Cats are marvellous creatures whether they be longhair or shorthair, have huge fluffy coats or are bald, have big ears or small ears, have a long tail, short tail or even no tail, or have pedigrees or not. Regardless, they have wonderful personalities and simply love us for who we are ... their caregivers. In exchange for shelter, food and water -- the simple necessities of life -- they give us back unconditional love and endearing companionship.

Cats are there when you need a friend, or someone to privately confide in. They can share your innermost thoughts and secrets, if you want, without the worry of having them repeated. Their purring is often the last thing you hear before you go to sleep, and the first thing you hear in the morning. Truly, having a cat in your life is always bound to make your life better in many ways.

To help you better understand cats, you'll find links to all sorts of information about the feline -- discover the various breeds of pedigreed cats; learn how to protect your rights to ownership by keeping abreast of the latest in proposed legislation; keep your feline happy and healthy through health resource links; or, simply cuddle up with your cat and read a good book.

Several years ago, I had great fun participating in "Paws in the Park" day in Encino, CA (September 15, 2007). I helped with the CFA area, which served to introduce the public to the pedigreed cat through presentations, reviews, publications, etc.

The CFA Foundation, of which I am a member of the Board of Directors, has recently opened their collection on the ground floor level of the new CFA office building in Alliance, Ohio. Visit, and like, their Facebook page and see the historical items in the collection.

What's New?

September 2011: I used to send out tweets on the very popular @CFAcatlover Twitter account, but it has been totally ignored since I left CFA in July. So, I've revived my @CatFanRep Twitter account and will once again be sending out tweets about cats, care care, cat health, and other interesting tidbits. Signup to follow @CatFanRep

August 2011: Visit Feline Chatter - our new Blog! We'll be posting to FelineChatter on a regular basis. Plans are to include a variety of articles about cats, as well as the occasional historical cat fancy photo.

Specific Breed Information

To help you learn about the pedigreed breeds of cats, you will find links to as much breed specific information as I can find, be it historical, comparative or a breed standard review.

• Abyssinian
  • Please enjoy my breed slideshow which takes an historical look at the development of the Abyssinian breed from its early beginnings in Europe to the present day CFA winners. This presentation was compiled by Karen Lawrence. with assistance from Hilary Helmrich, George Kennedy, and the late Harry Blok. The presentation, and the individual photos within it, may NOT be downloaded, duplicated, redistributed or used to populate a pedigree database.
    NOTE: I am always interested in adding missing photos to this presentation and your help would be appreciated. I am also interested in expanding this presentation to inlcudes top winning AByssinians from other associations, i.e. TICA, ACFA, and FIFe World Winners. Please contact Karen Lawrence if you have additional photos available.
  • Abyssinian Cattery Names - A list of 1546 registered cattery names of Abyssinian breeders (includes some Somali) worldwide. The list was compiled by George Kennedy and we thank him for his generosity in allowing us to publicize it. (PDF, 35 pages, 99.5KB)
  • Breed Standard Review: Abyssinian

• A Comparison of Blue Breeds by Teresa Keiger
  • British Shorthair, Chartreux, Korat and Russian Blue

• Exotic
  • Breed Standard Review: The Exotic Head

• Japanese Bobtail
  • Breed Standard Review: Japanese Bobtail

• Maine Coon
  • Breed Standard Review: Maine Coon

• Oriental
  • Breed Standard Review: The Oriental Head

• Siberian
  • A presentation by CFA Allbreed judge, Joan Miller