Review: Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit

Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit is a 2018 documentary produced by Netflix. This feature-length documentary follows a year on the Canadian cat show circuit. Kim and her cat Bobby, a sleek and playful white Turkish Angora, are competitive and used to winning. There's a new contender on the circuit, though: Shirley and her cat Oh La La. A long-haired Red Persian, Oh La La causes a sensation wherever she goes. While it's hard to see any personality under that mountain of fluff, her impeccably groomed coat impresses every judge.

To properly compete in cat shows, owners must travel all over Canada and attend every show, big and small, in order to collect enough points for the end-of-year tally. There are various categories to win in, but the most coveted is Best in Breed. Often, no-one knows until the last show of the year which cat will win. Different owners take different attitudes to the competition, with some like Kim obsessively adding up the points each cat earns to compare them to her own (she has 3 cats in competition that year), while others just want to show off their precious babies and don't care if they win or not.

The principles and procedure of the showing and judging is explained, along with the measures required to care for the cats. There's the regular routine of travel, display and judging, but incidents also happen. Cats will be cats, and there are scratches and furballs at times.

The documentary also takes the time to highlight the stories of several other showers. One competitor is a young woman with autism, who finds the atmosphere of the cat show a helpful way to communicate with others. Another is a dedicated and caring breeder whose kittens are with owners all over the world. Another has a large gaggle of cats and a very spiritual attitude towards them. There is also an interview with two of the judges, a husband and wife couple.

One of the most interesting (and cute!) parts of the documentary was seeing Shirley wash, dry and brush Oh La La with specialised equipment. She must be washed once a week and brushed daily. All of the judges know how hard it is to maintain a long-haired cat, though whether that translates to a higher ranking is questionable, and causes no end of consternation to Kim and her short-haired cats.

The race to the top was quite exciting to watch. Who will win Best in Breed and receive the accolades of the Canadian cat world? After the final ribbons are doled out, all is forgiven, and the competitors reconvene at the annual Cat Fanciers Banquet, where friendships are re-confirmed, and plans made for next year.

Catwalk is a quirky and fun documentary, recommended for any cat lover and anyone who's curious about the inner workings of cat shows and above all, why someone would compete in a cat show.

Would I watch it again? Yes!