After twenty years, the All About Pets Show remains Canada's largest pet convention. Every year, this celebration of domestic animal life goes down in Mississauga's International Centre, next to the Toronto's Pearson Airport and a mess of tangled highways. Pet owners and enthusiasts alike cram into the event space for an up-close look at prize winning cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, and whatever other animal species people keep in their house to fill a void.
Amidst a bunch of howling kids and animals I made my way across the show floor—and discovered, nestled towards the back of the room—the Royal Canin Championship & Household Cat Show. Each section of the convention could be described as a miniature neighbourhood, and in this case, it appeared as though the dog-people and cat-people were kept separate by a divide of birds and fish (naturally). Over in cat world, a loudspeaker calls out pet names while nervous pet owners prepare their felines for a few moments on the podium. On planet canine, swarms of spectators who are clearly anxious for animal affection hang around with breeders—who discuss the peculiar particulars of their profession. It was weird, and I loved it.
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