Her owner, Loh Wai Leong, believes this is due to her striking features. “It’s her face and her beautiful eyes. Everyone just melts when she looks at them,” he told FMT Lifestyle.
According to Loh, the cat got her name because of her graceful demeanour, which reminded him of an elegant Japanese lady. “Grandus”, meanwhile, was the name of his cattery, and served as a sort of surname for all the felines that originated from there.
Akiko, a shaded golden-white longhair Selkirk Rex, is described as a playful and naughty kitten who enjoys jumping and moving about. She also loves sitting on her humans’ heads when they are asleep!
“She loves to eat freeze-dried meat, but will always use her paw to push all the meat to the floor before she starts eating. Once we figured this out, we had to put another big plate under her plate,” Loh shared with a laugh.
Loh, a pet food supplier based in Kuala Lumpur, is no newcomer to the world of competitive cats. He participated in his first event in 2017, after just starting his business. He currently owns five prize-winning felines.
Loh recalled that Akiko’s breeder had suggested she might do particularly well in cat competitions in the region. As it turns out, the breeder was right!
Just recently, Akiko picked up another prestigious accolade, winning the Best Kitten of the Year (International Division) prize at the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) awards for the 2024-2025 show season.
The awards banquet, held on Nov 2, saw Akiko emerge triumphant over felines from other regions such as Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan and China.
Loh believes Akiko will likely retire from the spotlight after this victory, already having achieved the pinnacle of competitive cat shows.
“She has already received the best honour – there’s nothing higher to win,” Loh said. “I’m very happy and proud of her. She’s such a lovable cat.”
This article was written by Terence Toh @ FMT Lifestyle. Read more pet stories here.
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