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On Sunday, at the Zemgale Olympic Centre (ZOC), three cats, chosen by public vote, received the honorary “Jelgava’s Cat 2025” awards during the international cat show “FIFe Baltic Winner 2025”.
The Gold Cat title went to a Norwegian Forest Cat (center in photo), Silver was awarded to a British Shorthair (left), and Bronze went to a Bengal Cat (right). All three winners live in Latvia.
The Gold Cat, named Zlatan V. Innland (also called Zlatančiks at home), lives in Valmiera and will turn six in April. His owner, Daiga Lāce, says he weighs over 10 kg and is already the proud father of 30 kittens. “He has a wonderful temperament and is a fantastic companion. This breed needs regular human interaction,” she emphasizes.
The Silver Cat, Jumbo van Silver, is a two-year-old British Shorthair from Riga. His owner, Nataļja Petrovska-Avramenko notes that despite his young age, Jumbo already has considerable experience in international cat shows. “He’s calm, friendly with both people and animals, and, like most British Shorthairs, loves to sleep,” she said.
The Bronze Cat, a 1.3-year-old Bengal named William, lives in Ādaži. His owner, Kristīne Bremze, says William is very loving and playful. “Williams is very sweet and sociable. At the exhibition, he gave lots of kisses to children – maybe that’s why they voted for him,” she smiled. Bengal cats are known for their super soft, silky fur that doesn’t stick to surfaces.
The international cat exhibition “FIFe Baltic Winner 2025” took place on April 5–6 at ZOC, showcasing 300 cats from across Europe, including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Romania, Spain, Greece, France, Germany, and Croatia.
Visitors had the chance to see 31 different cat breeds, including some popular ones like Maine Coons, British Shorthairs, and Sacred Birmans with their beautiful blue eyes. There were also more exotic breeds such as Norwegian Forest Cats, Devon Rex with curly fur, and elegant Oriental cats. Rare breeds like the tiny Singapura, as well as the tailless or bobtailed Manx and Kurilian Bobtails that caught people’s attention.
The cats were judged not only by visitors but also by a professional international jury, who evaluated whether each cat met the breed standard and compared them within their groups. This title “Baltic Winner” is awarded once a year in the Baltic region and was won by 34 cats. To keep the judging fair, the jury wasn’t present during the public voting.
The exhibition was organized by the Cat Fanciers and Clubs Association CFCA Latvia,
