LEWISTON - More than 200 of the world's fanciest first-rate felines purred and pawed for perfection this past weekend during the Nauticats Cat Show. The 13th annual three-day competition was put on by the International Cat Association at the Lewiston Armory.

In some cases, fierce competition brought forth drawn claws, dropped ears and hissing tongues between cages. Thankfully, fur wasn't flying among the 100-plus owners, breeders and agents who consider themselves one big, happy litter of kittens. Many travel to more than 100 judged cat shows annually, nationally and internationally.

"There's a lot of cats here. The best cats in the world are here," said Erwin Vanden Bunder, who traveled to Maine from Belgium for the show. "If you do good, then you're going to beat a lot of other cats and it's going to put you up there in the rankings of the world."

Event organizers Francine Hicks and Donna Madison, of Lisbon Falls and Portland respectively, said owners and agents - similar to "handlers" in the dog show arena - come to the competition each year in search of coveted points aimed at achieving the stardom of a championship cat. Because the Nauticats show lasts three days, instead of the typical two, the event tends to draw crowds of cat enthusiasts.

One big reason, according to Hicks, is because there are more opportunities for the furry felines to be reviewed by multiple judges - more than 20 in all - who award points that are tallied at the end of the weekend. Unlike their well-known canine counterparts, cat show competitors are seen by each and every judge.

"You get one shot with a dog. If that judge doesn't like you, then you're done at the breed category," Hicks said of the differences between cat and dog shows. "With this you get 20 different opinions on what your cat is."

Cat owners and agents attending the weekend show in Lewiston agreed that the competition carried special significance because it was one of the last shows of the season. Additionally, the extra day offered the opportunity to collect more points if their felines didn't fare well one day, but bounced back the next. In addition to 22 rings of competition, the event featured unusual breeds of cats, including the Kurilean Bobtail and the Minskin.

Breed categories ranged from the home-state favorite Maine Coon Cat to the ever popular Siamese Cat to a household pet contest and Junior Achievement exhibitor section for youngsters eagerly learning the art of showing cats. The event attracted international judges from South America, Japan and Canada as well as the United States, and exhibitors from as far as England, The Netherlands, British Columbia and Mexico.

Madison said one issue organizers ran into in bringing the Nauticats show to the Lewiston-Auburn area for the first time was limited hotel space, especially hotels willing to make provisions for pet owners with specialized show cats in tow. She said most people in town were not even aware of what a sanctioned cat show was, let alone what to expect.

But not everyone milling around the Lewiston Armory Sunday afternoon were there from away in search of fame and glory. Some just came for the cool cats.

"I'm just a lover of cats. I really enjoy this," said Kathy Graffam, of Gorham, who attended the weekend show in search of information as well as entertainment. "You learn all kinds of things. For example, I learned that a hairless cat actually needs to be bathed once a week."

Graffam attended the show with her daughter, Sue Osier, of Portland. Still mourning the death of her last cat two weeks ago, she smiled as she looked out at the sea of cages before her and listened intently to the constant meows making their way across the armory floor.

"Cats are like people," Osier said as her mom looked on. "They really do all have their own personalities."