In the past, cats were needed to hunt rodents. Both businesses and households kept them. Some Americans were also fond of their cats, and they became pets as well as workers. Like dog fanciers, cat breeders began to hold cat shows in the late 1870s. Still, purebred cats were rare, and ordinary cats were often given less care than dogs. The marketing of "cat litter" after 1945 made indoor cat care easier. Changing lifestyles also meant that American pet lovers needed animal companions that could live indoors all the time. By 1970, Americans had more pet cats than dogs. |
"A Happy Family in Chicopee Falls"
Real photo postcard, 1907-1915
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Unidentified cat fancier with
her prizewinning Persians
on their birthday
Milt Fries, mid-1960s
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Breeding and Showing Cats - Although pet cats now outnumber pet dogs in the U.S., purebred cats have never been as popular as pedigreed dogs. Still, a "cat fancy" began to appear by 1873, when the first all-cat show took place in Boston. The first national organization for purebred cats, the Cat Fancier's Association of America, was founded in 1906. In 2003, the CFA registered 44,774 kittens from 42 different breeds.
  
Cat Show Ribbons, mid-1960s
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