Decoding CFA Registration Numbers
When CFA was first established, they recognized only six breeds of cats (Abyssinian, Burmese, Manx, Persian, Russian Blue, Siamese) and shortly thereafter, initiated a system to identify cats by their genetic ancestry rather than physical appearance. This ancestral registration system consists of a coded prefix to indicate a cat’s breed, color and sex (males have a prefix that end with an even number and females, an odd number). Today, CFA recognizes 45 breeds of pedigreed cats and each breed has its own numbering sequence within the registration prefix thereby making it easy to determine a cat’s ancestry.
Shaded Silver Male Persian - 0132-xxxxxxx
Shaded Golden Male Persian - 1172-xxxxxxx
0 and 1 = Persian |
Shaded Silver Male CPC - 3032-xxxxxxx
Shaded Golden Male CPC - 3172-xxxxxxx
3 = Himalayan and CPC |
Shaded Silver Male Exotic - 7732-xxxxxxx
Shaded Golden Male Exotic - 7772-xxxxxxx
7 = Exotic Shorthair and Exotic Longhair |
The Persian breed, regardless of color or coat pattern, has a registration prefix that begins with 0 or 1. Over the years, Persians have been used to develop other breeds and are allowed as outcrosses for several new breeds such as Himalayans and Exotics. Occasionally, Silver and Golden Persians are crossed with Himalayans and Exotics and even though their offspring look like foundation Silver and Golden Persians, they are not assigned a Persian registration prefix because of their genetic ancestry. Only when both parent cats have the 0 or 1 prefix, will their offspring be assigned a Persian registration number indicating they have not been crossed with another breed.
Himalayans are the result of crossing Persians with Siamese. They were bred to have the physical characteristics of a Persian with Siamese color point markings. When CFA accepted them as a new breed, they were assigned a registration prefix that begins with 3. Himalayans that are outcrossed to Persians produce offspring that do not display Siamese markings. These non-pointed cats, regardless of color or coat pattern, are called Colorpoint Carriers or CPCs. Even when many generations have passed, the mating of two CPCs can produce pointed offspring and pass other Siamese genes to future generations. All Himalayans and their descendents, pointed and non-pointed, have a Siamese ancestry so they are assigned a registration number that begins with 3 to distinguish them from their Persian foundation.
The Exotic Shorthair is the result of crossing Persians with Burmese, American Shorthairs, and Russian Blues. These cats were bred to have the physical characteristics of a Persian with a short, plush coat. When the Exotic Shorthair became an established breed they were assigned a registration prefix that begins with 7. The longhair gene is recessive and can be passed down to future generations so when two Exotic Shorthairs are mated, they can produce longhaired offspring that look identical to Persians in spite of their multi-breed ancestry. These cats are called Exotic Longhairs. Therefore, when one or both parent cats have a registration prefix that begins with 7, their offspring, whether longhair or shorthair, are assigned an Exotic registration number to distinguish them from their Persian cousins.
Each feline registry has its own set of criteria from which they work and this difference in registration practices can be confusing. Therefore, when more than one registry is represented in a pedigree, extra research is required if a cat’s ancestry is to be accurately determined. When registering a cat or kitten with CFA, always check the registration number to make sure it was assigned the correct prefix.
Silver and Golden Persians
| Persian Chinchilla Silver & Persian Shaded Silver |
0130, 0131 & 0132, 0133 |
| Persian Blue Chinchilla Silver & Persian Blue Shaded Silver |
0128, 0129 & 0156, 0157 |
| Persian Chinchilla Golden & Persian Shaded Golden |
1170, 1171 & 1172, 1173 |
| Persian Blue Chinchilla Golden & Persian Blue Shaded Golden |
1074, 1075 & 1076, 1077 |
Silver and Golden Color Point Carriers (CPCs)
| CPC Chinchilla Silver & CPC Shaded Silver |
3030, 3031 & 3032, 3033 |
| CPC Chinchilla Silver & CPC Shaded Silver |
3028, 3029 & 3056, 3057 |
| CPC Blue Chinchilla Silver & CPC Blue Shaded Silver |
3070, 3071 & 3072, 3073 |
| CPC Blue Chinchilla Golden & CPC Blue Shaded Golden |
3374, 3375 & 3376, 3377 |
Silver and Golden Longhair and Shorthair Exotics
| Exotic Chin. Silver & Exotic Shaded Silver |
7730, 7731 & 7530, 7531 & 7732, 7733 & 7532, 7533 |
| Exotic Blue Chin. Silver & Exotic Blue Shaded Silver |
7728, 7729 & 7528, 7529 & 7756, 7757 & 7556, 7557 |
| Exotic Chin. Golden & Exotic Shaded Golden |
7726, 7727 & 7526, 7527 & 7772, 7773 & 7572, 7573 |
| Exotic Blue Chin. Golden & Exotic Blue Shaded Golden |
7402, 7403 & 7802, 7803 & 7412, 7413 & 7812, 7813 |
| Exotic AOV |
7598 & 7599 |
For a complete list of breed color prefixes, see the CFA website:
http://cfa.org/Breeds/BreedColorPrefixChart.aspx
|
|