Monday, 22 September 2008, 17:30
Over 600 cat of various breeds from different parts of the world participated in international cat-show; Mamba – is the only for the time being cat with polydactylie gene officially entered the country.
Cat-beauty competition – or how to prove the noble pedigree. An international cat-show was held in Sokolniki. Cats of various breeds from all the world corners competed in ring.
Every such show for the breeders is a real celebration. Where else is it possible to show your pett at its best? And to sell the kittens. But for the cats themselves, especially, for the young ones not accustomed to such events, it is a real ordeal. Some tremble with fright, others try to escape from show-cages. But among them there are also those sleeping sweetly despite all the fuss around.
This kitten – is a real sensation of the show. Her name is Mamba and she is six months old. But her specialty is that she has six toes at her front paws instead of five. Maine-coon breed is very popular in Russia now. But Mamba is for the time being the only officially imported cat with polydactylie gene. Therefore, the great discussion started around her at the show. The matter is, that she can not participate in the championship because of her extra toe. If she were a human-being, then many would consider it to be physical defect. But it gives a special charm to the cat. However, this gene sometimes impacts the animal’s health. But at the same time such cats have indisputable merits.
Polina Shevtsova, the owner:
- Mamba is really a very strong character and is intellectually developed. She also employs logical way of thinking, including cause-and-effect relations – I mean, she does things I’ve never noticed any other animals do – neither cats, nor dogs, nor even my maine-coon already living with me.
Though professionals don’t let maine-coons with extra toes participate in the championship, they speak of them with special affection.
Svetlana Ponomareva, WCF expert:
- Cats with polydactylie once were called “Hemingway cats”. That is because just in Hemingway museum lived these polycoons, even more likely, household pets with polydactylie. But today, there are a lot of them in Europe – people fell in love with them, because for the coon polydactylie looks very beautiful.
Judges in rings examined other breeds very closely. And there were a lot of them here. Abyssinian, Bengal, various Sphinxes, Scottish-folds, British cats. It was also hard for the cat-owners. During the last minutes before going into the ring they did their best to brush thoroughly their pets. | 
