Contestant Cats All Have Winning Way With Kids

“I love cats!” Allen Chae exclaimed as he cuddled Natalia, a fluffy and friendly Norwegian forest cat.

Allen, 5, was among a group of preschoolers who could hardly wait their turn to hold a cat, pet one’s silky fur or tease one with a feather toy.

The children at Providence Speech and Hearing Center in Orange on Thursday were all treated to a private showing of fancy felines.

The 15 felines, who will participate in the International Cat Show on July 19 and 20 at Anaheim Convention Center, made a special visit that gave the children the opportunity to touch and interact with kittens and cat champions.

Children giggled when they saw cats with curly coats, gazed at cats with curled ears and squirmed when they touched one that had no hair at all.

“This is a wonderful experience,” said Lesley Ann Giles of Woodland Hills, who brought her hairless sphinx kitten, Lucille Bald, for the children to play with. “The children love it. Their faces just light up.”

Elinor Silverman, spokeswoman for the 11th annual cat show, said meeting the animals has therapeutic value for children with special needs.

“It allows for communication between kids and animals,” Silverman said.

Michael J. Beeler, director of development at Providence, a nonprofit agency that serves adults and children with communicative disorders, said, “The mix of the two is a real positive.”

“It’s a real, warm interaction we see between the cats and the kids,” Beeler said. “Lay a nice kitten in their arms, and that communication is strong and powerful.”

As for the cats, they tolerated plenty of handling as the youngsters embraced them and affectionately teased them.

Helene Schuller of Stanton, who brought her two curly-haired Cornish Rex kittens, said the exchange is “as good for the cats as it is for the children.”

A show cat must get used to people and noise, Schuller and others said.

“Especially for the younger cats, they need to get used to being handled by people,” said Manny Levine of Anaheim, who brought Shoo-Shoo, a supreme grand champion seal point Birman. “It will help their show career.”

The cat show will feature more than 800 cats representing 40 breeds, and is expected to attract some 35,000 cat lovers.

In addition to world-class cat competitions and contests for house pets, the show will feature feline seminars and clinics, breeding information and a cat supermarket offering unusual items for pets and owners.

Admission for adults is $8; senior citizens, $6; and children 12 and under, free with an adult. The cat show will benefit the Pet Place, a TV adoption service.

Information: (714) 643-2629.