This is Taylor’s era: Meet SA’s purr-fect Swiftie show kitten

SA’s very own Swiftie show kitten Taylor is a star on the rise, stealing hearts just like his pop superstar namesake.

Named after global pop sensation Taylor Swift, British shorthair cat Taylor is a superstar in his own right.

At seven months old, the Burton kitten has already begun to make a name for himself as a successful show cat, snatching up ribbons at the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA) National Show earlier this month.

With his Beautiful Eyes and Style, Taylor is the purr-fect show cat, according owner Sandra Hockley, 50.

“He is just a little superstar on the bench. He’s got such a relaxed, beautiful show temperament,” she said.

“Taylor came home with two ribbons from nationals and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face the whole weekend.”

'Taylor with his owner, Sandra Hockley at her Burton home. Picture: Mark Brake

With competitions held every two weeks, having a show cat is a full-time commitment for owners like Ms Hockley.

“Show season is normally the end of February, and goes right through to the end of November,” the clinical nurse said.

“I’m very lucky with the British, I actually don’t have to bathe them or anything like that, but some of the breeds have to be bathed before every show.

“I really just have to give (my cats) a comb through to make sure there’s no knots probably once a week before a show.

“Keeping the coat not just clean, but you want to get rid of all the sort of dead underlying hair, so just brushing once a week because the coat is quite dense helps.

“When the judges feel a British coat, it should feel they often describe it as crisp. So it’s that nice, soft marshmallow type coat.”

This all comes at a cost to the owners with show entry fees costing between $30-40 per cat.

“If you’ve got a lot of cats, it can obviously get quite expensive,” Ms Hockley said.

“But overall, it’s just a fun day out with your cat, and you can make it as big or as small as you want.”

As for what’s next for Taylor, the fluffy feline will make his debut at this year’s Royal Adelaide Show in September.

Taylor with his prize ribbons. Picture: Mark Brake

The other, slightly more famous Taylor.