Most cat lovers are surprised to learn that pedigreed cats make up a mere 5% of the U.S. cat population. The remaining 95%—an overwhelming majority of today’s felines—consists of stray, rescue and shelter cats. So, although the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) focused primarily on pedigreed cats when it was founded in 1906, times have changed! We’re well aware of the importance of reaching out to the mainstream cat population and have learned how valuable inclusivity and diversity is to our membership. That’s the reason for CFA’s Companion Cat World (CCW) — a special program created just for household pets that’s designed to showcase them in the same way as their pedigreed counterparts. From free-roaming strays and ferals, to the tripod cat lounging on your computer keyboard, to the rough-and-tumble kitty who shows up at your door, CCW is a way to highlight the talent, beauty, and unique personalities of our rescued companion and community felines. All CCW cats are featured in an online gallery on the CFA website: https://cfa.org/companion-cat-world-gallery
Now, CCW is proud to launch the first of its fundraising events—a collaborative virtual cat competition with TrapKing Humane Cat Solutions. This nonprofit is run by Sterling “TrapKing” Davis, who is dedicated to trap-neuter-return (TNR), the spaying and neutering of stray and feral cats to reduce cat overpopulation. All rescue/companion cat participants who are new to CFA receive a gift membership in CCW when entering the event, along with a special edition TrapKing Klowder membership card. This is TrapKing’s way of thanking new CCW members for supporting TNR. Once they’ve paid the $15 Main Event entry fee, cat parents can choose from 10 different add-on competitions at $5 each.
While proceeds from this event will go to TrapKing Humane Cat Solutions, CCW membership proceeds typically go directly to local rescues and shelters, as well as those that specialize in spaying and neutering feral cats, to control cat overpopulation. CCW will also be supporting future fundraising events for cat rescuers making a difference in their communities through the CFA Virtual Cat Competition website (vcc.cfa.org) where cat photos are submitted for “donation votes.”
To learn more about the CCW program, visit https://cfa.org/ccw