The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA)

 
Scale of Points Points
Total 100
Head (including size and shape of eyes, ear shape and set) 30
Body Type (including shape, size, bone, and length of tail) 20
Coat 10
Balance 5
Refinement 5
Color 20
Eye Color 10
Balance and refinement are the essence of the breed, where all parts come together in a harmonious whole, with neither too much nor too little consideration given to any one feature. For cats in the tabby division, the 20 points for color are to be divided 10 for markings and 10 for color. For cats in the bi-color division, the 20 points for color are to be divided 10 for "with white" pattern and 10 for color.


General the ideal Persian should present an impression of a heavily boned, well-balanced cat with a sweet expression and soft, round lines. The large round eyes set wide apart in a large round head contribute to the overall look and expression. The long thick coat softens the lines of the cat and accentuates the roundness in appearance.
Head round and massive, with great breadth of skull. Round face with round underlying bone structure. Well set on a short, thick neck. Skull structure to be smooth and round to the touch and not unduly exaggerated from where the forehead begins at the top of the break to the back of the head, as well as across the breadth between the ears. When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment.
Nose short, snub, and broad, with "break" centered between the eyes.
Cheeks full. Muzzle not overly pronounced, smoothing nicely into the cheeks.
Jaws broad and powerful.
Chin full, well-developed, and firmly rounded, reflecting a proper bite.
Ears small, round tipped, tilted forward, and not unduly open at the base. Set far apart, and low on the head, fitting into (without distorting) the rounded contour of the head.
Eyes brilliant in color, large, round, and full. Set level and far apart, giving a sweet expression to the face.
Body of cobby type, low on the legs, broad and deep through the chest, equally massive across the shoulders and rump, with a well-rounded mid-section and level back. Good muscle tone with no evidence of obesity. Large or medium in size. Quality the determining consideration rather than size.
Legs short, thick, and strong. Forelegs straight. Hind legs are straight when viewed from behind.
Paws large, round, and firm. Toes carried close, five in front and four behind.
Tail short, but in proportion to body length. Carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back.
Coat long and thick, standing off from the body. Of fine texture, glossy and full of life. Long all over the body, including the shoulders. The ruff immense and continuing in a deep frill between the front legs. Ear and toe tufts long. Brush very full.
Disqualify locket or button. Kinked or abnormal tail. Incorrect number of toes. Any apparent weakness in the hind quarters. Any apparent deformity of the spine. Deformity of the skull resulting in an asymmetrical face and/or head. Crossed eyes. For pointed cats, also disqualify for white toes, eye color other than blue.
*The above listed disqualifications apply to all Persian cats. Additional disqualifications are listed under "Colors."


General Description The ideal PS/HI/ES is a strong cat with excellent boning and musculature, a well-balanced cat, giving the impression of robust power. The face should be round with a sweet, pleasant expression and large, round expressive eyes. The cat should be well-balanced physically and temperamentally, gentle and amenable to handling
Allowances Consideration should be given to the fact that females will generally be smaller than males, but should be in proportion and balance for their size.
Panalize Long or narrow head; long Roman nose; thin muzzle; mild overshot or undershot jaw; bite deformity. Missing canine teeth in whole adult cats. Asymmetry: while nature never creates a perfectly symmetric structure, recognition should be given to any obviously asymmetric head structure, (i.e., crooked or off-center nose, mouth, etc.). Such asymmetry should be penalized according to severity. Ears that are large, pointed, slanting out from the head or set too close together. A narrow chest, or long back. Poor muscle tone. Poor coat condition. Slab flanks. Small or close-set eyes. Pale, weak eye color.
Withhold all awards (ww ) Overall lack of merit. Lockets or buttons. Poor overall condition. Eye color other than blue in Himalayans.
Disqualify(DQ) Kinked tail. Severe malocclusion or extremely asymmetric face structure; crossed, slanted or improperly focusing eyes. Severe overshot or undershot jaw.
Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm. In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites (216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles (216.11), cats with all or part of the tail missing , except as authorized by a Board approved standard (216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as authorized by a Board approved standard (216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.5), total blindness (216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more comprehensive rules governing penalties and disqualifications.


Association info
The Cat Fanciers' Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1906. The first cat shows licensed by CFA were held during 1906 - one in Buffalo and one in Detroit. The first Annual Meeting was held in 1907 at Madison Square Garden. In 1909, CFA published the first Stud Book and Register in the Cat Journal magazine. Also in 1909, Volume I of the Stud Book was published in book form. On September 18, 1919, articles of incorporation were drawn up under the laws of the State of New York. CFA then entered a new and successful era, and the Association has grown steadily over the years. Total receipts have grown from $155.25 in 1907 to over $2,300,000 during fiscal year 2002-2003.

CFA has grown in all areas from a humble beginning, and approximately 400 shows will be held this season worldwide. CFA shows are judged by individuals who meet high qualification criteria and have completed a rigorous training program that well qualifies them to evaluate the show cat using CFA Breed standards.

The CFA Central Office, located in Manasquan, New Jersey, has grown from a "one person" operation to a modern computerized office that occupies over 10,000 square feet.

During 2003, the CFA Central Office staff of twenty-one efficiently handled litter registrations and cat registrations, in addition to transfers of ownership, additions of cattery name suffixes, cattery name registrations, duplicated or corrected registration certificates, certified pedigrees, cattery offspring reports, reverse pedigree reports, championship and premiership confirmations.

The CFA Foundation is charged with preserving this constantly evolving history of the Association.
Link: http://www.cfa.org/