Rare Chinese cat LI HUA was introduced at Del Mat Cat Show this year.

Some 450 of the nation’s fanciest felines will be in San Diego this weekend, joined by a newcomer from the Far East: the Chinese Li Hua cat, a brown tabby so revered in its homeland that owners hold wedding ceremonies for mating pairs.

Pronounced “lee wah,” the cat had never lived outside mainland China until last October, when two of them were brought to the United States after a five-year effort to get the breed recognized here.

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They make look like household pets,
but Chinese Li Hua cats are a distinct breed
just now being introduced to this country.