  In this paper, which is the first in a series of papers associated with
cataclysmic variables and related objects, we introduce the CATUABA code, a
numerical machinery written for analysis of the MOCCA simulations, and show
some first results by investigating the present-day population of cataclysmic
variables in globular clusters. Emphasis was given on their properties and the
observational selection effects when observing and detecting them. In this work
we analysed in this work six models, including three with Kroupa distributions
of the initial binaries. We found that for models with Kroupa initial
distributions, considering the standard value of the efficiency of the common
envelope phase adopted in BSE, no single cataclysmic variable was formed only
via binary stellar evolution, i. e., in order to form them, strong dynamical
interactions have to take place. We show and explain why this is inconsistent
with observational and theoretical results. Our results indicate that the
population of cataclysmic variables in globular clusters is, mainly, in the
last stage of their evolution and observational selection effects can
drastically change the expected number of observed cataclysmic variables. We
show that the probability of observing them during the outbursts is extremely
small and conclude that the best way of looking for cataclysmic variables in
globular clusters is by searching for variabilities during quiescence, instead
of during outbursts. For that, one would need a very deep observation which
could reach magnitudes $\gtrsim$ 27 mag. Finally, we argue that cataclysmic
variables in globular clusters are not necessarily magnetic.
