British shorthair cats owned by Beijing native Cui Yujian. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Spending up to 5,000 yuan ($790) on a cat was considered a luxury earlier, but cats joining such competitions today are priced 30,000 yuan and upward, she adds.

"Breeders pay lots of money for a cat and hope to get some fame and honor through joining professional competitions."

But the trend also has roots in Chinese families.

Most cat owners were raised as a single child and took in pets for company. Today, such children have grown up with incomes that allow spending on lifestyle－thereby, more cats.

Cui works at a State-owned foreign trade company. He and his wife bought their first British shorthair in Russia in 2013. The couple paid 40,000 yuan to bring it home.

They signed it up for a competition of the International Cat Association that year, and their cat won.

The success fueled their interest in more such golden-shaded cats and they began to learn how to breed cats and take them to contests.