Liverpool hosted the UK’s largest competitive cat show – the GCCF Supreme Cat Show 2026 – over the weekend.
With this year’s theme being “Cat-O-Vision” (a play on Eurovision), it was a global gathering of cats and their owners from all over the world. Described as “Crufts for cats”, 40 cat breeds were shown over the day, with the finest there is to offer competing.
And it wasn’t only the cats who came from around the world, the judges did too. A truly international event, it was a haven for the top cat breeders and owners.
There were various competitions during the day, where large crowds gathered to watch. Judges explained every decision they made and were very complimentary of the animals on display.
Lona Johnson, who was at the show with her cats, explained to me a bit more about how the competition works: “Each cat has a standard of points. Theoretically the perfect cat, which doesn’t exist, would get 100 points. It varies from breed to breed, but they get a certain amount for the head, certain amount for the body, certain amount for the tail, colour and pattern”.
She continued: “The judge has their own perfect cat in their head. Different judges see cats differently. It’s quite subjective.”
The owners put many hours not only into the preparation of the cats, but also into the pens they come in. There were many elaborate designs on display, which brought so much colour to the event. There was a separate competition for the best decorated pen.
This is not the same at every competition. Ena Kelly, who had travelled from Scotland for the event, told me what makes the decoration of the pens unique: “At all the other shows, you have to keep everything white. The judge is judging the pen, and the idea is that the cat should be anonymous.
“But here, because we take the cats up to the judge’s themselves, we can decorate the pen how we like.”
The cats are some of the best quality possible. Price tags into the thousands to ensure what they get is pure bred and show worthy. One woman told me how her entrant today was the only cat in the UK with its bloodline, as it had been bought from Russia.
The people who had travelled were a mix of seasoned professionals and newcomers to the community.
Chrissy Ellard, who has been entering her cats into shows since July, told me how welcoming the community had been. She said: “I’ve got loads of friends in the cat community. Lots of people embraced me and took me under their wing when I first started.”
She also explained that you often see the same faces at events all over the country. They often go out to lunch together and have created a strong bond.
Also, there were an array of stalls set up. They were selling everything from pet insurance to magnets. You could even get your animal turned into a portrait.
Next year’s show is due to be held on 24th April, in Stoneleigh.
