Cat Registry - Recognition Levels

Recognition Levels

Most registries offer several levels of recognition (often called registers). The actual designations differ between registries, but typically these are:

Full

a breed that competes for championship titles at shows organised by, or affiliated to, that registry

Provisional/Preliminary

the level of recognition of cat breeds until they demonstrate that they breed true to their registered standards; there may be several levels of provisional/preliminary recognition e.g. new or advanced as numbers and popularity increase

Experimental

a provisional register for breeds in development; this may be separate from the provisional/preliminary register in some cat fancies

Exhibition only

a new trait, new import or minority variety that does not compete, but is exhibited in order to attract opinion and/or potential breeders

Registration only

status means cats of that breed can be registered, but do not have permission to be exhibited.

Not all breeds achieve Full (championship) status.

There may also be Active and Inactive registers that denote whether a cat may be legitimately used in breeding and its offspring registered.

In breeds known to carry recessive genes (e.g. longhaired cats born from shorthaired parents, colourpointed cats born from non-colourpointed parents), cats that do not meet their breed standard might be registered as variants or they might be registered under a different breed name. These may sometimes be used to maintain a good gene pool, but not exhibited in Championship classes for the parents' breed.

A Genetic Register is used by some registries for breeds where a genetic test is required before cats can be bred from. Cats that have not been cleared through testing remain on the genetic register until negative test results are provided.

A cat registry is at liberty to refuse to accept breeds if it feels the breed is not genetically sound; does not breed true to the standard put forward by the developer(s) of the breed (with allowances made for known variants); is not represented in sufficient numbers or is not sufficiently distinct from breeds already recognised by the registry. It may also expel breeders who do not conform to accepted standards of behaviour and ethics, with the result that their cats may be disqualified from its shows.

The rules as to what constitutes a new breed vary from registry to registry. The International Cat Association (TICA) is a relatively progressive registry that will recognise breeds derived from crossing existing breeds; mutations of an existing breed; naturally occurring breeds indigenous to a geographical location; a breed already recognised by a different registry and experimental breeds that do not yet have a TICA-approved breed name. FIFe will register some new breeds imported from other registries but have set procedures for these breeds to gain full recognition. The GCCF is a more conservative registry and recognise new colour variations of an existing breed, but do not usually recognise other mutations of an existing breed e.g. spontaneous rexed fur.