recognised cat breeds

Breeders registered with QFA Inc breed to an official ‘standard’ – The Australian Cat Federation (Inc) Book of Standards.

These are the standards used by judges for assessing exhibits at QFA Inc cat shows.

Dedicated breeders strive to achieve as close to the official standard as possible, selecting their breeding stock for health, temperament and physical conformation as well as coat, colour, pattern and eye colour. A breeder’s aim is to improve their chosen breed/s generation by generation through ‘selective’ breeding practices by retiring (desexing) breeding cats once they have produced progeny superior to themselves in physical characteristics,while always maintaining health and temperament.

All of these factors are required in a show cat. Even though the standard does not award points for temperament, it goes almost without having to be stated, that a cat must have a sound, non-aggressive temperament to be used for breeding and to be handled at a cat show. The more laid-back and friendly in nature a cat is, the better it will show off its physical beauty on the show bench.

Due to the fact that only a small percentage of breeder's kittens are retained or sold for breeding and showing, the majority of kittens are sold as desexed family pets making selecion for temperament essential in every breeding programme.

Please click on the breed headings below to view their official standards. All allowable colours are listed within each breed. At the end of the breeds is a description of the tabby patterns and general remarks for all breeds.