Lavishly illustrated, the 256 page directory is presented according to basic groups:  shorthairs, longhairs, semi-longhairs, orientals, and foreign breeds--all featuring full color identification photography plus photographs of varieties to show variations within the breed.  Breed standards are given as well as care boxes for at a glance tips for each breed.

An introductory section covers the history of cats, ranging back over the millennia to the wild cats which roamed the earth with early humans to the domesticated cats of today.  There follow sections on the anatomy, physiology, and psychology of the cat, and specialist terminology is illustrated with examples taken from the breeds featured in the Encyclopedia.  Photographs, maps, and drawings show how particular conformations and characteristics have evolved into groupings which are recognized today.