Show Rule Changes for the 2025-2026 Show Season
An Overview
Ed Raymond, Show Rules Committee Chair
Each year, the CFA Executive Board considers proposed show rule changes for the coming season. These proposals come from a variety of sources – member clubs at the annual meeting, the Show Rules Committee, other committees, Central Office, and individual board members. At meetings in October and December 2024 and February 2025, the board approved more than 50 changes to the Show Rules for the 2025-2026 show season. We’ll cover the major changes in this article as well as a few reminders about existing show rules. Keep in mind that the show rules are made up of two documents – the “permanent” CFA Show Rules (which are printed in booklet form and found on the CFA website), and the CFA Show Rules Addendum (found on the CFA website), which includes temporary show rules applicable only to the current season.
One of the most extensively debated changes that the board approved was one that came from the floor at the 2024 Annual. That change prohibits the entry in Household Pet and exhibition only classes as well Agility competition of cats that – by their appearance – are the result of combining two or more structural mutations, or any coat mutation (hairlessness, waviness, wiring, etc., but not including coat length) with one or more structural mutations (SR 2.23f,g,h). Recognizing that this change could impact Household Pets working toward a “Grand Household Pet of Distinction” title, the board adopted this policy: any HHP cat that has achieved the minimum number of top 10/top 15 finals and CFA award points per season as set forth in SR 29.04 in two separate seasons and which will now be ineligible to show in the 2025-2026 season (because of the prohibition in SR 2.23f) will be awarded the “Grand Household Pet of Distinction” title. Requests to have the title added to a cat’s record must be received by CFA Central Office by August 1, 2025.
A cat which a judge determines to be ineligible for entry will be marked as “NA/IE” in the judge’s book and will not be included in the show count. (SR 11.23c)
A change was made to the show rule governing temporary registration numbers (TRNs). A TRN will now be valid for 30 days from the first day of the show at which it was issued. Previously, a TRN was valid for 60 days. The rule was also amended to clarify that the TRN fee must be provided to the master clerk, rather than the entry clerk, no later than the close of check-in for the show at which it is issued. (SR 6.16)
While the number of rings required for Championship or Premiership confirmation has not changed, SR 27.03 was rewritten to express the qualifying ring requirements in a chart. (See chart below) If a cat reaches the point requirement for the grand champion or grand premier title during a show, the qualifying ring requirement no longer applies. However, the confirmation form and fee must still be submitted to Central Office. Reminder: A cat completing the requirements for Grand Championship or Grand Premiership by the close of the first day of a two-day show can compete as a grand on the second day of the show, provided that a catalog correction form is filed with the master clerk no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of judging on the second day of the show. (SR 28.06)
Number of Qualifying Rings Required
|
Cats residing and competing in |
# of Qualifying Rings |
| Regions 1-9 (except as provided below) and China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia |
6 |
| Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, South America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Maritime Provinces of Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island), Russia (east of the Ural Mountains), Malta, and Asia (except China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia). |
4 |
In calculating grand points for shows held in China, a cat will be included in the count if it is present in 70 percent of the rings held at the show (SR 28.02a). Similarly, a cat in China will be included in the count for the purpose of calculating National/Divisional points if it is present in 70 percent of the rings (Article XXXVI, Show Points). Both show rules previously required the cat to be present in 80 percent of the rings.
Reduced grand point requirements for cats in the International Division and Russia west of the Ural Mountains were extended for the 2025-2026 season. The number of points required for a Grand Champion title in Ukraine has been increased to 100 for next show season. (Show Rules Addendum)
The number of points required for a Grand Household Pet title has been reduced to 50 for cats residing and competing in Region 9. (Show Rules Addendum)
Points earned in Regions 1-7 and Region 9 will now count for regional awards in Regions 1-7 and Region 9. (Article XXXVI)
Reduced point minimums were set for International Division Awards in Singapore and the Africa and Western Asia geographical areas. (Show Rules Addendum)
After years of having the permanent show rules and the addendum contain different requirements for minimum points and maximum rings to be scored for National Awards, the permanent show rules have been amended to provide that these requirements will now be found in the Show Rules Addendum each year. (Article XXXVI) A chart listing the minimum points required for a National Awards and the maximum number of rings which will be counted can be found in the Show Rules Addendum. (See chart below)
Point Minimums and maximum number of rings to be scored for National Awards
| REGIONS 1-9 | ||||
| 2022-2023 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2023-2024 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2024-2025 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2025-2026 Min Pts (Rings scored) | |
| Kitten | 500 (40) | 500 (40) | 500 (40) | 1300 (40) |
| Championship | 1000 (100) | 1000 (100) | 1000 (100) | 3200 (100) |
| Premiership | 500 (100) | 500 (100) | 500 (100) | 1500 (100) |
| HHP | 250 (75) | 250 (75) | 250 (75) | 750 (100) |
| CHINA (excluding Hong Kong & Macau) | ||||
| 2022-2023 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2023-2024 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2024-2025 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2025-2026 Min Pts (Rings scored) | |
| Kitten | 500 (40) | 500 (40) | 500 (40) | 1300 (40) |
| Championship | 1000 (100) | 1000 (100) | 1000 (100) | 3200 (100) |
| Premiership | 250 (100) | 250 (100) | 500 (100) | 500 (100) |
| HHP | 250 (75) | 250 (75) | 250 (75) | 250 (50) |
|
INTERNATIONAL (including Hong Kong & Macau) |
||||
| 2022-2023 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2023-2024 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2024-2025 Min Pts (Rings scored) | 2025-2026 Min Pts (Rings scored) | |
| Kitten | 500 (20) | 500 (20) | 500 (20) | 500 (20) |
| Championship | 1000 (50) | 1000 (50) | 1000 (50) | 1000 (50) |
| Premiership | 500 (50) | 500 (50) | 500 (50) | 500 (50) |
| HHP | 250 (50) | 250 (50) | 250 (50) | 250 (50) |
Show Production
A club cannot hold, sponsor, or manage a cat show in conjunction with one licensed by any other similar organization without the prior approval of the Executive Board, which may impose such conditions as the board may deem appropriate (CFA Bylaws, Article XII). Requests for approval should be submitted to the CFA secretary prior to the show being licensed and must include the name and association affiliation of the partner club, the names of that club’s officers, and pertinent details about the proposed shows. Given that the board may impose conditions that it deems appropriate, a show license will not be issued until board approval is granted. (SR 4.08)
When planning a show, one of the first challenges a club faces is determining the format and the entry limit. The number of specialty rings required depends on whether the show is a one-day or two-day show, the number of rings being offered, and the location of the show. Since the language of SR 4.06 can be challenging to follow, a chart has been added setting forth the number of specialty rings required for one-day and two-day shows in various geographies. (SR Appendix A) (below) Additionally, the show rules have been amended to clarify that the entry limit is up to 225 cats for one-day shows with one, two, three, or four rings (SR 4.06a 1) and one-day shows with up to six rings. (SR 4.06a 2)
| Appendix A
Minimum Number of Specialty Rings Required |
|||||||
|
One Day Shows (SR 4.06a) |
|||||||
|
# of Rings |
|||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Two 1- day shows of up to 6 rings in same location | |
| R1-7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 in each show but both can be held on one day and none on the other day |
| R8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| R9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| ID outside China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
Two Day Shows (SR 4.06b) |
|||||||
|
# of Rings |
|||||||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||
| R1-7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| R8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| R9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| China | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| ID outside China excluding Hong Kong, Macau, Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Hong Kong, Macau, Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
OCP rings have become popular at some shows. An OCP ring can be held as a stand-alone ring or as part of an existing judging ring, but may not be held as part of a Super Specialty ring. (SR 2.24)
Bay Check In is now allowed throughout the International Division. (SR 2.04, 10.22b)
Clubs in Regions 1-8 that hold traditional show dates and do not plan to hold a show for one year must now let the Show Scheduling Committee know at least 100 days in advance of their date that they will not produce a show that year. If the date is released less than 120 days in advance and another club is given permission to hold a one-time show on the vacant weekend, that club will be given a two-week grace period on penalty fees for late licensing. (SR 4.03e)
While clubs that do not hold a show on their traditional date for two (2) consecutive years will lose their traditional date (SR 2.38), cancelled shows in Region 9 during the 2025-2026 season do not count against a club’s traditional date. (Show Rules Addendum)
The show rules have long prohibited the licensing of another show within a region on the same weekend as a regional show held in conjunction with the region’s annual awards ceremony. That prohibition now extends to the International Division as well. (SR 4.03a)
Shows in Regions 8 and 9 and the International Division (excluding China, Hong Kong, and Macau) may be licensed up to 30 days prior to the opening day of the show without any penalty fee. (Show Rules Addendum)
Clubs in Hawaii may have a one-day show format consisting of up to 5 Allbreed rings (no specialty rings), one of which can be an OCP ring, with an entry limit of 225 cats. (Show Rules Addendum)
A show held in Region 9 or the International Division may have up to 50% of its rings judged by guest judges or associate judges. (Show Rules Addendum)
The show flyer sent to Central Office must clearly state if spectators or visitors will NOT be allowed entry to a show, and that information must be clearly posted at every entrance to the show hall (SR 5.03). If the original show flyer is in a language other than English, a show flyer in English must also be submit to Central Office and published (SR 5.01).
While we’re on the subject of show flyers, keep in mind that if your club will not be providing benching cages, that fact must be clearly stated on the show flyer. Additionally, the club must provide wire cages for rent or pop ups for purchase in the event that an exhibitor is without a benching cage, and the rental or purchase price must be listed on the flyer. (SR 5.01j)
Entries for all CFA shows must now be submitted via the CFA online entry form (SR 6.35d, 6.36d). Entries via email or text message will no longer be accepted for shows in China. (SR 6.35d)
Shows in Region 8 must close to entries no later than 11:59 p.m. Japan time on the Monday before the show (SR 6.36b). Shows in China and International Division outside of China must close to entries no later than 9:00 p.m. China time on the Wednesday before the show. (SR 6.35b, 6.36c)
The show rules have been clarified to provide that an entry clerk may refuse an entry for a valid reason, such as the exhibitor or breeder being under suspension or the cat being “for breeding only.” (SR 6.32d)
Clubs now have the option of including the championship claim form and the application to obtain a Companion Cat Registration Number in the catalog, or making them available at the Master Clerk’s table. (SR 7.07)
Breeder, sire, and dam information for Household Pets will not be included in the show catalog. (SR 7.11)
The show rules now contain a list of cleaning and deodorizing agents which may be harmful to cats and are not approved for use as a disinfectant. Any non-prohibited disinfectants must be mixed in the exact ratios specified by their manufacturers. Additionally, the show rules now contain a prohibition on cleaning a cage while there is a cat in the adjacent cage. If this is not feasible, rather than spraying the inside of the cage, the steward is to spray the paper towel (away from the cats in cages) and clean the cage. (SR 9.05)
The show secretary now has the option of sending the show package to Central Office via an overnight service, or by scanning and emailing the files. Additionally, the list of items to be included in the show package has been updated. (SR 13.09)
Cats for Sale or Adoption
With the exception of animals being adopted from humane organizations, only cats or kittens eligible for CFA registration may be offered for sale or sold at a show. All kittens must be at least 4 months old, including those being adopted from humane organizations. The previous humane organization exemption to the age requirement for kittens has been repealed (SR 10.24). A valid CFA individual or litter registration must be produced for a cat or kitten to be allowed in the show hall (SR 10.24). Litter registration certificates are not required for cats being adopted from humane organizations. (SR 10.28)
Judges
Restrictions which prohibited apprentice judges residing in Regions 1-9 from accepting judging assignments in the International Division have been removed. Apprentice judges may now accept assignments anywhere in the world. (SR 3.02b)
A cat or kitten bred by an officiating judge is not eligible to be shown in that judge’s ring, including being handled by a trainee when the officiating judge is serving as a training judge (SR 6.09). Trainee judges in the process of color class training many not handle any exhibit owned or bred by them or that bears the trainee’s cattery prefix or suffix. (SR 6.09b)
Judging fees for approved judges have increased by 5 cents to $1.30 per entry for the 2025-2026 season. Fees will increase by 5 cents per season for the next four seasons until they reach $1.50 for the 2029-2030 season and beyond. (SR 20.03a)
Additional fees for judging “Best of the Best” competitions, costume contests, Super Specialty and OCP rings, bay check in and breed summits have been spelled out. (SR 20.03g)
Master Clerks
A number of show rule changes directly impact master clerks:
The master clerk no longer needs to sign the cover of the show catalog. (SR 12.12)
Only the original copy of the catalog correction request form need be sent to Central Office when the master clerk makes a correction to the catalog. The official entry form no longer needs to be sent. (SR 12.13a)
Color class sheets no longer need to be posted but should be made available to exhibitors upon request. (SR 12.15)
Breed sheets have been added to the documents to be checked by the master clerk. (SR 12.18)
The master clerk only needs to provide a single fully marked catalog to the show secretary. (SR 13.07)