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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Over 300 cats participated in a beauty contest organized in Erbil by a businesswoman on Thursday.
The first, second, and third-place winners won $500, $250, and $100 respectively.
This is the first contest of its kind held in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The cats were brought to the contest from various places in Iraq.
Of the 300 participating cats, only 12 of them made it to the final, and three of them won the beauty contest in an online vote by cat lovers.
"My cat took part in the cat beauty contest in the Kurdistan Region winning first place and receiving $500 after securing first place with 882 votes," Mohammed Ismael, owner of the first-place winner, told Rudaw on Friday. "All of the cats that participated in this contest were beautiful."
Ismael described the contest as "a great experience" that he saw in his life.
"I would like to encourage everyone to come over to this place and see these beautiful calm cats. I would like [this place] to hold the contest that helped introduce us to many different kinds of other cats," he added.
The contest was held at the first cat cafe in Iraq which opened in Erbil five months ago.
The cafe hosts 20 various cat species.
Visitors can cuddle and pet their favorite cats while spending their time with friends and family members.
Stray animals like cats and dogs are commonly seen in the alleys and neighborhoods of the Kurdistan Region.
Due to a lack of shelter, they usually wait for animal lovers to either adopt them or feed them.
The world's first reported cat cafe named "Cat Flower Garden" was opened in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998 which then became one of the country's top tourist destinations.
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