On Thursday, the Pet Pavilion at the Sydney Royal Easter Show was packed with showgoers trying to see the contestants for Best in Show for 2025. The winner of the day was a Maine Coone named Coolcoons Secret Business, owned by Fiona Cooper
However, cats have been exhibited at the Sydney Royal Easter Show since the 1870s. So, in 2025, showgoers were participating in a 150-year tradition of looking at cute, fancy cats.
Cat NSW President Jenny Weekes explained that judging is not only focused on a cat’s physical attributes but also its temperament.
“You can have the best cat in the world, but if it doesn’t want to be here, then it won’t behave well”, Weekes said. She added that all the cats present on Thursday were well-behaved.
The judging also considers the cats in their breed categouries and body types. This means there is a Categoury of long-haired cats and then a grouping for short-haired cats like Siamese Cats, for example.
If the Cat NSW President had brought her own furry contestant, her Birman cat would have gone into the category with other long-haired cats.
“Being part of the management team, I just thought it would be easier for me not to have a cat here today. So, the best cat’s not here today, but we all take the best cat home at the end”, she said.
