World Cat Day 2017: Why Melbourne could be the cat capital of Australia
WORLD Cat Day is the purrrrfect excuse to celebrate our furry friends. Here’s are some paw-sible reasons why Melbourne should be named the (unofficial) cat capital of Australia.
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MELBOURNE has many titles. Some more official than others.
It’s the Most Liveable City, the sporting capital of Australia and arguably home to the best coffee in the world.
Turns out our furry felines are friends of the city too.
To celebrate World Cat Day 2017, we’ve put together a very (paw-sible) list on why Melbourne could be the cat capital of Australia.
WE’RE HOME TO THE WORLD’S LONGEST CAT
Who says size doesn’t matter? Omar became an worldwide internet sensation because he was three times larger than the average cat.
Weighing in at a whopping 14kg, the Maine coon’s owner Stephy Hirst was contacted by the Guinness World Record saying he could be the longest cat in the world.
Not bad for a Maine coon from Croydon.
WE OPENED AUSTRALIA’S FIRST CAT CAFE
Cat lovers lined up to score a seat in this feline-filled cafe when it first opened in 2014.
Three years later the Cat Cafe on Guilford Lane, still attracts thousands of visitors each year.
You can sip on a catt-a-chino while watching cats frolic across two levels. The star attractions are sourced from The Lost Dog’s Home and Geelong Animal Welfare Society.
MELBOURNE WILL HOST THE FIRST CAT LOVERS SHOW
Cat’s out of the bag. The team behind the Dog Lovers Show is planning on launching a feline-equivalent at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne on September 8 and 9 next year. So put the date in the calendar and money in the kitty for this one.
THERE IS A LUXURY HOTEL FOR CATS
This luxurious suite in a suburban cattery is the cat’s pyjamas.
Spotswood’s Cat Napping Suburban Retreat offers an $80-a-night stay in The Residence suite, complete with a single bed, teepee, scratching post and heating and cooling.
One owner spent a whopping $5600 to book the room for 70 days for her 16-year-old cat over Christmas.
THE WORLD’S BEST LOOKING CAT LIVES HERE
Essendon’s Mr Mittens clawed his way to the title of best looking cat in the world on the app Rate My Cat last year.
Mr Mittens’ didn’t pussyfoot around in his profile photo. His piano-playing portrait has earned him more than a whisker of votes. His owners Barron Corbett and Nichola Wilson were pretty stoked too.
WE PRETTY MUCH RECREATED ‘HOMEWARD BOUND’
This Yarra Glen family had given up hope of finding their pet Silvie after she went missing in 2009. They looked for a good year, putting up posters around town, but to no avail.
They’d thought about getting another cat, but nothing would replace Silvie.
Eight years later, after an elderly woman surrendered a cat to the Coldstream Animal Aid, the Crossland family received the call of a lifetime.
Silvie was alive and well-fed on a diet of roast chicken. She was reunited with the family after eight years in June this year.
WE’VE NAMED A FOOTY TEAM AFTER THEM
Will we claim it? Yeah why not. Geelong is pretty much a suburb of Melbourne these days.
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