Three hundred cats and 500 dogs will compete for top honors in an international pet pageant in Shanghai this weekend and on Monday.

The 4th China Pets' Carnival will be held at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center on Loushan'guan Road, according to event organizers, the small-animal protection association under the Shanghai Pasture and Veterinary Academy.

The dogs, taking part in the carnival's annual canine competition, will be joined for the first time by their feline friends, who hail from China, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan and Thailand.

Tickets for the show cost 50 yuan (US$6.4).

The four judges for the cat contest come from the United States, Australia and Japan.

(Shanghai Daily March 16, 2007)