Pampered pussies stars of their own show

More than 90 furry felines and their devoted owners gathered at the Masterton Town Hall for the annual Championship Show on Saturday .

About 20 different breeds of cats competed for top places and awards as part of a New Zealand-wide show circuit.

Each exhibit was judged four times by judges from Australia, Christchurch, Waikato and the Wellington region.

Visitors watched the competition and compared cats as different as the huge maine coon and as elegant as the almost hairless sphynx.

The show is organised by the Central District Cat Club, based in Wairarapa, and show secretary Maree Roy said exhibitors travelled from near and far to enter the competition.

"There was one [entrant] from the South Island ... and one from near Gisborne," she said.

She said the show also has an educational value.

"We've quite a big section for neutered and spayed cats, I think that probably points out to people that it's a good idea to have their cats desexed, unless you're breeding pedigree cats.

"Members of the public come and they talk to people that are involved in the committee and breeders about their animals," she said.

Ms Roy said visitor numbers were high and people had enjoyed the day.

She said sponsorship from Royal Canin had gone towards prizes and donations from the Wairarapa Building Society and the Eastern and Central Community Trust had helped pay for the hall hire. Ms Roy said planning for next year's show had already begun with contacting judges under way.