Whiskers of Wonder: Raudondvary’s Feline Spectacle

Domestic cats participate in this show on an equal footing with titled noble cats. This time, not only the Association of Animal Guardians and “Nuaro” wards looking for a home will compete, but also a guest from Latvia whose story pierces the heart will come.

Wicapi Wacan is the name of the now famous black green-eyed cat. Together with Natalija Kozlovska, a famous breeder of Latvian Devonshire Rex cats, she travels to international exhibitions together and reaps laurels and audience sympathy. If it was not a coincidence that Natalya ended up at the veterinary clinic at the time when the doctor was in the operating room, the story of this cat would be completely different.

“Bubastė” photo/Wicapi Wacan

Natalia, while waiting for the appointment, found out that she had to wait until the doctor finished the operation on the cat. It turned out that a stray cat’s kitten was operated on, and he was supposed to be born very soon anyway.

Natalya immediately made up her mind and insisted on saving the kitten. If not for Natalia’s persistence, Wacapi Wacan would not be alive today. Every cat has its own special story.

Our yards are still full of similar stories and unfortunate homeless people, so the organizers of the exhibition invite you not to remain indifferent as the cold weather approaches.

Why is the bridge over the Neris orange?

Could you answer the question, what do orange cats, a bridge and Raudondvaris Manor have in common?

Paulius Rainys, the artist of the Glass Gallery, located in the Old Town of Kaunas, who created the original prizes for the cat exhibition “Oranžinje katė”, Paulius Rainys, told this interesting story.

“Bubastė” photo/International cat exhibition

The Vilijampole bridge was named after Petros Vileišis at the suggestion of President A. Smetona. Well, the color of the bridge is related to Raudondvaris and Count Tiškevičius’ orangery.

The very word “greenhouse” suggests color.

After the trips of the counts, the Raudondvaris palace museum was always filled with new works of art, expensive jewelry, souvenirs, and interesting trifles from Egypt, India, China, Japan, Africa, America, and Cuba. All kinds of natural curiosities were also transported from exotic lands, which surprised the Europeans at that time. These are ostrich eggs, coconuts, shells, horns.

Three alligators, monkeys and parrots were housed in the orangery, and orange trees were planted. It is precisely because of a then-unheard-of plant bearing orange fruits of unprecedented beauty that grew in the estate that the Vilijampole bridge connecting the road with Raudondvari is painted in such a unique color.

We will mention that felinologists do not call cats gray, striped or brown. Cat coat color names are as unique as cats themselves. We will not list all the color variants of cats, because there are tens of thousands of them. We will just mention that cats can be blue, chocolate, lilac, cream, gold, red and even orange.

“Bubastė” photo/International cat exhibition

The purring whiskers of the show will be judged by judges of the International Association of Felinologists (FIF) Veikko Saarela from Finland, Francesco Cinque from Italy, Katarina Balikova from Slovakia, Magdalena Kudra from Poland.

The most beautiful ones will be awarded with unique orange prizes.

“Bubastė” photo/International cat exhibition

A Maine coon or a bucket of water?

The judges of the exhibition will be assisted by a group of stewards, whose main task is to find and present the necessary cat to the evaluators in time and to properly present it – to keep it at arm’s length if the cat participates in the selection for the competition. You think this is a joke? Well, not at all. Especially for someone who keeps. Here, the aforementioned Maine coons can weigh well over ten kilograms, especially when neutered – they are the heaviest “specimens” from the entire variety of breed cats in the world.

“Bubastė” photo/International cat exhibition

Take a bucket of water or a similar weight and try to hold it in your outstretched hand. How much will you keep? And the selection can last even half an hour… However, love for cats conquers everything, difficulties too.

It is not for nothing that B. Shaw has said that a person is cultured to the extent that he can understand a cat. And here’s an Irish saying: “Beware of people who don’t like cats.”

We believe that before coming to the exhibition, you will certainly not only conduct an experiment with a bucket of water, but also read about cats with a rather strange name – rag doll. What is special about her?

The exhibition will be held on October 7-8 in Kaunas district, Raudondvary, Pilies tak. 1 (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Ticket price for adults – 6 EUR, children from 5 to 12 years old and pensioners – 3 EUR. Family ticket – 12 EUR. Admission is free for children under 5 years old.

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