The Cat Fanciers’ Association is a nonprofit organization based in Manasquan, NJ which alleges to be devoted to the welfare of all cats. It is the world’s largest registry of pedigreed cats. The CFA -- among other less significant things, maintains a database of registered cats, promotes the breeding and showing of purebred cats matching a standard for form and directs feline medical research.
The objectives of this organization are listed as:
- The promotion of the welfare of cats and the improvement of their breed
- The registration of pedigrees of cats and kittens
- The promulgation of rules for the management of cat shows
- The licensing of cat shows held under the rules of this organization
- The promotion of interest of breeders and exhibitors of cats
The CFA recognizes 37 breeds of cat for showing and registers pedigreed members of these breeds as well as some provisional breeds (those for which people are seeking full competitive acceptance). There are nearly 400 CFA-sanctioned cat shows world-wide during the year.
Editorial: My past personal experience as a participant in the cat fancy has convinced me that the fanciers -- while many are well-meaning, can only move in directions that are bad for the animals. To succeed as an exhibitor of cats, I believe you must treat your animals in a manner that I can only term as abuse, if often only minor. The standards against which show cats are measured encourage irresponsible breeding practices and the development of congenital health problems as well as individual psychological damage to the animals.
Years and years of experience growing up with purebreds was supplemented with information from http://cfa.org/