COEUR d’ALENE — As a young girl, Teresa Trecker showed horses at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

In many ways, that skill of showmanship stayed with her throughout her life — though it wasn’t horses that she was showing in the Jacklin Building on Saturday.

Trecker showed two of her ragdoll cats, named Peaches and Cosmo, during the first day of the International Cat Show, a first for North Idaho. The pair were among 124 fancy felines registered to be shown Saturday, ranging in breed from majestic Maine Coons to dainty Devon Rex cats.

Trecker fell in love with the ragdoll breed, cats which are known for their laid-back dispositions, after receiving her first ragdoll cat from her sister. She found out about cat shows around five years later.

“I like to say I got bit by the show bug,” she said with a laugh.

Trecker is also the founder of Heavenlyrags, an International Cats Association and Cat Fanciers Association-registered cattery that she operates out of her home in Cataldo.

Peaches and Cosmo were shown in the kitten class alongside other youngsters of the finest quality, with the judge awarding points for certain physical attributes according to written breed standards.

Both proved to be standouts of the kitten class, with Cosmo taking first place and Peaches taking third.

But for Trecker, the community's experience was just as important as adding to her many accolades.

“This gives other people the opportunity to get to know the cat world,” she said.

By hosting the inaugural show, the Kootenai Katz Club aims to establish North Idaho as a regular spot for shows in the region. More often, the shows are held in western Washington.

“North Idaho is a great place for this,” Trecker said.

Another priority is to get the "next generation" involved, as many show judges are beginning to age out, she explained.

Kay Hanvey, who began showing cats in 1969, recently reworked the junior program in order to make cat showmanship more accessible for children and young adults.

The program offers lower-commitment activities that allow participants to help out at shows or even show their own cat while still having the time to focus on their education or early careers.

“It’s something to get the kids involved,” Hanvey said, adding that the hope is participants will someday decide to return to the “world of cats” in a higher capacity.

The show will conclude today, with an additional 123 cats registered to go before the judges.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors/veterans/students, $25 for a family of four and free for kids under 5. The show is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

    Judge Toni Scarboro shows off a ragdoll kitten during day one of the International Cat Show on Saturday.
  

    Kabuki, a 4-month-old Devon Rex cat, is held by Sandy Littlehale as Lyssa Paull gets her show-ready Saturday.
  

    A majestic Maine Coon is carried through the Jacklin Building during day one of the International Cat Show on Saturday.
  

    Judge Toni Scarboro works with a Persian kitten during a kitten class showing of the International Cat Show on Saturday.