Within AZA-accredited zoos, the Felid Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) is responsible for the management of all non-domestic cats within formal breeding programs called Species Survival Plans (SSPs). Zoo populations must be healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically stable to be sustainable, requiring collaboration for research, husbandry, veterinary care, and breeding. Preserving genetic variation is of particular importance, as many species are experiencing rapid loss of variation, which can lead to issues such as demographic bottlenecks, inbreeding depression, and founder effects. Felid TAG SSP program coordinators work with population geneticists from the AZA’s Population Management Center (PMC) to analyze pedigrees and make breeding recommendations for zoo-housed cats to limit the decline of genetic diversity over time. Selection for breeding is based on population biology and an overall relatedness factor known as mean kinship. The PMC also plays a vital role in matchmaking by identifying individual animals that are genetically underrepresented in the population so they can be prioritized for breeding plans.