Kurdistan's 'Miss Cat' Festival Puts Felines in the Spotlight

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Cat owners gathered in Sulaimani for the annual "Miss Cat" festival on Saturday, bringing their pets together for an event that has become a meeting point for animal lovers and a showcase of the close relationships they have developed with their cats.

Held annually for the past three years, the festival has attracted participants who treat their cats as companions and give them names that reflect both affection and local culture. Among the names heard at the event were Xapa (Chubby), Guli (Flower), Sura (Red) and Oreo.

For some participants, caring for cats has become a long-term part of their lives.

A Festival for Cat Lovers

One participant spoke to Kurdistan24's correpondent Dalia Kamal and said that she has been raising cats for about nine years and currently has four. She has kept one of them for seven years and previously had five cats before giving one to a friend.

She described the practical care involved in looking after them, including providing food and water and creating a dedicated space for them at home.

"This one is Xapa, this one is Guli, and the other is Sura," she said while introducing some of her cats. She explained that she keeps food and water available for them and prepares a place for them in the yard.

Another participant brought an eight-month-old cat she described as generally calm, although sometimes mischievous.

"He's quite calm," she said, adding that cats can become difficult when they are annoyed. She said the current cat is the second she has raised, although she had never previously kept one for a full year.

For another participant, the relationship with her cat Oreo has lasted much longer. She said she has had him for four and a half years.

When Oreo first came home, her mother was opposed to having a cat in the house, forcing the animal to remain largely in her daughter's room. That changed over time, she said, as her mother became attached to him.

"She ended up loving him even more than I do," the participant said, describing the comfort she believes having a cat can bring to a household.

A Growing Pet Culture

The festival comes as pets have become increasingly visible in everyday life in parts of the Kurdistan Region, particularly through social media and services catering to animal owners.

A recent Kurdistan24 report on Erbil's emerging pet culture highlighted the growing availability of veterinary care, grooming, pet supplies and temporary boarding services. The city has also seen the emergence of pet-friendly spaces, including its first cat café.

Those developments, alongside events such as the Miss Cat festival, suggest an emerging pattern in which some residents increasingly regard cats and dogs as companions and incorporate them into their social and everyday lives. Social media has also made pets more visible, with owners sharing photographs and videos of their animals.

The trend should not be overstated, however. The growing visibility of household pets exists alongside significant challenges involving stray animals.

Beyond the Home

According to Kurdistan24, authorities in Erbil collected 8,437 stray dogs from streets and residential areas during 2025. Some of the animals were vaccinated and sterilized before being released away from populated areas.

The contrast reflects the different ways animals are encountered across the Kurdistan Region: some are increasingly becoming part of people's homes and social lives, while others remain part of a wider animal-welfare challenge.

For the participants at Miss Cat, however, the festival offers a more personal picture. Their stories are less about competition than about the routines, attachment and companionship that have developed between owners and their cats, relationships now being celebrated publicly in Sulaimani.


Raz Zaito Toffiq contributed in writing this report.