The cat's meow: I-X center hosts thousands of cats, feline enthusiasts in cat show, expo

Tawney Beans, Akron Beacon Journal
Updated ·1 min read
Judge Peter Vanwonterghem of Belgium inspects the facial structure of The Dude Abides of Shoni, owned by Elaine Powell-Ascroft, during the Cat Fanciers' Association International Cat Show and Expo Saturday at the IX Center in Cleveland.
Judge Peter Vanwonterghem of Belgium inspects the facial structure of The Dude Abides of Shoni, owned by Elaine Powell-Ascroft, during the Cat Fanciers' Association International Cat Show and Expo Saturday at the IX Center in Cleveland.

Fur was flying at Cleveland's I-X center last weekend.

More than 1,000 cats were under one roof for the International Cat Show & Expo organized by The Cat Fanciers’ Association, which is based in Alliance.

With felines featured from across the world — big and small, with and without fur — it was truly a cat lover's paradise.

The two-day event also hosted more than 15,000 cat lovers and enthusiasts as well as everything from cat competitions and adoptions to shopping, contests, performances and more.

Never been to a cat show? Live vicariously through Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans as she and a photojournalist navigate the complexity (and general insanity) of the feline-themed event.

If you missed this week’s show, there will be another at the John S. Knight Center hosted by The Cleveland Persian Society on Jan. 6 and 7, 2024.

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and on Twitter @TawneyBeans. Follow her adventures on TikTok @akronbeaconjournal.

Holli Gray-Luring of Bowling Green and her son Ian, right, show off their Norwegian Forest Cat, Finn, as they compete in the costume contest during the Cat Fanciers' Association International Cat Show and Expo at the IX Center in Cleveland.
Holli Gray-Luring of Bowling Green and her son Ian, right, show off their Norwegian Forest Cat, Finn, as they compete in the costume contest during the Cat Fanciers' Association International Cat Show and Expo at the IX Center in Cleveland.
A curious cat peeks out the window of the Catastrophic Cathaus during the Cat Fanciers' Association International Cat Show and Expo at the IX Center, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio.
A curious cat peeks out the window of the Catastrophic Cathaus during the Cat Fanciers' Association International Cat Show and Expo at the IX Center, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: International Cat show, expo attracts thousands to I-X center