The Most Popular Cat Breeds in the Year 2002

According to the Cat Fancier's Association (CFA), a total of 46,543 pedigreed cats were registered in 2002.

According to registration totals, The CFA's top ten most popular cat breeds in 2002 are:

Number One: Persian

In 2002, 21,978 Persians were registered with CFA, down from 23,362 in 2001.

Number Two: Maine Coon

With 4,604 registrations in 2002, up from 4,485 in 2001, this breed has nearly twice the number of its next competitor.

Number Three: Exotic

The exotic is third most popular overall with 2,447 cats registered, up from 2,321 in 2001.

Number Four: Siamese

In 2002, the CFA registered 2,036 Siamese, up from 1,986 in 2001.

Number Five: Abyssinian

In 2002, 1,507 were registered with CFA, down from 1,609 in 2001.

Number Six: Oriental

With 1,016 registrations in 2002, up from 988 in 2001, the Oriental ranks sixth overall.

Number Seven: Birman

In 2002, 954 were registered with CFA, up from 878 in 2001.

Number Eight: American Shorthair and Tonkinese

With 874 registrations each, the American shorthair (ASH) and the Tonkinese tied for eighth place.

Number Ten: Burmese

In 2002, 839 Burmese were registered, down from 933 in 2001.