Glossary

CFA

The Cat Fanciers' Association, a United States-based registry of pedigree cats founded in 1906 that sets breed standards and runs cat shows.

Also called: Cat Fanciers' Association, Cat Fanciers Association

The Cat Fanciers' Association, or CFA, is a cat registry founded in the United States in 1906. It keeps records of pedigree cats, issues registration certificates, publishes written breed standards, and licenses cat shows. It is one of the largest cat registries and the best known in North America, with clubs and judges in other countries as well.

A breed can hold different statuses with the CFA. New breeds may be accepted for registration first, then gain a provisional or preliminary status, and later be granted full championship status, at which point cats of that breed can compete for titles such as Champion and Grand Champion. Neutered cats compete in a separate class. The CFA also allows household pets to enter shows in their own class.

Registration papers prove ancestry but do not prove health, and a certificate is only as reliable as the breeder who sells the kitten. When you buy a kitten, ask about health testing, visit the cattery, and compare the claims with the breed standard. Other bodies, such as TICA, FIFe and GCCF, use their own rules, so a breed can be recognised by one registry and not by another.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

TICA The International Cat Association, a worldwide registry founded in 1979 that registers pedigree and household pet cats and recognises many newer breeds. FIFe The Fédération Internationale Féline, an umbrella body of national cat clubs, mainly in Europe, founded in 1949, that sets shared breed rules. GCCF The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, the main registry for pedigree cats in the United Kingdom, formed in 1910 from several cat clubs. Cat registry An organisation that records cats' ancestry, issues pedigree certificates, defines breed standards and licenses cat shows. Breed standard The written description of the ideal cat of a breed, covering head, body, coat, colour and temperament, used by judges and breeders. Cat show An event where cats are judged against the written standard for their breed or, in a household pet class, on condition and temperament.