Purr-fect Sunday for cat lovers as over 500 felines strut their stuff in Vashi
Asia's largest cat show in Mumbai organized by Feline Club of India featured over 500 cats from 13 different breeds, promoting cat fancy subculture.
MUMBAI: It was a purr-fect Sunday for cat enthusiasts in the city as they witnessed Asia’s largest cat show, organised by the Feline Club of India (FCI). The event featured over 500 cats, making it the largest cat show organized by the FCI. “We are all cat lovers that have come together to form this club,” Fakhruddin Motiwala, President and secretary of FCI Mumbai, told HT. For the past four years, FCI has been hosting cat shows over the country. “Mumbai has the largest population of cats, based on cat food consumption,” says Motiwala.
The feline show was organised at the CIDCO exhibition centre in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, which had a display of over 13 different breeds, including the classic long hair, classic short hair, Persian, exotic short hair, Siamese, Bengal cat, Maine coon, sphinx and British short hair. The judges scored the cats based on their grooming, temperament, cleanliness and other physical aspects.
Among the cats participating in the show was a 1.4-year-old Nayla, a fully white indie cat with blue eyes. “I wanted her to go out,” says Naziya Sayyed, the human accompanying Nayla. “Other than the vet, the only time she goes out is for the shows I take her to.” While Nayla sleeps peacefully amidst the noisy and lively event, Naziya spends her time talking to other cat lovers and learning more about them. “I get to understand cats better and learn which food is of the best quality,” she says.
Sayyed refers to the many stalls at the venue, some selling cat food while others offered leashes, toys and other cat accessories. One such stall had paints laid out and was drawing tattoos on kids’ faces, while another had cars on display. The hall was buzzing with a moving crowd and excitement over the number of cats present.
While the competition carried on the stage, many people had brought their cats out for a stroll, not registering them for the show as contestants. Several visitors who came without a pet were busy petting the many cats around them.
One of the many cats people were gravitating toward was another contestant, the 5-year-old Mimi, a classic long-haired Serbian cat. She was busy taking in her surroundings while her human parent, Danish Choudhary, rested his hand on her back. “My friend had brought her, but he couldn’t keep her. So, I adopted her,” says Danish. It was the duo’s first time participating in a show like this. Danish had previously seen reels on Instagram and was eager to have Mimi experience the event. “It’s like a cult of cat lovers,” says Danish. “I’ve spoken to so many fellow cat lovers and the energy here is exhilarating. Seeing so many cats together in one place is amazing.”
A few steps down, there was Simba, lounging coolly on top of his crate, being watched over by Fazal, 64, Ruqaiyya, 50, and Abbas. The 2.4-year-old Persian cat is a regular at these events and has participated for the past three years. “I like the way they organise it. The judging is very fair,” says Fazal. “We also get to see more variety and learn what’s new in the cat world in terms of food and brands. There are also fellow cat lovers we meet and new cat breeds we get to observe,” he adds.
Making his way away from the crates and giggling excitedly was 30-year-old Gaurav Chavan, who had seen posters of the event on social media. He doesn’t have a cat of his own, but his home, he makes sure to tell me, is always open to strays. “I’ve seen so many cats today. It’s nice that such events are happening in the city. But this is the first time I’ve heard about it. There needs to be more awareness,” he says.
Chavan is accompanied by 21-year-old Lakshmi Shikhawat, who immediately tells me that she has ailurophobia (fear of cats). She was coaxed to come here by Gaurav, and she didn’t seem to mind. “After today, I might actually touch a cat,” she says.
The coming together of cat enthusiasts to build a community is the very reason behind the formation of the FCI. Like-minded people came together and started the club to promote the cat fancy subculture, which involves cat lovers engaging in activities like cat appreciation, breeding, adoption and showing. “We organise shows all over India,” says Motiwala, explaining that the FCI is a nationwide organisation with over 30 regional clubs, including Pune, Kolhapur, Kolkata, Delhi, Surat, Bangalore and Chennai.
The FCI also organizes grooming sessions and workshops to educate cat owners about properly caring for their pets. They also host conversations with veterinarians and researchers to discuss how to avoid skin issues and other problems when taking care of a cat. “Our main goal is to bring cat people together and spread awareness about cats. We’re looking to cover more and more ground throughout the country,” says Motiwala.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.