Glossary

FIFe

The Fédération Internationale Féline, an umbrella body of national cat clubs, mainly in Europe, founded in 1949, that sets shared breed rules.

Also called: Fédération Internationale Féline, Federation Internationale Feline

The Fédération Internationale Féline, or FIFe, is an international federation of national cat organisations. It began in Paris in 1949 and today has member bodies across Europe and in other parts of the world. Instead of registering every cat itself, it unites its members under common rules for breed names, breed standards, pedigree recognition and judges.

A cat registered through a FIFe member club can be shown at any FIFe show. FIFe groups its breeds into numbered categories, mostly by coat length and type, and uses a letter and number colour code, called the EMS code, for shown cats. Its breed list and rules differ in places from those of CFA and TICA, and it has taken a stricter line on some breeds with inherited defects, such as refusing to register cats with folded ears.

If you plan to show or export a pedigree cat to Europe, check which federation your cat's registry belongs to and whether its papers are accepted. FIFe is not a government body and cannot enforce health laws, so a certificate says nothing about a kitten's health. Ask the breeder for veterinary records.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

CFA The Cat Fanciers' Association, a United States-based registry of pedigree cats founded in 1906 that sets breed standards and runs cat shows. TICA The International Cat Association, a worldwide registry founded in 1979 that registers pedigree and household pet cats and recognises many newer breeds. 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.