Disqualify or FaultsNote: CFA, TICA and ACFA use the term Disqualify. FiFE uses the term "Faults".
CFA Disqualifies cats for:
Extreme curl in adult where tip of ear touches back of ear or head. Ears that are straight, severely mismatched, thick or having inflexible tips, lack of firm cartilage in base of ear, Tail faults. TICA Disqualifications are for: Tail faults of any kind. Straight or severely mismatched ears. Lack of firm cartilage in base of ear. Extreme curl in an adult cat where the tip of the ear touches the lack of the head or the ear itself. Ear tips that are not flexible, Ears in which the lower portion of the ear is abnormally flattened, has compressed ridges of cartilage and does not have a normal, visible ear cavity. ACFA Disqualifications are for: Extreme curl in adult where tip of ear touches back of ear or head. Straight or severely mismatched ear. Thick or calcified ears. Lack of firm, cartilage in vase of ear. Tail faults. FIFE Faults are: Ears: extreme curl in adults where the tip of the ear touches the back of the ear or the head. Straight or severely mismatched ears. Thick or calcified ears. Lack of firm cartilage in the vase of the ear. |
Pena.lties & Disqualify
All four associations have penalties for ears, body, nose, and coat.
They also have disqualify features for the ears. This site has a separate page for the ear penalties. Another one for body, nose and coat, and a separate page for DQs. Below are the descriptions for each. PenaltiesCFA Penalties are:
Ears: low set; abrupt change of direction without smooth curve, pinch, horizontal or vertical crimp; interior surface which appears corrugated. BODY: tubular or cobby. Excessive size. NOSE: deep nose break COAT: Longhair Division: heavy undercoat, heavy ruff; course or cottony texture. Shorthair Division: heavy undercoat, course texture; dense or plush coats. TICA Penalties are: Body: Excessive size without proper conformation. Coat: Heavy undercoat/heavy ruff. Course, cottony or fluffy coat texture. Dense or plush coat. Ears: Vertical/horizontal crimps. Depressions or ripples on the surface of the curled portion of the ears. Low set ears. Abrupt change of direction rather than a smooth curve. ACFA Penalties are: Head: Ears low set; abrupt change of direction without a smooth curve; pinch, horizontal or vertical crimp; interior surface which appears corrugated. Deep nose break. Body: Tubular or cobby. Excessive size. Coat: Heavy undercoat, heavy ruff, course or cottony texture. FIFE Penalties are Head: Siamese type Nose: deep nose break Eyes: small Ears: low set, abrupt change of direction without a smooth curve, pinch, horizontal or vertical crimp, interior surface which appears corrugated Body: tubular or cobby, excessive size Coat: heavy undercoat, course texture, dense or plush coat |
The different penalties and DQs will be discussed in detail with examples of their separate pages.
If you were evaluating or "scoring" the total points for your cat based on the point system assigned by the standard, features that are considered "penalties" would subtract points from your total. If you have a perfect cat in exhibition except for one of the features listed as a penalty, your cat would be marked down for the penalty. You should learn how to identify the different penalties and try to eliminate them from your breeding program.