Claws were sharpened on Sunday as more than 120 cats gathered in Fredericton for a cat show, including Tiny the fat cat as a special guest.

The felines came from as far away as Texas to take part in the only sanctioned cat show of the year in the Maritimes. Everything from calico cats to exotic Bengals showed off their coats for the judges.

The event was hosted by the Chickadee Cat Club. Organizer Bev Amos said it's a big deal for cat lovers.

"This is very important to them because it's the opportunity for them to get regional awards for every cat, unless they travel down into the United States, which is quite a trip," she said.

There's a lot more than bragging rights on the line. The more prizes a breeder racks up, the more they can sell their kittens for.

But the judges aren't impressed when a kitten can't keep its cool.

"I usually go into the ring and say 'Now let's make a deal, you don't bite me, and I won't bite back,' but sometimes they don't listen to that," said Jim Nelson, a judge from Minnesota.

Celebrity guest

The show also featured a special guest — Tiny the fat cat of the Fredericton SPCA.

Tiny the fat cat showed off his new physique at the Fredericton Cat Show. (Matthew Bingley/CBC)

The flabby feline was dropped off at the SPCA in December and tipped the scales at 30 pounds. Since then, he's been the face of a weight-loss campaign and fundraiser for the SPCA.

Sporting his trademark bowtie, people clamoured over to his booth to have their photo taken with the now 22-pound wonder.

Tiny basked in the attention as members of the SPCA sold bowties to raise money for his special diet food and the organization.

Tiny's campaign has raised $2,500 for the SPCA so far.