How Many Breeds of Cats are There?

Posted by Jeanne on January 16, 2009

There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world with many different breeds. The International Progressive Cat Breeders Alliance (IPCBA) recognizes 73 cat breeds, while the more conservative Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) recognizes only 41.

Developing and registering a new breed of cat is a long, involved process, and not every attempt is successful. For example, the CFA steadfastly refuses to admit cats bred from “wild stock,” such as the Bengal or the Savannah. However, these breeds are both accepted by The International Cat Association (TICA) and IPCBA.

A cat must have a traceable lineage going back several generations to be registered as a pedigreed cat. The term “purebred” is not used by breeders or the cat fancy in general, but is a popular term among the general public.

Despite the vast number of cat breeds, there are basically only two categories of cat: long-haired and short-haired. Within them there are many recognized breeds and several varieties about whose classification as breeds cat experts and fanciers have earnest, inconclusive discussions. As a type, the cat has been remarkably consistent for a very long time.

In the cat world, as elsewhere, the common people far outnumber the aristocrats. It is a safe guess that 99 out of any 100 cats encountered will be plain, ordinary citizens belonging in the boundless company of Domestic Shorthairs. This is the proper name for the group carelessly called “alley cats,” and while it does contain a number of woebegone and misbegotten creatures, it is not to be sneered at. It is a breed, and prime cats have emerged from it to win top prizes at cat shows.

The deluxe breeds in the remaining 1 per cent include the longhaired Persians (and/or Angoras) and the short-haired Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinian, and Manx. There are also several in-between groupings, such as the Blues and Tortoise-shells, which may be long- or short-haired and are classified primarily by color. The Blues, for instance, include the Maltese, Russian Blue, British Blue, and so on.