Everyone loves to cuddle with a cute cat once in a while, but do you know about these 10 largest cat breeds? In the wild, the ‘cat family’, scientifically called Felidae consists of 37 species, of which the domestic or house cat is only one. Wild cousins of the house cat include lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, and lynxes. One of the most popular animal stereotypes in the world that cats are lazy because they sleep for 14 to 16 hours in a day. However, since people are not allowed to own wild animals as pets, here are the next best thing in terms of size – the top ten largest cats you can keep as house guests!
Largest Cat Breeds
1. Maine Coon
First discovered in the state of Maine in the United States of America, this cat tops the list of the 10 largest cats due to its huge size and gentle nature. A full grown male can weigh up to 11 kilograms while females weigh about 5 kilograms. This cuddly cat has a thick coat of fur which can be brown, red, black, white or silver in colour and gives it a fluffy appearance, making it a favourite with big cat lovers. You can also read about the few strongest animals on planet Earth.
Maine coons are built to survive cold winter temperatures with the help of bushy tails that they can wrap around their bodies to keep them warm during major temperature drop. According to the CFA report published in 2015, Maine coons were the third-most popular breed in America. The longest domestic cat in the world named Stewie, an 8-year-old is a Maine coon.
Talking about the history, the cat species is only considered as only longhair breed native to the United States. It was introduced by the seamen who sailed into New England. Later, the show career began in the New York city in the year 1895 when the best cat award was given to the Maine Coon named Leo. She also wins the Boston cat shows until 1900 and later she was only defeated by his son.
2. Burmese Cat
As the name suggests, this cat traces its roots back to Burma (now Myanmar) and has been around as a separate breed since the 1930s. Due to its highly muscular body and soft fur coat, it is often described as a “brick wrapped in silk”. The colour is usually dark brown, but variations have been seen in the form of silver-grey, blush, and beige fur coats. These cats are very friendly, intelligent and active. Also, read an interesting fact about cats you need to know now.
They are vocal cats, however, a sound which they produce did not appear like a meow but it is something like a low rumble. It is an attention seeker cat breed and doesn’t like to be ignored at all, however, it is a friendly cat that enjoys spending time with people. It loves to rest on the shoulder of its owner and even comfort his or her own if he or she is not feeling well.
The medium-sized cat breeds can grow upto 8 to 13 pounds of weight. The originates in Thailand and in Thai it means ‘Beautiful’ with fortunate and of splendid appearance. Initially, the cat was kept in the temples and palaces. It was introduced in Burma in the 18th century. The cat breed is popular as a curious, intelligent, playful and energetic cat and likes to play with various toys also. The average lifespan of Burmese cat breed is of 10 to 16 years.
Related: Top 10 Domestic Animals In The World.
3. Egyptian Mau
Characterized by its long and lean body, the Mau is the most ancient cat breed to appear on this list of ten largest cat breeds. It also shows up in ancient Egyptian artwork and was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. It has a bright spotted coat – a base colour of silver, grey or bronze with black spots and can weigh up to 6 kgs. This cat is very affectionate and is known to play along well with other animals and children. It holds the proud title of being the fastest house cat – reaching speeds of up to 48 kilometres per hour. Also, read about Why dogs and cats are awesome?
Egyptian Mau is the fastest of all domestic cats and can reach up to 30 miles per hour with the help of long hind legs and skin fold under the belly. One of the smartest cat breeds can open the drawer and can solve the simple puzzle very easily. Talking about the appearance, Egyptian Mau has rounded to wedge-shaped head with large ears and green eyes. The whole body is muscular, however, slender body with long hind legs and small paws.
The cat breed has a long gestation period with 72 days as compared with other cat breeds that are of 62 to 67 days. On average, it gives birth to 6 kittens. The average lifespan of the cat breed is around 12 to 15 years. It likes to play games where it can show his or her hunting skills. It likes to climb and jump from the countertops and tall bookcases. When it needs cuddling it clearly inform his owners.
Image Source: Wikimedia
4. Savannah
This cat has a body type similar to the Mau and is one of the more recent breeds. It is known for its highly active, intelligent and playful nature. It can weigh almost 9 kgs making it one of the larger cats. It needs a large outdoor space to explore and play in and is not suitable for indoor sedentary life. Most Savannahs have dark coloured spots with a lighter brown or grey coat.
It comes in large- to a medium-sized cat that can reach up to 8 to 20 pounds of weight. The cat breed is an excellent jumper that can easily achieve 8 feet horizontally. It is also one of the intelligent cat breeds that can perform various operations like activating alarm clock, walk on the leash and retrieve toys. The average lifespan of the cat breed is approximately 17 to 20 years.
The cat species is not allowed in Hawaii, Alabama and also in some other US states. It is also banned from Australia because of its extra size and capability that can put other native animals at risk. Some of the breeds can jump over 9 feet high from a standing start, howvever, it depends on the individual.
Also Read: Top 10 Hybrid Animals In The World
Related: 6 Hairless Cat Breeds
Image Source: Wikimedia
5. Bengal Cat
Bred from the wild leopard cat, this cat looks more like its wild cousins than any other member of this list of ten largest cats. It’s very athletically, intelligent and playful and like the Savannah needs to be outdoors. It has a silky, thick and short coat of fur usually in shades of brown and is distinguished by its spotted underside. The Bengal cat adjusts well with kids and other pet animals.
The original Bengal cats was a hybrid of the Asian Leopard Cat and domestic cats. It is believed that Bengal cats were developed by Jean Sugden Mill, in the 1970s and 80s. The breed is known for its wonderful coat because it is quite soft and sleek with two fur patterns named as a common spotted pattern and the wonderfully swirly marbled. Both these patterns form a unique pattern with tri-coloured shades.
The cat breed is also known as the Rolls Royce of the cat world and also the price of the cat breed that ranges from 500 to 5000 dollars. One of the loudest cat breed because it expresses its needs very loudly. On average, it can give birth to 4 to 5 kittens and have a short coat that requires grooming once weekly. It is different from other cats because it likes to play with water and does not hesitate to drink water directly from a tap and even join its owner in a bathtub.
6. American Bobtail
This cat was so named because of its short fluffy tail which it acquired as a result of a natural genetic mutation. It has a very distinctive appearance due to its long ears, short neck, large eyes and long fur coat. They have a variety of coat colours and patterns since they are found all over the world. It prefers a laid-back life indoors and is very friendly, adaptable and welcoming to guests.
The affectionate cat breed who will love you and your family and will be quite friendly towards your guest. The breed will be one of the best choices for the families and favourite hobbies include playing fetch, going for walks on a leash and stealing shiny objects. It has a shaggy medium-length to long coat that can come in any pattern or colour.
Image Source: Wikimedia
7. Ragdoll
Ragdolls are known for their instantly likeable personality and will collapse into the arms of anyone who is willing to cuddle them – hence the name. They have a medium length silky coat in a wide variety of colours ranging from red, cream and grey to dark brown and may even be bi-coloured. It is extremely affectionate with family members and friends and does not mind being around other pet animals. It is a perfect house cat that does not demand much outdoor activity.
Additionally known as “puppy cat” because it has a habit of following his owner throughout the house and loves to stay close to them. The hobbies of the breed include playing fetch and walk on the leash. This is one of the best suitable cat breeds for the apartments with an average lifespan of 10 years.
8. Siberian Cat
This cat is native to Siberia in Russia and due to its cold habitat, sports a long, thick fur coat. It is a skilled hunter and was used by Siberian farmers to keep rodents away. Though smaller in size than the other cats on the list of ten largest cats, males can weigh up to 9 kgs and appear large because of the thick furry coat. This cat is very intelligent and playful but needs special grooming to look after its coat. It can have a wide range of colours, usually with some presence of white fur to camouflage with its snowy surroundings.
Talking about the appearance, it has a long, thick triple coat and neck ruff in various patterns and colours. This is also one of the social cat breeds who love to spend time with people. It also follows his owner throughout the house and will try to participate in all activities of the house. They will tell you their feelings through chirps, thrills and purring and meowing sounds. The national cat of Russia has an average lifespan of 11 to 15 years.
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Ragamuffin
This cat is closely related to the Ragdoll and has a similar affectionate nature and likes to be cuddled. The fur coat is thick but not very long and can have many colours. But the kittens are born white and they acquire fur colour as they grow up. Like the Ragdoll, it plays along well with children and other pets and is an ideal indoor cat.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. Chausie
This cat looks very much like a wildcat due to its large ears and attentive eyes and is one of the heaviest cats on the list of top ten largest cats. It has a short solid grey, brown or beige coat and is a very active, intelligent and playful cat. It does require outdoor activity and is good for other pets. Since it was bred from a wildcat, it is adept at hunting, jumping and other athletic activities.
Image Source: Wikimedia
These are the largest cat breeds in the world. Do post your comments.
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