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.

This association came into existence in order to maintain breed standards and to register kittens from pedigree cats. 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. The forty one breeds of pedigree cats recognized by the CFA are grouped stringently according to one of the following three categories. In order to show the cats, that particular breed must first clinch the top prize of its specific classification before it can be deemed to be eligible to be in running for the title of Best in Show.

Breeds that are only beginning to be acknowledge and are undergoing further scrutiny to ascertain that they comply with the new benchmarks are grouped under the Provisional Class while pedigree breeds that already have approved and long historical backgrounds are grouped under the Championship 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. This association was established by native Canadians who wanted to register their purebred breeds with an association in their own country.

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. Additional registries include the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, which is located in the United Kingdom and the F'd'ration Internationale F'line, which is the association for purebred cats in Europe.

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 common cat looking rather similar to this specific breed, the American Shorthair has been carefully bred over time to ascertain that all kittens shown special traits. In addition to the American Shorthair, other popular breeds include Siamese, Rex, Main Coon, Persian and the Ragdoll.

All cats can be affectionate and make sweet companions even if they are not pedigreed cats. 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.