by the end of the show Sunday.

She said one of the two lucky felines to find a home was Woody, a hard-luck shelter favorite with a thyroid condition.

“We were so happy when he was adopted,” Stewart said. “I mean, who would think that someone would adopt a 14-year-old cat that has to have two pills every day?”