Picture Purrfect: Cats in skirts, sunglasses walk the ramp at Bangladesh show

Dhaka:

Cats in velvet, cats in skirts, cats in sunglasses, cats in football kits: Hundreds of cats dressed up on Friday for Bangladesh’s biggest cat show ever. Owners took their furry friends down the catwalk while others feasted on eating contests or simply cat-napped.

Sunglasses were a popular item, as were matching hats and jackets, along with Brazil and Argentina football shirts – the South Asian country is fond of the two South American giants.

Tabassum Akhtar adopted Z six months ago, and gave him a special collar for the event at Dhaka’s biggest shopping mall.

She regularly takes him out with her, but finds him awkward when doing so.

“It’s important to realize that these animals also want love, empathy and care,” she said.

Domestic cats are common in Bangladesh, especially in rural areas, where they are used for vermin control.

Companion pets are largely under the patronage of the urban upper and middle classes, and felines dominate the Muslim-majority country for religious reasons.

The Prophet Muhammad himself is said to have kept cats, and the name he gave to one of his companions, the chronicler Abu Huraira, means “father of kittens”.

Organizer Rabi Hassan expressed satisfaction at the turnout for the event, saying that at least 900 cats took part, attracting more than 15,000 fans.

Nasif Ullah dressed up his cat Poco as a bee and expressed hope that the event would raise awareness of animal rights among Bangladeshis.

“Cats everywhere have a tendency to do harm,” he said. “We often don’t realize that even these creatures have rights.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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