On weekends, the cat festival area at AEON Mall Ha Dong (Hanoi) attracts many visitors. Instead of just watching through social networks, cat lovers can see rare cats, from Bengal cats, Maine Coon to Persian cats, Ragdoll... in an open and intimate space.
In the display area, many young children stood for quite a long time in front of the glass cages, curiously observing each cat being brushed and cared for before entering the competition. Many parents took the opportunity to introduce their children to each cat breed, how to approach pets and not to touch cats without the owner's permission.
Taking place from May 15 to 17, WCF International Family Cat Show 2026 with the theme "A Sunny Morning" is not just a contest for professional cat owners. The event is organized like a family festival, where people can visit, interact and learn more about responsible pet culture.
According to the organizers, this year's competition gathers more than 80 cats from Vietnam and many countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines... The "contestants" belong to many cat breeds loved in the world such as English, Bengal, Ragdoll, Maine Coon, Short-haired American, Cornish Rex, Siberian, Selkirk Rex Longhair...
For many families, the attraction is not only in the value of the cats up to hundreds of millions of VND, but also in the experience of being observed close to cat breeds that are only used to seeing on the Internet. Long-haired cats are carefully shaped, Bengal cats with prominent feather patterns or Maine Coon with large bodies all make young children excited.
In the competition area, the cats were brought to the judges' table one by one. Instead of noisy catwalks like beauty contests for people, the competition of the four-legged "contestants" took place more gently. The judges observed the faces, figures, weights, fur, friendliness and socialization ability of each cat.
One of the "candidates" attracting attention is the Savannah cat, which was bought for more than 400 million VND. This is a hybrid cat breed between wild cats and domestic cats, with a tall appearance, agile posture and characteristic wildness. Many visitors stopped to take pictures, but still kept their distance according to the owner's instructions.
According to information from the organizers, the baby is over 1 year old, and once won the Grand Champion title in Russia before being imported to Vietnam worth several hundred million VND. Every day, the baby is cared for with a separate diet, eating beef or nuts suitable for cat breeds.
Besides the cats with luxurious appearances, a baby Selkirk Rex Longhair from Thailand creates a good impression with its strange curly fur, which many people jokingly compare to a "cloth". This difference makes the baby the center of attention of many children in the visiting area.
Not only seeing beautiful cats, attendees can also participate in activities at Family Zone, receive gifts from booths, learn about pet care products and listen to shares about nutrition, hygiene, and behavior of cats when living in houses, apartments and urban areas.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Son - Chairman of the Vietnam Cat Association, Member of the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Animal Protection Association - said that the international cat beauty contest is an annual activity in Vietnam, receiving attention from the cat breeding community at home and abroad.
According to Mr. Son, through competition, entertainment and education activities, the organizing committee wishes to provide more knowledge about breeding and caring for cats, and at the same time create a space for exchange for the cat-loving community in Vietnam. The motto of the Vietnam Cat Association is to improve the welfare of cats, harmonize with animal protection organizations around the world and comply with Vietnamese law.
In the context of more and more families in urban areas raising pets, events such as WCF International Family Cat Show help people get closer to knowledge of pet care.
