Today there are about 36 recognized breeds of cats. These have evolved either naturally or by intentional breeding through the centuries but it wasn't until a comparatively recent date that cat clubs and cat shows, with their setting of standards and specifications, became widespread. England was the first country in the world to hold a cat show, holding it in 1871. Later, in 1895, cat fanciers in the United States held their first show in the Old Madison Square Garden and in 1909 the Cat Fanciers Association opened a studbook, with the resulting recognition of pedigreed cats in America.
There are several associations for registering cats in the United States, the largest being the Cat Fanciers' Association. The American Cat Association gets most of its support from cat fanciers in the Midwest and West while the Cat Fanciers' Federation is strongest in the East. Because there are numerous cat organizations. standards set for breeds may differ not only In different parts of the country but even in different sections of a big city. England, by contrast, has but one set of standards formulated by the Governing Council of Cat Fanciers. The Canadian Cat Association was founded in 1960 in Ottawa. A good portion of the continent of Europe also abides by the standards set by the Federation International Feline d'Europe.
