A horse is a horse, of course, of course. But we can't say that a cat is just a cat, especially with super exotic breeds like the Lykoi coming to town to vie for ribbons, glory and 15 minutes of fame. It's all part of this weekend's
Felines, Football and Fun!, where we'll see Bengals, Burmilla Longhairs, the overachieving Maine Coone Polydactyls, Ragdolls and so much more.
Word on the street is that several show cats are driving in from Big D, but Houston-area cats have a strong presence here, so let's go for the win, folks.
Let's introduce you to a few of the cuties ready to walk the red carpet and strut their stuff in front of guest judge (and mayor of Deer Park), Jerry Mouton, Jr.
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This Balinese beauty is not only rare, but she's also the product of European blood lines: Italian father, Swiss mother, and raised French Canadian. Bonjour!
Photo by HELMI
"Move along, nothing to see here," says Balinese SousLeSaule Dentelle of KLM. Sorry Dentelle, you've been caught in the act, but we'll forgive you 'cuz you're so cute. That amazing color is called "chocolate point" and Dentelle here has achieved the title of Supreme Grand Champion in The International Cat Association, the world's largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats. Fun fact: Dentelle's owner has been showing Balinese since 1972, and Dentelle's great-great grandfather was a male the owner sent to Germany in 2001. Small head, small world.
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This red classic exotic shorthair is known on the show circuit as Purrelli Light Em Up, but those in the know call him Diablo.
Photo courtesy of Jan Chambers and Feline PAW Foundation
Diablo here is kind of like a Heinz 57 cat. Exotics aren't necessarily a natural breed, but they evolved when Persians were bred with American and British short hair cats. Voila: We have a Persian without that hard-to-maintain coat, earning them the nicknames of "the lazy man's Persian" and "the teddy bear of the cat world." If you make it out to the Felines, Football and Fun! show this weekend, you might even see Diablo walking on a leash and making the rounds in the show hall. At only nine months old, he's coming off a highly-competitive kitten season.
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Boris is not a morning person. Go away and come back another time, please, because he needs his beauty sleep.
Photo courtesy of Fleur Winter Wiorkowski
Boris couldn't get into Hair Club For Men, so no judging, please. He's actually a fortunate kitty, as only black Lykois are allowed to step into the center ring, though this ultra-rare breed comes in all sorts of colors, and even some with long hair. It's a relatively new breed that naturally mutated from a group of barn cats in 2011. Word travels fast, and now cat fanciers can't get enough of the Lykoi, even though their coat molts. Their appearance ranges from almost completely nude to having a full coat, though the lower legs, eyes and muzzle stay in the no-hair zone. Boris's stage name is Chupacabra Midnight Epic, and his owner says he's a "total lover and cuddle bug, constantly wants attention, very smart and has taught himself how to play fetch."
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The odds are ever in this black and white kitty's favor, as Elfkatz SGC Elfis Presley has been ranked the number one Devon Rex kitten in the world.
Photo courtesy of Feline Paw Foundation
The Devon Rex has been described as part cat, part dog and part monkey. Word on the street is that they have spunky personalities and are very attached to their humans. If you're a betting person, we expect Elfis Presley to take top honors this weekend, as he's the number one Devon Rex kitten in the world.
This two-day event features 15 rings, consisting of 12 all-breed and three specialty categories. It's organized by the Feline PAW Foundation, which aims to sponsor and promote the welfare of all cats by hosting cat shows and other educational events.
"Felines, Football and Fun!" runs from Saturday January 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday January 29 from noon to 1 p.m. at Jimmy Burke Activity Center, 500 West 13th, Deer Park, felinepawfoundation.org. Free to $7.
