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Cat Fancier's Association - Feline Purebred Registry

Article Summary: Many people shopping for a feline companion may wonder what the initials CFA stand for. In order for a particular breed of cat to be recognized as a pedigreed breed, it must be recognized by the Cat Fancier’s Association. This association is the largest purebred feline registry in the world and recognizes only forty one breeds of cats.

For those in the know, the initials CFA are very important when they are looking for a cat. The initials CFA represent the Cat Fancier's Association. For cats to be proclaimed as a pedigree, they must be certified by CFA. CFA is the largest association for the registry of purebred felines and only forty one breeds of felines are certified by them.

The creation of this association was to ensure breed standards as well as register litters of kittens from purebred breeds. The CFA pays close attention to the breeds to maintain the standards of the cats, checking that the cats comply with the standard specific traits when showcasing them at the annual cat shows.

In order to better the breed characteristics, a breeder must register a litter of purebred kittens with the Cat Fancier's Association. At this time, it is the breeder's decision as to whether these kittens will be allowed to breed or not. The only method to ensure that future descendants of the cat are able to be registered, is to get a pin number for the cat's application form. After this registration, the kittens of this particular cat will need to be individually registered by their new owners.

There are three specific categories into which each breed is placed by the Cat Fancier's Association; they are the Championship Class, Provisional Class and the Miscellaneous Class. Each of the forty one cat breeds the CFA recognizes must fall into one of these three categories. For purposes of showing the cats, the breed must win the first place title of its particular class in order to be judged for the title of Best in Show.

Any breed with a strong, established background is placed in the Championship Class, while breeds that have only recently become recognized and are being closely monitored to ensure that they adhere to the new standards are placed in the Provisional Class. Cats which are still being developed and bred for a band of standard traits and characteristics, are grouped under the Miscellaneous Class. However, being placed in in this class cannot be eligible or be in the running for the title of Best in Show.

The CFA is not the only cat registry in the world. In Canada, cat owners may register their purebred felines with the Canadian Cat Association. Native Canadians who desired to register their pedigree cats within their own homeland started this association.

Another cat registry found around the world is The Traditional Cat Association. This registry doesn't take into consideration the popular fads in traits and will stick to the original specifications of the breed stringently. There are other registries which are the Fédération Internationale Féline, the association for cats in Europe and the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, a registry in United Kingdom.

Despite the myriad of feline breeds, there is one similar trait among all; they are all considered either long hair or short hair. Common breeds found in the shorthair classification include Abyssinian and the British Shorthair. For the long hair classification, breeds such as the Norwegian Forest Cats and Turkish Angoras are represented.

The most commonly known breed of cat of the forty one recognized by the Cat Fancier's Association is the American Shorthair. This particularly popular breed has been in the United States for over three hundred years. With the everyday cat resembling this particular breed, the American Shorthair has been carefully developed over many generations to ensure that all kittens display specific characteristics. In addition to the American Shorthair, other popular breeds include Siamese, Rex, Main Coon, Persian and the Ragdoll.

All cats whether pedigreed or not are a loving and wonderful companion. If you wish to experience the thrill of showing your cat, and are looking for a certain display of characteristics, then a pedigreed cat is the perfect choice for you.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Moses Wright
Moses Wright is a cat lover and loves to help new cat owners deal with their cat problems at home. You can find more cat breed facts and information for free on his site.