Breeds and species
Cats
Browse cat breeds, their traits, temperament, grooming needs and suitability for different types of homes.
50 animals in this selection Each has a story.
Animal list
-
Cats Bengal
Active The Bengal is a US-origin breed that genuinely carries a wild ancestor in its pedigree - the Asian leopard cat - which is where its rosetted or marbled coat co… 12 – 16 yrsMedium -
Cats Scottish Fold
Apartment The Scottish Fold is a medium-sized cat known for its round, "owl-like" face and ears that fold forward and down, the result of a dominant cartilage-affecting … 11 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats Russian Blue
Apartment The Russian Blue is a medium-sized Russian breed known for its short, dense double coat in an even blue-grey shade tipped with silver, giving it a shimmering s… 15 – 20 yrsMedium -
Cats Oriental Shorthair
ApartmentActive The Oriental Shorthair is a sleek, green-eyed cousin of the Siamese, bred in Britain and the United States to carry the same slender body type in an almost unl… 12 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats British Shorthair
ApartmentBeginner The British Shorthair is a sturdy, round-faced pedigree cat known for its dense, plush 'teddy bear' coat and calm, independent temperament. Descended from anci… 14 – 20 yrsLarge -
Cats Bombay
Apartment A solid black, muscular cat with copper eyes, bred to resemble a miniature panther, but with a temperament often compared to a dog's. 12 – 16 yrsMedium -
Cats Ragdoll
ApartmentBeginner The Ragdoll is a large, slow-maturing cat breed that originated in 1960s California, known for an exceptionally calm and trusting temperament toward people. Th… 12 – 17 yrsLarge -
Cats Maine Coon
The Maine Coon is the largest breed of domestic cat, originating in the U.S. state of Maine and known for its friendly, almost dog-like temperament and long, w… 12 – 15 yrsLarge -
Cats Birman
Apartment The Birman is a gentle, sociable semi-longhaired cat with sapphire-blue eyes and white gloved paws, developed in France from cats reportedly brought over from … 12 – 16 yrsMedium -
Cats British Longhair
ApartmentBeginner The British Longhair is the long-coated variety of the British Shorthair, produced by crossbreeding with Persians and Angoras, and it shares the same placid te… 12 – 16 yrsLarge -
Cats Sphynx
ApartmentActive The Sphynx is a domestic cat breed famous for its hairless look, though it isn't actually fully bald - its skin is covered in a fine, downy layer. It developed… 9 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats Burmese
ApartmentActive The Burmese is a compact, muscular cat descended from a single female, Wong Mau, brought from Myanmar to the United States in 1930. Prized for its extroverted,… 10 – 16 yrsMedium -
Cats Devon Rex
ApartmentActive The Devon Rex is a sociable, playful cat with oversized ears, an elfin face and a short wavy coat, born from a genetic mutation entirely different from the sup… 10 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats Siberian
ApartmentActive The Siberian is an ancient Russian forest cat, only formalized as a pedigreed show breed in the 1980s-90s despite centuries as a working farm cat. It's famous … 12 – 16 yrsLarge -
Cats Egyptian Mau
Active The Egyptian Mau is the only domestic cat breed with a naturally spotted coat, known for its remarkable speed and a lively yet reserved temperament around stra… 12 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats Exotic Shorthair
Apartment The Exotic Shorthair is a short-coated version of the Persian - just as round, plush and placid, but far easier to groom. 11 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats Turkish Angora
ApartmentActive The Turkish Angora is one of the oldest natural cat breeds, originating around Ankara, Turkey – a slender, athletic and highly people-oriented cat with a plush… 12 – 18 yrsMedium -
Cats American Shorthair
ApartmentBeginner The American Shorthair is a muscular, even-tempered North American breed descended from working cats brought by settlers and kept on farms, not from British sh… 14 – 18 yrsMedium -
Cats Somali
Active The Somali cat is a semi-longhaired, remarkably energetic and curious breed - essentially the longhaired variety of the Abyssinian, produced by a rare recessiv… 12 – 16 yrsMedium -
Cats Abyssinian
ApartmentActive The Abyssinian is a slender, ticked-coat shorthair breed first shown in Britain in 1871 and among CFA's founding breeds in 1906, prized for its warm, wild-look… 9 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats Balinese
Active The Balinese is the long-haired relative of the Siamese cat, born from a spontaneous mutation in American Siamese litters in the mid-20th century and named for… 12 – 18 yrsMedium -
Cats Norwegian Forest Cat
Apartment The Norwegian Forest Cat is a large, naturally hardy landrace from Scandinavia's forests, built with a weatherproof double coat and famous for taking nearly fi… 12 – 16 yrsLarge -
Cats Toyger
ApartmentBeginnerActive The Toyger is a “toy tiger” – a domestic cat deliberately bred so its dark stripes on an orange coat evoke a tiger. Behind the wild look hides a friendly, even… 12 – 15 yrsMedium -
Cats European Shorthair
ApartmentBeginner The European Shorthair is the pedigreed, standardized version of the ordinary European house cat – a robust, adaptable and genetically diverse breed, officiall… 12 – 18 yrsMedium
Showing 24 of 50
Load moreHow to choose the right cat breed
Do not choose by appearance alone. Temperament, size, activity level and daily care needs matter just as much.
Think about how much time you can spend on grooming, training, play and companionship. Beginners often do best with breeds whose needs are clear and manageable.
Be careful with broad health claims: some breeds may be more prone to certain issues, so speak with a veterinarian or a responsible breeder.
Frequently asked questions
Which cat breed is suitable for apartment living?
Many cats can live well indoors if they have space to rest, play, climb and retreat.
Which cats are more social?
Some breeds are known for being people-oriented, but personality varies between individual cats.
Do long-haired cats need more grooming?
Long-haired cats usually need more frequent brushing and coat care.
Which cat breed is suitable for beginners?
First-time owners often do best with calmer cats that have clear needs and manageable grooming.