Governing Council of the Cat Fancy facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | GCCF |
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| Formation | 1910 |
| Purpose | Cat fancy registry |
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Region served
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United Kingdom |
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Official language
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English |
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) is a special group that keeps records of pedigree cats in the United Kingdom. It started in 1910 and is the biggest organization of its kind in the UK.
The GCCF began when a few cat clubs joined together. These clubs were already registering cats. Today, the GCCF is an independent group with about 150 member clubs. These clubs include groups for specific cat breeds and clubs for different areas. In 2010, the GCCF became an official company.
Contents
What the GCCF Does
The GCCF helps organize about 135 cat shows each year. These shows are put on by clubs that are part of the GCCF. At these shows, pedigree cats can earn special titles. These titles include Champion, Grand Champion, Imperial Grand Champion, and Olympian. The Olympian title has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
If a cat is neutered, the title "Champion" changes to "Premier." For cats that are not pedigree, like Domestic shorthair or Domestic longhair cats, they can compete for the "Master Cat" title. Many people enjoy showing both pedigree and non-pedigree cats at GCCF events.
The Supreme Cat Show
The GCCF also puts on its own big show called the Supreme Cat Show. This show is known as the largest cat show in the world! Some people even call it the cat version of Crufts, which is a famous dog show. Only at the Supreme Cat Show can cats earn the special titles of UK Champion and Supreme Champion.
How the GCCF Helps Cats
The main office of the GCCF is in Bridgwater, England. Staff members there handle many important tasks. They register new cats and deal with paperwork for shows and titles. They also answer questions from cat breeders, people who show cats, and the general public. The GCCF also makes sure that everyone follows the rules. If rules are broken, they might take action to fix the problem.
The GCCF is part of other important groups too, like The Cat Group and the World Cat Congress.
The Cat Welfare Trust
The GCCF has its own charity called The Cat Welfare Trust. This trust uses money raised through the GCCF to help improve the lives of cats. The trust has given a lot of money to important research projects. These projects have looked into things like vaccinations for ringworm, understanding the feline genome (a cat's genetic map), and a gum disease in cats called chronic gingivo-stomatitis.
Cat Breeds Registered by the GCCF
The GCCF registers about 20,000 pedigree cats every year. The three most popular cat breeds they register are the British Shorthair, the Ragdoll, and the Maine Coon.
The GCCF officially recognizes many different cat breeds. Here are some of them:
Long-Haired Breeds
- Persian (comes in many different colors and patterns)
- Birman
- Maine Coon
- Nebelung
- Norwegian Forest Cat
- Ragdoll
- Siberian
- Somali
- Turkish Van
- Turkish Vankedisi
- Ragamuffin
- British Longhair
- Tiffanie (a long-haired Asian cat)
- Balinese
- Oriental Longhair
Short-Haired Breeds
- Exotic Shorthair
- British Shorthair (comes in many different colors and patterns)
- Chartreux
- Manx
- Selkirk Rex
- Abyssinian
- Bengal
- Cornish Rex
- Devon Rex
- Egyptian Mau
- Korat
- LaPerm
- Lykoi
- Ocicat
- Russian
- Singapura
- Snowshoe
- Sokoke
- Sphynx
- Thai Lilac/Thai Pointed
- Toyger
- Asian (includes Bombay and Burmilla)
- Australian Mist
- Burmese
- Tonkinese
- Suffolk
- Foreign White
- Oriental Bicolour
- Oriental Shorthair (many different types, including Havana)
- Siamese
Breeds with Registration-Only Status
Some breeds can be registered with the GCCF, but they might not yet be fully recognized for showing in all categories. These include:
- Khao Manee
- Turkish Angora
- Cymric
- German Longhair
See also
In Spanish: Governing Council of the Cat Fancy para niños
- List of cat breeds
- List of cat registries
