Canadian Cat Association
The Canadian Cat Association is a non-profit organization in Canada whose mission is to promote the welfare of all cats in Canada, maintain a registry of pedigreed cats in Canada, and further the improvement of all breeds of cats in Canada. CCA-AFC is Canada's only globally-recognized national cat registry, with its pedigrees and registrations accepted by major global associations such as the Cat Fanciers' Association, The International Cat Association, and Fédération Internationale Féline. To date, CCA-AFC has registered over 190,000 cats.
History
In 1960, a small group of Canadians gathered to explore the possibility of forming a Canadian registry for pedigreed felines. Before this event, all registrations had to be filed in the United States or Europe and all cat shows held in Canada were held under the rules of American associations.By the following year, enough support was gathered from members of the Canadian cat fancy to go into business and registrations were entered in a Canadian studbook for the first time. Soon after, clubs were formed under CCA and with the publication of show rules, championship shows followed.
Unlike other associations at the time, CCA-AFC maintained active memberships, and changes to the by-laws and show rules had to approved by the membership. To this day, CCA-AFC maintains this membership-based structure, with an Annual General Meeting held in the spring to further the goals of the Association.
Services
The Canadian Cat Association's primary goal is to promote responsible pet ownership and development of pedigreed cats in Canada. CCA-AFC's primary services to its members include maintaining an accurate registry of pedigreed cats, sanctioning cat shows, setting breed standards, and training judges and clerks. CCA-AFC judges are respected globally and have guest judged for CFA, ACFA, LOOF, and WCF. CCA-AFC cat shows run across Canada, although most members reside in Ontario and Quebec.For the public, CCA-AFC offers breeder referral, public education, and information booths at shows.
Show system and scoring
CCA-AFC shows follow the typical North American format with cats and exhibitors benched centrally, with between 4 and 6 judging rings set up around the outside. Cat shows take place over one to three days and cats must remain in the show hall from the start of the show in the morning until the end of that day's judging. CCA-AFC shows have four classes:- Kitten
- Championship
- Premiership / Alters
- Household Pet / Companion
CCA-AFC offers a variety of titles. After a cat has competed in four rings without receiving a Withhold Awards or Disqualify designation, the owner may claim the title of Champion, Premier, or Companion. All Champions, Premiers, and Companions are then eligible to earn Grand titles, which are scored based on the number of cats beaten in each completed ring. CCA-AFC has a number of these advanced titles, including: Grand, Double Grand, Master Grand, and Supreme Master Grand. There are titles available for cats who win multiple All Canadian Awards, along with cats who place in a minimum of 30 finals in three separate seasons, and cats who produce a certain number of Grand offspring.
Breeds
CCA-AFC recognizes a wide variety of cat breeds. Unlike other associations, CCA-AFC maintains strict divisions between certain breeds, ex. Himalayans are considered a separate breed from the Persian, and the offspring of a Himalayan x Persian cross are registered as Non-Pointed Himalayans. Non-standard offspring of several other outcrosses are also allowed to be shown, such as shorthair Somalis and shorthair Balinese crosses.The following is a list of breeds recognised by the Canadian Cat Association: