The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy(GCCF)

Scale of Points Points
Total 100
Head 15
Ears 10
Eyes 5
Legs and Feet 10
Body 15
Tail 5
Colour 20
Markings, ticking and texture 20

General The Abyssinian cat is a balanced medium-sized animal of foreign type. The lithe muscular body should be of medium build and have a well-ticked close-lying coat, which conforms to the standard for that colour.
Head All head contours should be gently rounded especially from the brow to top of head. Wide between the ears, forming a moderate wedge, which tapers from the outer edge of the ear base to a slightly rounded muzzle. A slight indentation forms the muzzle. Allowance should be made for fuller cheeks in adult males. A slight nose break is essential; a bump on the nose is undesirable. The line from the nose tip to the very firm chin should be straight. An elegant neck should arch in an unbroken line from top of head to shoulders.
Ears Set wide apart, large, well cupped, pricked and furry on their inner edges. Ear tufts are desirable. From the front view the line of the ears should follow the head wedge.
Eyes Set well apart, large, expressive and a rounded almond shape in an oriental setting. Colour to be a clear deep shade of amber, green or hazel.
Body Lithe, muscular body of medium build and size. Back straight from shoulder to rump and rub cage rounded.
Legs and Feet Legs slender and elegant, in proportion to body; small oval feet.
Tail Thick at base, tapering and long enough to reach the cat's shoulders.
Coat Short, fine but not soft, dense in texture and lying close. Distinctly ticked, resulting in at least four bands of colour. The roots must be the colour of the base hair and the final band must be the ticking colour.
Markings Pigmentation lines of the ticking colour must extend from the inner edge of the eye to the top of the head; and also from the outer edge of the eye to the edge of the ear. The hair around the eyes is pale and the eyelid edge darker. The back of the ears should be darker at the tips, preferably with clear brighter colour at the base. Chin lips and nostrils should be the colour of the base hair or cream; white here is undesirable. White markings, such as a locket, anywhere else are not permitted. A line of the ticking colour should extend from the back of the head along the spine and tail, ending in a solid tail tip of that colour, the same colour to extend well up the hock. There should be no heavy necklet or bars or any other marks, although a faint well broken necklet or slight leg barring is acceptable.

Penalize
Coat Faults Slick coat. Excessive plushness. Wooliness in coat.
Color Faults Mouse coat over a large area of the body (black or gray hair next to the skin with the absence of correct undercoat color). Mottling or speckling in unticked areas (underside of body, chest and inside legs).
Body Faults Fine boning, oriental type.
Pattern Faults Uneven ticking. Broken necklaces. Tabby stripes or bars. Lack of desired markings on head or tail.
Condition Faults Flabbiness of body, lack of coat luster. Evidence of illness. Emaciation and lack of muscle tone.
NFA White locket or white anywhere on the body other than around nostrils, chin and upper throat area on all colors except silver and silver derivatives. Kinked or abnormal tail. Unbroken necklace. Incorrect number of toes or deformed feet. Reversed ticking. (outermost tip of hair same as base color instead of ticking color). Wrong coat color for requirements. Wrong eye color.

Withhold all Awards for 1. White markings, such as a locket (see Withhold Certificates (1) below)
2. Cobby, coarse, small or Oriental type
3. Aggressive temperament
Withhold Certificates or First prizes in Kitten open Classes for 1. White extending down the neck
2. Unbroken necklets
3. Absence of required pigmentation marks on head and around eyes in adults
4. Absence of darker tail tip
5. Rings on tail
6. Lack of overall silver effect owing to excessive yellow pigmentation in silver exhibits
7. Ill-defined or incorrect ticking
8. Fewer than four bands of colour in adults
9. Absence of firm chin
10. Lack of slight nose break
11. Whip tail
12. Two or more faults as listed in the Faults section below
13. Any defect as listed in the preface to the SOP booklet
Faults 1. Pinched muzzle or lack of muzzle indentation
2. Pale or muddy eye colour
3. Eyes not in oriental setting
4. Heavy, broken necklets
5. Absence of spinal shading in adults
6. Absence of darker markings on hind legs
7. Substantial barring on legs
8. Dark roots on a major part of the body
9. Fluffy, soft, over-long or rough coat
10. Yellow pigmentation anywhere on a silver cat


Association info
The GCCF was established as an independent body in 1910, formed from the three or four cat clubs who were registering cats at that time.

It now has 144 affiliated cat clubs, licences approximately 135 cat shows and registers an average of 30,000 pedigree cats per year.

The GCCF is run from its office in Bridgwater by a staff of 12 who are kept busy dealing with registrations, publications, show processing & title claims, agendas & minutes and the mountain of correspondence from breeders, exhibitors, Clubs, Breed Advisory Committees and the general public. They also deal with complaints and breaches of rules, which can sometimes result in disciplinary action and even suspension from Cat Fancy activities.

The GCCF Office is now in its new premises. You can also visit the old GCCF Office to see where they used to work.
Link: http://www.gccfcats.org/