This Contest Can Mean Winning by a Whisker

It was either the cats or her husband, and Virginia King said there was no contest. Her puffy white, cumulus cloud of a kitten won out.

King carried the winning streak straight to the ring Saturday, where Steinway--who got his name “cause he’s my baby grand”--won Best of Breed, among other awards. Her ex-husband wasn’t there to see the victory because they parted ways 20 years ago, she said.

King coddled, cooed and clutched at her 5-month-old Himalayan, doting as much as any new parent.

King was one of at least 200 cat owners showing off their fancy felines at the Southwest Regional Awards Show, continuing today at Seaside Park in Ventura.

Cats ranged from hairless varieties that looked like Austin Powers’ Mr. Bigglesworth to balls of fur that purred and begged to be petted.

There were 31 breeds represented, including such varieties as Havana brown, Egyptian Mau, Tonkinese, Somali, Abyssinian, Cornish Rex and even a few examples of the most popular breed, Persians.

The cats were judged according to a written standard that varies from breed to breed, basically a blueprint that depicts the perfect specimen. Some breeds assign more value to eye color or hair length, while others need slinky bodies, pixie faces or long limbs.

At least six judges rate the cats, a total number of points is accumulated, and Best of Breed and Best of Show honors are awarded.

Unlike a dog show, the owners do not lead the cats around in a circle or ask them to hold specific positions. The owners sit patiently while the judge takes each cat from the cage and inspects it on a table. An average inspection takes less than a minute.

Diana Rothermel, a judge who awarded Steinway Best of Breed, said the cat seemed happy in the spotlight and clearly enjoyed chasing the feather she waved in front of his nose. He also had ideal features for the Persian breed.

“He had a nice round head, a short snub nose and small, well-situated ears. I’ve finaled him before, and I’ll probably do it again,” she said, referring to the process of picking her 10 favorites at the end of the day.

The cat show drew many feline veterans--those who raise, love and obsess about cats. They feed their pets tiny containers of veal and gravy baby food. They wash them with special shampoos, blow-dry their fur, cuddle them at night and would willingly sell the family car to pay for surgery if their cat became ill.

Stacie Arana of Los Angeles said a house is not a home without a cat. She has six, two of which were showing in this weekend’s events.

Her blue Devon Rex, which goes by the complicated but breeder-identifying name Elegence’s Silly Sir Samuel, didn’t appear too happy when a stranger tried to pet him. But Arana said he was at the show to overcome such hurdles, getting him used to strangers, shows and acting happy even if he doesn’t feel that way.

“Samuel likes to stay in the hotel. That’s his favorite part,” she said. “But you want them to be happy when they show. They can’t be miserable or attack the judges.”

One of her cats did that when he was a kitten, and Arana, 28, said she kept him out of shows for a few more months until his temperament improved.

Based on an informal survey of the hall Saturday, a large majority of the owners are women. Many have more than 10 of one particular breed. Some would cruise cat shows before they owned any cats, lusting after the animals and wondering when they would be able to afford one.

A lot of the owners said the shows are a great place to socialize. And others were intent on winning.

But all of them had one common motivation, according to George Eigenhauser, regional director of the Cat Fanciers’ Assn. “It’s their ego. It’s like a beauty contest. People want to have the prettiest cat.”