The CFA Mentor Program In A Nutshell

At the June 2000 meeting, the CFA Board of Directors approved a plan for the development of a mentorship program. It is our belief that a mentor program is an investment in the future of CFA. The program provides answers for many questions that new breeders and exhibitors have and by doing so, helps shape future CFA fanciers. There are two groups of individuals who participate in the CFA Mentor Program: mentors and protégés. Mentors are people with experience who are willing to share information with protégés, while protégés are those people who wish to learn about breeding and exhibiting pedigreed cats.

The primary objective of the mentor program is to attract new breeders and exhibitors and retain them in the hobby of breeding and exhibiting pedigreed cats by offering a program that provides education, guidance, assistance and nurturing. Our vision is to provide a central resource for the dissemination of information about the acquisition, breeding and showing of pedigreed cats. One way of achieving this vision is through online mentor resources that offer practical education materials as well as links to other online information. However, our most valuable resource is the worldwide network of CFA mentors who have the experience to provide guidance, assistance and nurturing to new fanciers. These mentors are dedicated to welcoming new breeders and exhibitors to CFA and the world of pedigreed cats.

Looking more closely at our objectives, the mentor program seeks to assure new fanciers that:

• CFA is the registry of choice when the new breeder registers his or her first litter or cat.
• CFA is the association of choice when the new exhibitor selects a show to enter.
• CFA judges are the best in the world, and our shows offer a variety of formats with something for everyone.
• The integrity of CFA pedigrees is second to none.

In addition, the Mentor Program can help the novice breeder and exhibitor understand:

• The minimum standards for the housing of breeding cats.
• The basic principles of applying the standard of their chosen breed to the actual cat(s).
• That winning isn’t everything and that breeding is one very important pursuit.

Moreover, we hope that the CFA Mentor Program will foster personal growth that results in:

• Protégés becoming mentors.
• Protégés reporting that they have established personal relationships that led to lasting friendships.
• Protégés joining the membership of CFA clubs.

We encourage all responsible breeders to register as a Mentor Associate by completing the application.

For more information, please send an email to mentoring@cfa.org.