Pedigree cats to take center stage at Joliet show

Joliet Junior College is the site of a purr-fect show for feline lovers of all ages.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association Region 6 Cat Show will be Nov. 18 and 19 at the Joliet Junior College Weitendorf Agricultural Education Center in Joliet.

Attendees can meet purebred cat breeders and see their cats up close. They can shop for various cat products, toys and food; enter a raffle for cat-related items; vote in a cat costume contest; and even bring stuffed animals from home for a stuffed animal contest.

If you’re thinking about a particular breed, you can talk to that breeder and learn about their different personalities and activity level.”

—   Jim Wuersch, a coordinator of the Cat Fanciers’ Association Region 6 Cat Show

The cat costume contest, for which Cat Fanciers’ Association members dress up their cats for judging, is especially popular, said Jim Wuersch of Champaign, one of the show’s coordinators.

“The public gets involved with the judging, and it’s a really fun thing for the kids,” Wuersch said.

Wuersch said the Cat Fanciers’ Association is the oldest and largest registry for pedigree cats in the U.S. and Europe. Therefore, he said, the educational component of the show “is huge,” especially in the benching area, where cat owners and their cats hang out.

“You’ll see all different kinds of breeds of cats,” Wuersch said. “You can talk to breeders about their particular characteristics. And if you’re thinking about a particular breed, you can talk to that breeder and learn about their different personalities and activity level.”

Some owners let attendees pet their cats, too, he said. Wuersch said he’s shown cats for six years.

“I breed Havana brown, which a lot of people haven’t heard of,” Wuersch said. “They have an oriental look to their body, but they’re a solid chocolate brown. There’s no other color on them. They have brilliant green eyes. Their personalities are so laid back, and they’re such bright cats. They attach to you wonderfully,”

Wuersch said some people prefer owning purebred cats because their personality traits are predictable and “run true,” as opposed to adopting rescue cats – although he quickly added “there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I’ve had a lot of pets,” said Wuersch, who owned Siamese cats for 30 years. “I live on a farm. A lot of cats just show up and have had a pretty good life with us.”

Kayla Motto in New Lenox, the judge for Saturday’s costume contest, will show a 7-month-old Somali kitten with her mentor, who also is the kitten’s co-owner, Motto said. Motto said she once had a Somali rescue cat and fell in love with the breed.

She’s had more than 23 pass through her house through the years, although she’s kept several, too, Motto said.

“They are very active and almost dog-like, very high energy,” Motto said. “My husband loves them because they are willing to play fetch with him.”

Motto said she and her mentor also will show and sell homemade cat pads, catnip toys, aprons, crate covers and T-shirts with funny designs. She said the show is filled with people who love their cats, so everyone feels like extended family.

“If you like pets and animals, this is the place to go,” Motto said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Cat Fanciers’ Association Region 6 Cat Show

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 18 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19

WHERE: Joliet Junior College Weitendorf Agricultural Education Center, 17840 W. Laraway Road, Joliet

TICKETS: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and children younger than 12, $20 for families of four

INFORMATION: Visit cfa.org.