With Pune steadily cementing its position in the style and luxury scene across India,fashion shows have become a regular affair here. But one such fashion event at Serra School,Magarpatta City on Saturday caught the attention of cat lovers. A fashion show for cats,where they walked the ramp with their owners,was organised by the cat adoption agency Cats and Brats and Shalonics Communication.
The event was organised as a part of World Animal Month being celebrated throughout October. Last year we organised a similar event to promote dog adoption,and this year we are focussing on cats. We want to teach children how to be compassionate with animals,how to behave with them and treat them, says Neha Vaz,one of the organisers of the event.
The runners up of the show were two cats owned by Reema Sharma,who runs a cat adoption agency to promote the adoption of Indian breed cats. Both share the name Gini,are timid and wont come off their caretakers lap. While the elder Gini is six months old,the younger one is five months old. The older Gini was named after a pet owned by Sharmas grandfather who died six years ago. She was rescued by Sharmas employee who found her being attacked by street dogs. The younger one was adopted from the streets of Koregaon Park where she was lost and getting drenched in the rain.
Another participant at the show,13-year-old Umera Memon and her cat Smokey came sporting similar hats. Since Somkeys fur is a rich black coat,Memon wore a black dress and carried Smokey in a cane basket. I found Smokey near my house while I was on a walk with my parents. I found that she was lost and couldnt find her mother,so I asked my parents if I could take her home. They are also cat lovers and agreed in an instant, says Memon.
The event saw participation from 600 people that included 18 cat owners and their pets.