Excitement as Ulster Siamese and All Breed Cat Show set to return to Hillsborough for first time since 2019

The all breed championship show, being held at 7 Ballynahinch Road, is one for all the family to enjoy and even includes a colouring competition, which also allows your child free entry for entering, with the winner to be decided by the Lord Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh, Councillor Scott Carson.

The historical show is steeped in rich history, with the club being founded in 1968, starting life as the Ulster Siamese Cat Club, and its annual show won Championship status in 1981, running under the rules of the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and has developed a lot over the years.

A show insider told the Ulster Star: “We exist for the benefit of cats and cat lovers and we try to promote and maintain an active interest in protecting the welfare of all breeds, including household pets.

“We run an educational programme where people who have experience can help and advise pet owners, and we work with local vets to try to promote proper welfare and breeding.

"We try to encourage the neutering of all cats that aren’t required for breeding. The club also runs the GCCF YES (Young Exhibitor Scheme) that trains young people aged nine to 18 to look after cats and gradually learn all the aspects of running a cat show.

"There are quite a few children involved and it’s amazing how they develop and come on through looking after cats and working with animals. By the time the children have reached senior level, they have learned all they need to know to become an adult steward who works with a judge. They will go on to eventually become judges themselves.”

The show representative added: “A cat show is like a beauty competition. What happens is we have a mix of pedigree and non-pedigree pets. It used to only be the pedigree cats that got titles but over the last number of years, non-pedigree pets also got titles. The pedigree cats have to meet a series of physical standards, such as shape of head, length of tail, shape of body, with the winners of each breed class pitted against each other at higher and higher levels until the best of each breed competes for Best in Show — the highlight of the day.

“Meanwhile, the household pet competitions are based more on personality, with classes such as the cat that purrs loudest, longest whiskers or the one you’d like to take home. But even a household pet can potentially rise through the ranks to become an Olympic Master Cat.”

And it is hard work getting beautiful for the event, with each cat being put through their paces ahead of show-time.

“All the cats undergo an intensive regime of grooming, bathing and coat polishing ahead of the show and their eyes and ears must be clean,” the show representative reveals.

"Every cat coming into the hall has to have been vaccinated against flu and enteritis so they don’t pass anything on to another cat. They’re inspected for fleas and runny eyes etc. All cats will be “vetted in” by a fully qualified vet before they gain entry to the hall.

“This year, visitors can expect to encounter a host of pedigree cats that you wouldn’t normally see elsewhere. These are the crème de la crème and most of them are kept inside and don’t get let out to roam alone. There will be Persians, Exotics, Ragdolls, Maine Coons (which can be four feet long), Burmese and even a Sphynx. Its skin is like holding a warm peach.”

The show is non-profit-making and all proceeds are usually split between a human charity and an animal charity. However, this year, with the current cost of living crisis the club has decided to keep show entry prices at the previous rates but any profits that the show will make will be donated to a nominated animal charity.

Doors open at 12.30pm with no requirement to book in advance, with tickets priced at a cost of living friendly cost of just £2 per adult; with children aged five years to 16, pensioners and student tickets costing just £1. Meanwhile, children under five are free.

Children who have entered the colouring competition will get free entrance, simply look on the official Facebook page to print off, or alternatively it will be handed out to pupils in local schools.