Viewfinder: The Cat's Meow

Like many cat owners, Isabelle Lopez isn’t very fond of dogs.

And on Feb. 26 at Harper College, the Palatine woman was surrounded by lots of folks who would probably agree.

“Dogs are such high maintenance,” Lopez said. “My cats are fun and ornery. They follow me everywhere and they are very mischievous.”

With her two Siamese (Lola Latte and Jasmine Jolli) in tow, Lopez spent the weekend hanging out with other cat lovers at the 51st annual All Breed Cat Show, put on by the Lincoln State Cat Club.

All told, about 350 cats, representing 22 breeds, were on hand for the show, said show manager Beverly Frenzel. About 225 of them took part in the competitive judging, she said; the rest were on display.

The two-day event featured judging, educational events, vendors and breed booths.

The 350 cats represented 22 breeds, but the most unusual might have been a Maine Coon breed cat from St. Louis known as Lil’ Mac, who weighed 22 pounds and is more than 4 feet long.

Often called “The Gentle Giant” of the cat world, the Maine Coon is the only naturally occurring breed of domestic cat native to north America, said owner John Hitzeman. The St. Louis resident needed two hands to pick up the cat for a closer inspection by the crowd gathering around his booth.

Despite its size, Hitzeman called Lil’ Mac “22 pounds of cupcake.”