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Breed Guides & Rankings terms
Cat-breed guides and lists: the most popular breeds by registrations, best breeds for families, apartments and allergy sufferers, and the friendliest, calmest breeds.
Bicolour catA cat whose coat combines white with one other colour, in patches of varying size, from a few spots to mostly white.Breed standardThe written description of the ideal cat of a breed, covering head, body, coat, colour and temperament, used by judges and breeders.CalicoA cat with large patches of white, black and orange, a coat pattern that occurs almost only in females.Cat registryAn organisation that records cats' ancestry, issues pedigree certificates, defines breed standards and licenses cat shows.Cat showAn event where cats are judged against the written standard for their breed or, in a household pet class, on condition and temperament.CatteryA place where cats are bred, or where they are boarded while their owners are away, depending on the country and context.CFAThe Cat Fanciers' Association, a United States-based registry of pedigree cats founded in 1906 that sets breed standards and runs cat shows.Domestic longhairA long-coated cat of mixed or unknown ancestry rather than a recognised breed, such as a fluffy shelter or household cat.Domestic shorthairThe everyday short-coated cat of no particular breed, the most common type of pet cat in the world and in shelters.FIFeThe Fédération Internationale Féline, an umbrella body of national cat clubs, mainly in Europe, founded in 1949, that sets shared breed rules.GCCFThe Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, the main registry for pedigree cats in the United Kingdom, formed in 1910 from several cat clubs.LandraceA local population of cats that developed over centuries in one region with little planned breeding, before any registry wrote a standard for it.MoggyA British word for an ordinary non-pedigree cat of mixed ancestry, usually short-haired and often a tabby.PedigreeA cat whose parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors are recorded by a registry, showing it belongs to a recognised breed.Pet qualityA breeder's label for a pedigree kitten sold as a companion, not for showing or breeding, usually with a neutering agreement.TabbyA coat pattern of stripes, swirls or spots with a dark M-shaped mark on the forehead, found in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats.TICAThe International Cat Association, a worldwide registry founded in 1979 that registers pedigree and household pet cats and recognises many newer breeds.Ticked coatA coat in which each hair has several bands of colour, giving a soft, shimmering look with few or no stripes on the body.TortoiseshellA coat of mixed black and orange, or their diluted forms, in patches or brindled swirls, almost always seen in female cats.Tuxedo catA black cat with a white chest, belly and paws, so named for resembling a formal suit, found in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats.Van patternA coat that is almost entirely white, with colour limited to the head and tail and sometimes a few small spots on the body.