Owner Lynne Hedlund says she 'spoils' Sisco

Lynne Hedlund's Bengal cat, Sisco, won the best in show prize at the National Cat Club show at London's Olympia.

Mrs Hedlund, from Cardiff, said two-year-old Sisco enjoys a shower before competing in shows and is regularly fed titbits such as fish and ham.

She said her cat was "spoiled" but added "he knows he's a star".

He has a proper shower before he goes to the show - Bengals are one of the few cat breeds who like water Lynne Hedlund, owner

Sisco had to defeat dozens of other pedigree animals in four separate categories before picking up the National Cat of the Year 2004 title at the London show, which organisers say is the cat equivalent to Cruft's.

Mrs Hedlund told the BBC Wales news website her careful preparation and the cat's personality helped him win the top prize.

She said: "He gets two different types of specialist cat food - but he gets spoiled of course.

"He gets ham and fish and other titbits - and I brush him twice a day with a chamois leather to shine up his coat.

"He then has a proper shower before he goes to the show - Bengals are one of the few cat breeds who like water."

Sisco's fur is shined with a chamois leather every day

Mrs Hedlund added: "I think he knows he's a star because of the way he acts.

"If anyone goes to his pen to see him he cries out and he jumps up whenever the phone goes.

"He knows he's special - his temperament is superb.

"He was on stage in front of hundreds of people and he was just looking around.

"He even caught someone's eye in the gallery and just looked up at them during the judging.

"Some cats fidget during judging, but he showed himself off to perfection, which I think helped with the judges."

Mrs Hedlund said that Sisco - pedigree name Adtresh Golden Dreamer - was the first-ever Bengal cat to win the top prize at the National Cat Club show.

She added: "When it was announced he was in the final two, it got really exciting and some of the other Bengal breeders had tears in their eyes, because a Bengal has never won best in show before.

"When the judge pointed to Sisco, the place just erupted."