Sunglasses were a popular item, as were matching hats and jackets
Dhaka:
Cats in velvet, cats in skirts, cats in sunglasses, cats in football uniforms: hundreds of felines were dressed to the nines on Friday for the largest cat show ever in Bangladesh. Owners strolled the runway with their furry friends, while others indulged in eating contests or simply took a nap.
Sunglasses were a popular item, as were matching hats and jackets, along with soccer jerseys from Brazil and Argentina — the two South American giants have enthusiastic followings in the South Asian country.
Tabassum Akter adopted Z six months ago and dressed him in a special collar in Dhaka’s largest shopping mall for the event.
She regularly takes him out, but gets strange looks in the process.
“It’s important to realize that these animals also want love, sympathy and care,” she said.
Domestic cats are common in Bangladesh, especially in rural areas, where they are used to control pests.
Companion animals are largely reserved for the urban upper and middle class, and felines dominate for religious reasons in the Muslim-majority country.
The Prophet Muhammad is said to have kept cats himself, and the name he gave one of his companions, the chronicler Abu Huraira, means “father of the kitten”.
Organizer Rabi Hasan purred at the turnout for the event, saying at least 900 cats took part, drawing more than 15,000 admirers.
Nasif Ullah decorated his cat Poko with the features of a honey bee and hoped the event would raise awareness among Bangladeshis about animal rights.
“There’s a tendency to harm cats everywhere,” he said. “We often don’t realize that these creatures also have certain rights.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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