A north-east cat breeder is celebrating this week after claiming a third UK-level title at the Supreme Cat Show.
Held annually at the NEC in Birmingham, the show is one of the largest feline events in Europe.
A delighted Pat Shand clinched a UK Imperial Grand Champion prize – one of the most prestigious in show – for her Siamese tabby point Palmira Aneela.
Last night Mrs Shand said: “It’s exactly the same for cats as Crufts is for dogs. This one was at the NEC in Birmingham.
“First you start at local shows. There are six in Scotland. From these you need three challenger certificates.”
She explained that to claim an Imperial title at the annual Birmingham event requires 13 different certificates, a task Mrs Shand admits takes several years.
“The Imperial is a hell of a get – there are only six Scottish shows so it almost can’t be done in one year.”
Mrs Shand lives in Banff and has been breeding cats since 1989 but got Ming, her first Siamese, 52 years ago.
The Supreme Cat Show began more than 30 years ago and competition categories include British, Longhair, Oriental, Persian and Siamese.
This year more than 800 different animals were shown, with a whole host of titles up for grabs.
The overall champion, awarded the title of Supreme Exhibit, was a British Lilac Tortie Tina Sparkle.