How Does a Cat Become a CFA Grand?
February 12, 2026
Laurie Coughlan
Part of the fun of owning cats is the pleasure of allowing others to appreciate them. CFA cat shows are excellent places to help people learn about our many breeds, and to appreciate the beauty of individual cats. Those cats that meet the written standards defining what the breed should look like (and especially those who enjoy showing themselves off) have the chance to earn titles in competition. The titles of grand champion (GC), grand premier (GP), and Grand Household Pet (GHP) are highly sought after, and are titles a new exhibitor can strive for if the cat is willing and complies with breed standards.
Grand Champion or Grand Premier Titles
A cat is considered an adult eligible to compete in championship or premiership at eight months of age. Cats that can reproduce compete in championship, while those that have been spayed or neutered compete in premiership, which is based on the same breed standards as championship. At its first show as an adult, the cat should be entered as an open in championship or an open in premiership. After it has been successfully evaluated against breed standards by at least two judges in six judging rings, the cat has earned the title of champion (CH) or premier (PR). From that point until the cat earns the grand title, it is entered as a champion or premier. Note that in certain states, countries, or divisions, the number of qualifying rings may be fewer than six due to special challenges showing at those locations. These exceptions are listed in Show Rule 27.03. The cat’s owner must file a championship or premiership claim form to keep ensuing grand points (Show Rules 27.05 and 28.01).
The title of grand champion is granted to a cat that earns 200 grand points, indicating that it has defeated 200 other champions (which includes opens) in show competition. The title of grand premier is granted to a premiership cat that has defeated 75 other premiers. Your champion or premier is competing in breed class against the opens and champions or premiers for a purple ribbon, indicating it is best champion/premier in that breed or division. Points come from being placed above other opens/champions/premiers (O/CH/PR) within your breed during regular judging, or from placement over O/CH/PR of all the competing breeds in the first part of finals, which is for opens, champions/premiers only. Your cat may receive points for beating the same cat multiple times in different rings with different judges.
In breed judging, your cat earns one point for every O/CH/PR of its breed if it gets the purple ribbon indicating best champion or premier. If the cat gets best of breed or second best of breed (which may include placing over grands), it also gets a grand point for any GC/GP it is placed over. In the first part of a ring’s finals (for champions or premiers), points are assigned differently, using a percentage chart. In championship, a judge selects the three best long hair (LH) and three best short hair (SH) champions, then selects from among those the three best all breed (AB) champions. In premiership the judge selects two each for best LH, SH, and AB premier. The number of champions/premiers selected for LH/SH/AB in finals may be greater if certain entry number thresholds are met, but three is standard for champions, two for premiers (show rule 11.28). Based on the show count of cats present and competing in the category, the best LH CH or PR gets one point for every LH CH/PR in the show it defeats (likewise for best SH CH or PR), while second best gets 90% of that number and third best gets 80% of it. For example, if there were 101 Champions, best would receive 100 grand points, second best would get 90 points, third 80, etc.
In addition, if a CH or PR that did not make best, second, or third best in the champion part of the final does get placed in the top ten final, the cat’s top ten placement may reflect its placement over the rest of the champions/premiers, such as the fourth best SH or the 7th best AB champion in the ring. That means the cat earns grand points based on that 10% grand point scale: 70% for fourth best CH or PR, 60% for fifth, etc. (Show Rule 28.02). This is most likely to occur at the beginning of the show year when there may be fewer grands in competition.
To summarize, in each ring the cat has three possible sources of grand points: breed judging, final as LH or SH CH/PR, and final as AB CH/PR. For example, a cat that earned three points defeating champions in breed may also earn 15 points as a SH or LH champion or premier in the final, and even more as one of the selected AB champions/premiers. In any ring, though, a cat may only keep the highest score: breed judging, or LH or SH placement, or AB placement. Note that a cat cannot earn the grand title just on points in breed judging. The cat must be placed in at least one final as best, second, or third best champion or premier on its path to becoming a grand.
The 200 or 75 points required for the corresponding GC/GP title is adjusted in some specific competitive areas where there are special logistical or competitive challenges, such as quarantines, limited number of eligible cats, or few shows. An example is Hawaii, with very restrictive quarantine regulations on cats and very few shows. A cat there can become a GC or GP with fewer grand points. These exceptions are defined in the CFA show rules, and apply to a number of countries or divisions around the world (Show Rule 28.04). If your cat moves to one of these areas during its grand campaign, its points will be adjusted to match those requirements. If the area you move to has a 100-point grand requirement (which is 50% of the 200 points normally required), the cat’s points will be adjusted by 50%. If the cat moves from a 100-point area to a 200 point one, its points may be adjusted upward.
Keep in mind that titles are not confirmed until shows are officially scored and grand points are posted on Herman, the CFA eCats webpage where you may check your cat’s official score by registration number, usually by the Friday after the show. It doesn’t hurt to get a few extra points just in case there is an error in the unofficial show count. If you think your cat has been scored incorrectly, check with CFA. Humans are involved, so mistakes – though rare – may happen. Scoring issues can arise if, for example, a cat was entered in the wrong category or did not appear in a ring. That should not stop you from calling out “New grand!” in the final if you think the points are there.
Grand Household Pet Title
Household pets can also earn a grand title. Generally, these are not pedigreed cats and many have been rescued from less fortunate circumstances to become treasured pets. All household pet adults must be spayed or neutered, and all compete in the same class with no “breed” standard in place, only with regard to beauty and the judges’ subjective opinions. Grand titles are based only on points earned in the top ten finals. Any household pet (HHP) placing in the finals may receive points towards the Grand Household Pet title. The point scale for HHP class is different, with 5% increments rather than ten. The highest placing Household Pet will receive one point for every benched Household Pet defeated. The second highest placing Household Pet will receive 95% of the points awarded the highest placing Household Pet, third highest 90%, fourth highest 85%, 5th highest 80%, etc. (Show Rule 29.01). The title requires 200 points in most of Regions 1-9, with adjustments made for specific competitive areas similar to those for championship and premiership (Show Rule 29.02).
Why Do This?
The scoring requirements, of course, do not indicate the real experience of granding your cat. There are logistics: determining which judges like your cat, selecting shows, arranging transportation, and booking hotels or even deciding to get up at 3 a.m. to drive to the Saturday show. You may get to know and like your competitors, and cheer their cat’s successes as well as your own. You may end up checking the show count multiple times to determine how many champions are actually present and competing, and relying on your math education (or more likely your smart phone calculator) to figure out how many points your cat just earned in the last final. Why seek these titles? It is competition, but the process also should be enjoyable, whether winning a Grand Household Pet title on pure appeal, or winning GC by meeting CFA’s breed standard. Aside from the pleasure of educating the public by showing your pedigreed cat, and the knowledge gained by interacting and sharing information with other breeders and exhibitors, you are verifying the quality of your breeding program. Frankly, sometimes there is just great pleasure in spending time with your cat and showing people how wonderful s/he is. And it really is fun to shout out “New Grand!”