The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) is a

cat registry A cat registry or cat breed registry, also known as a cat fancier organization, cattery federation, or cat breeders' association, is an organization that registers domestic cats (usually purebred) of many breeds, for exhibition and for breeding ...

, established in 1910 and the largest organisation that registers

pedigree Pedigree may refer to: Breeding * Pedigree chart, a document to record ancestry, used by genealogists in study of human family lines, and in selective breeding of other animals ** Pedigree, a human genealogy (ancestry chart) ** Pedigree (anim ...

cats in the United Kingdom. It was formed from a small number of cat clubs which were registering cats at the time when the modern

cat fancy The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

was in its first stages. It is considered to be the original prototype for cat fancy registries. It is an independent body with around 150 member clubs, including specialist breed clubs and area clubs covering particular regions. The GCCF became an incorporated company on 5 November 2010. It licenses

cat show A cat show is a judged event where the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard. Both pedigreed and companion (or moggy) cats are admissible, although ...

s put on by its affiliated clubs with about 135 shows per year. Pedigree cats shown at these shows can gain the titles

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

, Grand Champion, Imperial Grand Champion and Olympian. The latter having three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The word Champion is replaced by Premier for neutered cats. The showing of non-pedigree cats (often referred to as Domestic shorthair and Domestic longhair) and Pedigree Pets is also popular at GCCF shows. The GCCF also co-ordinates its own show: the

Supreme Cat Show The Supreme Cat Show is organised every year by the world's oldest cat registry, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, and takes place each October at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in Birmingham, England. Special awards of UK Champio ...

, which is famous for being the world's largest cat show and often referred to as the feline equivalent of

Crufts Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, first held in 1891. Organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, it is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is centred on a championship conformation show for d ...

. Special awards of UK and Supreme Champion can be gained at this show only. The GCCF offices are based in

Bridgwater Bridgwater is a large historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. Its population currently stands at around 41,276 as of 2022. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies alo ...

and are staffed by people who deal with registrations, publications, show processing & title claims, agendas & minutes and correspondence from breeders, exhibitors, Clubs, Breed Advisory Committees and the general public. They also deal with complaints and breaches of rules, which can sometimes result in disciplinary action and even suspension from Cat Fancy activities. The GCCF is a member of The Cat Group and the World Cat Congress. The GCCF has set up its own charity: The Cat Welfare Trust, which uses funds raised through the GCCF to find ways of improving the welfare of cats. To date the trust has granted thousands of pounds into key research projects in

ringworm Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple ar ...

vaccination, the feline genome and chronic gingivo-stomatitis in cats.

Breeds

The top three most popular cat breeds registered in the GCCF are the British Shorthair, the Ragdoll and the Siamese. The GCCF registers around 20,000 pedigree cats each year, and currently recognises the following breeds:

Section 1

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

(Several different colours and patterns) *

Exotic Shorthair The Exotic Shorthair is a breed of cat developed as a short-haired version of the Persian. The Exotic is similar to the Persian in many ways, including temperament and conformation, a flat nose and face with the exceptions of the short dense coa ...

Section 2

Birman The Birman, also called the "Sacred Cat of Burma",
Retrieved 16 April 2010 is a domestic Maine Coon The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. The breed originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. The breed was popular in cat shows in the late 19th ...

*Nebelung * Norwegian Forest Cat * Ragdoll * Siberian * Somali *

Turkish Van The Turkish Van (pronounced Von) is a naturally occurring breed of domestic cat that originated in the Lake Van area of modern-day Turkey, part of Armenian Highlands. The Van is classified as a semi-long hair, but it has two lengths of hair, de ...

*Turkish Vankedisi *

Ragamuffin Ragamuffin or Raggamuffin may refer to: Film * '' The Ragamuffin'', a 1916 American silent film by William C. deMille * ''Ragamuffin'', a 2014 film directed by David Schultz about Rich Mullins Music * Raggamuffin music, or ragga, a reggae and d ...

Section 3

British Longhair The British Longhair is a medium-sized, semi-long-haired breed of domestic cat, originating in Great Britain. History The British Longhair is a longer-haired development from the longstanding British Shorthair breed. In the mid-20th century, B ...

British Shorthair The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, dense coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, orange eyes, ...

(Several different colours and patterns) *

Chartreux The Chartreux is a rare breed of cat from France, and is recognised by a number of registries around the world. The Chartreux is large and muscular (called ''cobby'') with relatively short, fine-boned limbs, and very fast reflexes. They are know ...

* Manx *

Selkirk Rex The Selkirk Rex is a breed of cat with highly curled hair. Background The Selkirk Rex is distinct from all other Rex breeds. Unlike the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, the hair is of normal length and not partly missing. There are longhair and short ...

Section 4

* Abyssinian *Aztec *

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predo ...

Cornish Rex The Cornish Rex is a breed of domestic cat. The Cornish Rex has no hair except for down. Most breeds of cat have three different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or " guard hairs", a middle layer called the " awn hair"; and the down ...

* Devon Rex *

Egyptian Mau Egyptian Maus are a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of the Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed. Character ...

Korat The Korat cat ( th, โคราช, มาเลศ, สีสวาด, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired breed of domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually hea ...

LaPerm The LaPerm is a breed of cat. A LaPerm's fur is curly (hence the name " perm"), with the tightest curls being on the throat and on the base of the ears. LaPerms come in many colors and patterns. LaPerms generally have a very affectionate personal ...

* Lykoi *

Ocicat The Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a wild cat but has no recent wild DNA in its gene pool. The breed is unusual in that it is spotted like a wild cat but has the temperament of a domestic animal This page gives a list of ...

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries * Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and p ...

Singapura Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderin ...

Snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

Sokoke The Sokoke (or Sokoke Forest Cat in long form, and formerly the African Shorthair) is natural breed of domestic cat, developed and standardised, beginning in the late 1970s, from the feral ''khadzonzo'' landrace of eastern, coastal Kenya. The Sok ...

Sphynx The Sphynx cat (pronounced , ) also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these an ...

* Thai Lilac/Thai Pointed *Toyger

Section 5

* Asian (including

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

and

Burmilla The Burmilla is a breed of domestic cat that originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese cats. Standards were produced in 1984, and the breed gained championship status in the United K ...

) * Tiffanie (Longhaired Asian) *

Australian Mist Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

* Burmese * Tonkinese

Section 6

* Balinese * Foreign White * Oriental Bicolour *

Oriental Shorthair The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat that is developed from and closely related to the Siamese cat. It maintains the modern Siamese head and body type but appears in a wide range of coat colors and patterns. Like the Siamese, Orie ...

(Several different varieties, including Havana) * Oriental Longhair * Siamese * Suffolk

Breeds with registration-only status

* Khao Manee *

Turkish Angora The Turkish Angora ( tr, Ankara kedisi, "Ankara cat") is a breed of domestic cat. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Anatolia (modern-day Turkey, Ankara region). The breed has been document ...

* Cymric *German Longhair

References

Bibliography

External links

GCCF official homepage

About the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
{{Authority control Bridgwater Cat registries Cats in the United Kingdom Clubs and societies in the United Kingdom 1910 establishments in the United Kingdom Organisations based in Somerset Organizations established in 1910