[2] Founded by Marguerite Ravel, the federation was unofficially started in 1949 in Paris, France, at a meeting between the Fédération Féline Française (French Cat Federation), the Royal Cat Society of Flanders, and the Associazione Nazionale Felina Italiana (Italian National Feline Association).

[3] At the organisation's first general assembly, in Ghent, Belgium, the federation was officially founded.

For the occasion, all participants received a cat shaped statuette, in pink sandstone, that Marguerite Ravel had commissioned from the sculptor Jan Martel.

In 1972, the Brazilian Cat Club joined, making it necessary to change the Euro-centric name of the federation.

[4] FIFé is organized into national sub-federations (e.g. Felis Britannica in the United Kingdom) which handle pedigree registrations, cat shows and awards in each country.