Cat groomer wins third place with dragon cut

Ms Aziemah Zakiyyah Azmi represented Singapore in the contest in China, which also saw participants from the region

- Joanne Soh

Grooming a cat to look like a dragon helped Ms Aziemah Zakiyyah Azmi clinch third place in two categories at a top cat grooming competition in China.

She represented Singapore in the Universal Cat Association Cat Groomer Elite Competition held in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, on Aug 16. The invitation-only competition saw 12 contestants, including from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Ms Aziemah, a Singapore permanent resident who is in her 30s, placed third in the Elite Show Final Cat Grooming Competition and Creative Cat Grooming Competition.

"It was such an honour and proud moment for me to represent Singapore," said Ms Aziemah, who had previously taken part and placed in competitions in Singapore and Malaysia.

"The experience was unforgettable. It allowed me to observe other groomers' talents and skills," added the founder of Cats Garage, a cat salon in Ubi industrial estate.

To prepare for the event, Ms Aziemah spent a couple of weeks planning what style to execute and practising, focusing on grooming techniques and completing the styling within the two-hour competition duration.

Armed with Google Translate as she does not understand Mandarin, she flew to Shanghai alone a few days before the competition to get to know her cat model, a grey male munchkin named Food Bucket.

Ms Aziemah decided to give Food Bucket a dragon haircut because of its uniqueness.