RENOWNED ‘purrfect’ pets of Mount Gambier – Wally and Bruce – both pounced for the crown at the Royal Adelaide Show last week, battling it out for first place.
For owners Paull and Anne Smith, it was no surprise when Wally stole the title from Bruce in the Ragdoll division, with the pair competing in the senior neuter category.
Mr Smith said Bruce came in close in second place against a total of 11 Ragdolls, with Wally also placing 11th against 206 cats in the grand finale.
“We had a suspicion Wally would win and this time he bet all the champions, including our Bruce,” he said.
“In the past he has competed in the kitten division but he now qualifies for the mature age division.”
Bruce and Wally entered the competition under the pedigree names CottonCandy Candy Cane and CottonCandy Mr Walter respectively.
Mr Smith said Wally placed 11th overall which he thought was due to the rarity of the other “exotic” felines he competed against.
“First place went to a devon rex and the New Zealand judge said it was the only one she had ever seen,” he said.
“In her eyes we guess the cat received a higher score out of a possible 100 due to its rareness.
“Ragdolls are quite common and we were marked down as Wally’s tail and ears do not match in colour.”
Mr Smith said the pair made for relaxing company.
“They are called Ragdolls because they flop and lay around all day,” he said.
“Because Wally is long-haired I have to brush him twice a day and the judge said he was groomed to perfection.”
Mr Smith said Wally was known for being fussy, predominately eating only cooked Australian king prawns.
“He is high maintenance and is spoilt rotten,” he said.
Mr Smith said the pair had competed in four competitions so far and are leading the vote counts for the South Australian Ragdoll of the year title.
“Each competition you receive a certain amount of points from each title you claim,” he said.
“We believe Bruce has 27 which means he is classified as a champion but Wally is not far behind with 17.
“There are four more shows to go with the 2019 title announced later this year.”
