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 breedi ...

, established in 1910 and the largest organisation that registers pedigree cats in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

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

cat fancy Cat fancy describes the subculture that surrounds cat lovers and their Hobby, hobbies involving the appreciation, promotion, Cat show, showing, or List of cat breeds, breeding of cats. Animal fancy, Animal fanciers of cats may refer to themselve ...

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. The GCCF 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 pedigree (cat), pedigreed and companion (or moggy) cats are admi ...

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, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...

, 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, and Master Cat for cats competing in household pets. The showing of non-pedigree cats (often referred to as

Domestic shorthair A moggy is any cat which has not been intentionally bred. Moggies lack a consistent appearance unlike purebred cats that are selectively bred for appearance conforming to a standard. In contexts where cats need to be registered—such as in v ...

and Domestic longhair) and Pedigree Pets is also popular at GCCF shows. In April 2025 the GCCF introduced Kitten Champion (KC) and Kitten Master Cat (KMC) titles, allowing kittens to earn recognition in the show world. The GCCF also co-ordinates its own show: the Supreme Cat Show, 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, held since 1891, and organised by The Kennel Club. It is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is primarily a championship conformation show for dogs, and ...

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

Bridgwater Bridgwater is a historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. The town had a population of 41,276 at the 2021 census. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sid ...

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 World Cat Congress (WCC) is an international confederation of the biggest international federations and national associations in the cat fancy. Purpose The purpose of the WCC is to promote better understanding and co-operation among the worl ...

. 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 tinea and ringworm, is a mycosis, fungal infection of the skin (a dermatomycosis), that may affect skin, hair, and nails. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the a ...

vaccination, the feline

genome A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...

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 Maine Coon. 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 appearance with the exception of the short dense coat. History In the late 1950s, the Persian was used as an ...

Section 2

Birman The Birman, also called the "Sacred Cat of Burma", is a domestic cat breed. The Birman is a long-haired, colour-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes, and contrasting white "gloves" on each paw. The breed name is derive ...

Maine Coon The Maine Coon is a large Domestication, domesticated breeds of cats, cat breed. One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, the breed originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official List of U.S. state mammals, state cat ...

* Nebelung * Norwegian Forest Cat *

Ragdoll The Ragdoll is a List of cat breeds, breed of cat with a distinct Point coloration, colorpoint coat and blue eyes. Its Morphology (biology), morphology is large and weighty, and it has a semi-long and silky soft coat. American breeder Ann Baker ...

Siberian Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states si ...

* Somali *

Turkish Van The Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired, standardised breed of domestic cat, which was developed in the United Kingdom from a selection of cats obtained from various cities of modern Turkey, especially southeast Turkey. The breed is rare, This s ...

* Turkish Vankedisi *

Ragamuffin Ragamuffin or Raggamuffin is a euphemism for a child of the street. The term may also refer to: Film * '' The Ragamuffin'', a 1916 American silent film by William C. deMille * ''Ragamuffin'', a 2014 film directed by David Schultz about Rich Mul ...

Section 3

* British Longhair *

British Shorthair The British Shorthair is the Purebred, pedigree version of the traditional British Domestic cat (landrace), domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick Fur, coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", wi ...

(several different colours and patterns) * Chartreux * Manx * Selkirk Rex

Section 4

* Abyssinian *

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

Cornish Rex The Cornish Rex is a cat breed, breed of domestic cat. The Cornish Rex only has down hair. 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 ha ...

Devon Rex The Devon Rex is a tall-eared, short-haired breed of cat that emerged in England during the late 1950s. The breed is known for its atypical appearance, with an oddly shaped head, large eyes, and the short and wavy coat. History Origin Beryl Co ...

Egyptian Mau The Egyptian Mau is a small to medium-sized, short to medium-haired List of cat breeds, 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 co ...

Korat The Korat cat (, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired Cat breed, breed of Cat, domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of Adipose tissue, body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually heavy for its size. It is an ...

* LaPerm * Lykoi * Ocicat *

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

* Singapura *

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 footw ...

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 * Thai Lilac/Thai Pointed * Toyger

Section 5

* Asian (including

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

and

Burmilla The Burmilla (a portmanteau of Burmese cat, Burm-ese and Persian cat, Chinch-illa ) is a List of cat breeds, breed of domestic cat, that originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese (cat), B ...

) * Tiffanie (Longhaired Asian) * Australian Mist * Burmese * Tonkinese *

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

Section 6

* Balinese * Foreign White * Oriental Bicolour * Oriental Shorthair (several different varieties, including Havana) *

Oriental Longhair The Oriental Longhair is a variety of domestic cat closely related to the Oriental Shorthair. The Oriental Longhair in some Cat registry, registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA), it is considered a separate Cat breed, breed. ...

* Siamese

Breeds with registration-only status

American Curl The American Curl is a cat characterised by its unusual ears, which curl back from the face toward the center of the back of the skull. The breed originated in Lakewood, California, due to a spontaneous mutation. History The first American Curl ...

* Cymric/Manx Longhair *German Longhair * Khao Manee * Kurilian Bobtail *Transylvanian *

Turkish Angora The Turkish Angora (, 'Ankara cat') is a breed of domestic cat. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Anatolia ( Ankara Province in modern-day Turkey). The breed has been documented as ear ...

References

Bibliography

External links

GCCF official homepage

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