A parade of feline excellence is making its way to Columbia Point for the Boston International Cat Show this weekend, occupying the Boston Teachers Union hall from Friday through Sunday.

Dorchester native James Reardon founded both the Cape Cod Cat Club and BosCats -- which host the show — around 1986. Over the years, the Cape Cod Cat Club has put on shows across New England, raising funds for no-kill animal shelters and promoting cat adoption.

“I’ve always had cats,” Reardon said. “My family’s always had cats since I was a kid.”

While in the Boston ballet, Reardon said he went to a cat show and watched a damp Persian patiently being blow-dried off the competition floor.

“How can they do that?” he recalled wondering. “That cat would rip off my face.”

That show sparked something in him, Reardon said. He started breeding Persians around 1987 — “at one point it got out of control, we had 45 Persians,” he said -- and then decided to begin breeding bobtails to become a judge at cat shows. Those bobtails have been his focus for almost 13 years.

Another love of Reardon’s life — apart from his bobtails — is dance. He founded the Boston Dance Company and ran the Nutcracker out of the Strand Theater for 23 years.

But the light-footed felines are the priority this weekend, BosCats’ first show in Boston for 10 to 15 years. Hundreds of kittens and cats representing up to 40 different breeds will pad around the Boston Teachers Union hall, assessed by 20 judges.

It’s a “family oriented, wholesome event,” Reardon said.

Attendees can admire everything from the hairless sphinx to the luxurious Persian; sleek siamese to exotic spotted Bengals — bred to look like the Asian leopard cat; the world’s smallest domestic cat — the singapura; and the largest domestic cat -- the Maine Coon.

The show is continuous, including an educational area. Along with a pet supermarket and kittens for sale, four or five shelters will be in the hall as well. Local no-kill shelters, which are not eligible for federal funding, will be the beneficiaries of the entry fees.

“The shelters all offer different ways to adopt,” Reardon said. “They are really serious about their work, and they quiz you -- every question in the book -- on kids, dogs. If they really think it’s a right match, they’ll let you adopt right there. Or some will, say, come and visit and make other arrangements.”

The cat show will run out of 180 Mount Vernon St. on Friday, April 28 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30. Tickets are $10 for adults; $7 for military, seniors, and students with ID. Children under 12 years of age can attend for free. Attendees bringing cat food to donate will receive $1 off admission.