Filling out an entry form for a CFA cat show may appear confusing but once one understands what each field is for, it really is quite easy.

Probably the most confusing for new exhibitors is the color class and the color fields.

Color Class Number refers to the competitive category that the cat competes in.  Almost every breed or division has at least 2 color classes – male and female.Even the parti-color Persian division, which is exclusively female, has more than one color class (blue cream and tortoiseshell). Male color class numbers are always even; female numbers are always odd. Breeds which come in only one color (Havana Browns, Russian Blues for example) will have only 2 color class numbers (0408 – Havana Brown male; 0501 – Russian Blue female). Other breeds such as the American Bobtail are not large enough to break down into color divisions, so they also only have male and female numbers.   Most breeds are broken down into several color classes. Abysinnians have 4: ruddy (0380 – 0381), cinnamon (0382-0683), blue (0384-0385),and fawn(0386-0387).  So, a fawn Abysinnian female in championship would be in color class 0387.

If the class is in championship, then it will be the number only. If the cat is competing in the kitten class, then the letter “K” will follow the number. (here, “1778K”).  Premiership uses “P” (“1778P). Using the above examples, a ruddy male Abyssinnian kitten would be 0380K; a Havana Brown female in premiership would be 0409P.

CFA’s official list of each breed’s color prefix is here.

Color descriptions are subgroups of color classes. In the above examples, they are one and the same (a blue Abysinnian male competes in 0384 and his color is blue). In other breeds, a color class may have several colors; even breeds that have only male and female color classes (such as the aforementioned American Bobtail) may have several colors.  For example, a brown tabby and white American Shorthair male would compete in color class 7072, but his color  would be brown tabby & white.  Also competing in the same color class could be a blue tabby & white,   Refer to the CFA Show Rules for these numbers and colors.  Note that color classes are listed in bold; colors are in italics

Also note that the color class number is NOT NECESSARILY the same as the first 4 digits of the cat’s registration number.  It often IS, but in some breeds those numbers differ to indicate other factors about the cat, such as it carrying a gene for point-restricted color (colorpoint carrier), dilute color, or a longhaired gene. ALWAYS check the show rules and use what color class number is listed there.

An AOV class (“any other variety”) refers to a breed variant that IS CFA-registerable, can be exhibited, but is not eligible for any awards. Not every breed has an AOV class; refer to a breed’s standard to determine if it does have an AOV class. Some examples of AOV cats are: Manx with tails, cats with a color and/or pattern not recognized by that breed’s standard AND not listed as a disqualification. These cats are show within the appropriate breed class.  Each breed has 2 AOV numbers: one male, one female.