KUCHING: The Kuching International Cat Festival 2025 will be headlined by the World Cat Show and a vibrant Cat Parade, showcasing international feline glamour while celebrating Kuching as the “City of Cats.”
Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) director Ramzi Abdillah announced the festival will be held from Sept 26 to 28 at Kuching Waterfront, as part of the Kuching Festival celebrations in conjunction with the 37th Kuching City Day.
“The three-day festival will feature 246 entries for the World Cat Show from countries, including Thailand, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, reflecting strong international interest.
“In addition, 76 cats will join the Cat Parade on Sept 27 at 7pm at Kuching Waterfront, showcasing unique talents and close bonds with their owners.
“We believe this festival will not only entertain but also strengthen community ties and promote responsible pet ownership in society,” he said at the event press conference in DBKU HQ lobby on Monday (Sept 22).
He added that this festival is an ongoing initiative by DBKU to promote Kuching as the “City of Cats” in line with efforts to position the city as a unique and iconic tourism destination in Southeast Asia.
“The event also aims to promote responsible pet ownership, nurture compassion towards animals, and boost the local economy through the involvement of traders, pet industry operators, and cultural performers.”
Among other programmes lined up are My Cat Expo with 19 vendors and 32 booths, cat grooming demonstrations, a cat dance competition, cat fashion show, and buskers’ performances.
Meanwhile, Putra Cat Boarding and Services founder Sufian Mohat, the event coordinator for the World Cat Show, said participants include rare and exotic breeds such as Maine Coon, British Shorthair, British Longhair, Bengal, Ragdoll, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Minuet Longhair, Persian Exotic, Scottish Fold, and more.
“Alhamdulillah, for our very first event we have already received 246 entries. Participation includes three cats from Indonesia, 10 from Thailand, six from the Philippines, 10 from China who arrived today, six from Vietnam, six from Peninsular Malaysia, eight from Sabah, and the rest from Sarawak.
“Registration is still open for Sarawak participants, and we are grateful that this will likely be the first opportunity for many Sarawakians to witness extraordinary and rare breeds, including the Toyger and Somali, which will be featured for the first time.”
He added that the competition will begin on Sept 26 with the Novice category for non-pedigree cats, followed by the Household Pet (HHP) category featuring local cats, and continue with Pedigree categories over the weekend.
“For your information, the World Title Champion will receive RM1,000, while the Supreme category winner will receive RM500, both with a rosette, trophy, and additional prizes.
“While the Best General category will be awarded twice over the two days on Saturday, each worth RM300.
“For the HHP category, the prize is RM200 awarded once.”
Sufian said that the programme will start daily at 6am with preparations, followed by registration from 8am to 9am, and continue throughout the day.
“A special highlight will be the presence of World Cat Federation (WCF) president Anneliese Hackmann, marking the first time a WCF-registered club is hosting in Sarawak and the first time a WCF world-level event is held in Malaysia.”
