The pet exhibition "Zoomir" opened at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair.

      The pet exhibition "Zoomir" opened at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. More than 3,500 dogs of 200 different breeds and all kinds of cat breeds: you immerse yourself in this woolly, meowing-and-barking abundance even before you reach the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. Here you can meet a huge Great Dane resting before an important ring and tiny Chihuahuas trotting loyally after their beloved owner’s legs. But the most interesting things are inside the fair pavilion.

      Gentle Dogo Arseniy and belligerent Chihuahuas

      In the dog hall — barking, commands, calls to the ring. A brown dog named Grandissimo, resembling a brown bear, came from St. Petersburg. At three years old he is the champion of Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Georgia. "He’s a rescue dog, calm, kind, a little lazy," describes the pet’s owner Mikhail. "He weighs 60 kg but doesn’t eat very much — he consumes half a kilo of dry food a day."

      Nizhny Novgorod resident Tatyana Limova gently hugs her Dogo named Arseniy, who is waiting for his turn in the ring. "This is a Dogo Argentino and he was brought from Argentina itself," Tatyana smiles. "He’s 20 months old; he’ll still grow — in width. By human standards he’s like an 18–20-year-old youth, but he already regularly shows and has many titles and awards."

      Yekaterinburg resident Alexey Fomin brought six Chihuahuas to the exhibition — regular participants at various shows. The little ones sit very politely in their wheeled cart and look out with intelligent eyes. "This is one of the oldest breeds in the world; they were not artificially bred, so they’re robust in health," Alexey explains. "And most importantly, they’re very smart — even the brain-to-body ratio testifies to that. Despite their tiny size, they are excellent protectors; they’ll fight to the death for their owner against any dog. And no matter what you do, your Chihuahua is always with you."

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Cats with dog-like loyalty

      The cat exhibition is unusually quiet after the dog hall. Nizhny Novgorod resident Natalya has been breeding Scottish Fold cats for nine years. She says animals of this breed would never damage anything and grow into stately couch loungers.

      British kittens came to the exhibition from Saratov. "A purebred British cat will sit on your lap for as long as needed," the breeder assures. "And anyone who says Brits are mean has never had a purebred British cat."

      A six-month-old Maine Coon kitten already the size of an adult cat. The breeder brought him from her cattery in Bor. "Very affectionate, loyal, well-mannered; they greet you and see you off to the door," praises the owner Elena. "A Maine Coon doesn’t like to sit in your hands, but will always be near its owner: it will sit next to you and wait for signs of attention. The weak points of the breed are the heart and joints, but we select parents based on genetics, and the kittens are born healthy."

      Next to it is a cage with Abyssinian cats. According to the owner, this is a human-dependent breed — always by the owner’s side. They choose their person and miss them like a dog.

      A Ragdoll cat can be mistaken from a distance for a toy — no wonder they are called 'rag dolls.' "They have low muscle tone, so they hang in your arms like rags," the owner fondly presses her pet to her. "Very affectionate, kind, tame, sociable."

      At the little house with Oriental kittens — a crowd photographing them on phones. The animals’ appearance is unusual: large ears, an elongated muzzle, long legs. Breeder Ksenia came from Cheboksary. She says the Oriental temperament is more dog-like. With such a pet you must talk to it and keep tactile contact. At the same time they are very undemanding to care for.

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Photo: Alina Malinina

      Find a friend from a shelter

      The most touching event at the exhibition is the festival "Find Yourself a Friend," where cats and dogs from three charitable shelters that help homeless animals are adopted out. The animals are presented on stage by participants of the "Mrs. Nizhny Novgorod" and "Beauty and Mercy" contests. "Of course, you don’t see all our animals here — we have more than a hundred cats that we pick up, treat, sterilize and find new homes for," says Olga Nemtsova, head of the Nizhny Novgorod shelter "Planet of Cats." "How did we choose whom to bring? We simply opened the carriers — whoever went in, went off to look for a home."

      Each of these animals has a dramatic story. Black cat Marsik was found on the street, the cat Dorofeya lived at a construction site with kittens: the kittens were rehomed, now it’s her turn. The affectionate redhead called Orange lived in a cat-flat with a huge number of animals in a deplorable state. And the gray cat Lexus is a former resident of the Moscow railway station.

      The animals are presented by the winners of the "Mrs. Nizhny Novgorod" and "Motherhood and Mercy" contests. The kittens don’t object at all to being picked up, and immediately press themselves gratefully to the person. Dogs are also adopted here, some clearly mixed with well-known breeds, all good-natured and socialized.

      The "Find Yourself a Friend" campaign is held with the support of the charity "Beauty for Good." The "Zoomir" exhibition runs on October 4 and 5. 0+

      Earlier pravda-nn.ru reported that residents of Nizhny Novgorod sent a humanitarian shipment for the cat Mavik to the SVO.

      Alina Malinina Photo: Alina Malinina