If you are a cat lover, it might interest you to know the 12 most popular cat breeds.
Go through the list and find out if your cat is among the popular kinds.
Cats can be categorized into two. The purebred or domestic.
Domestic cats from general understanding may mean a cat that resides in a homestead with the human. While that is not the case, some domestic cats do not live with humans. The domestic cat is just a name to categorize the cats that cannot be traced back to their “ancestral” lineage.
On the other hand, the Pure-bred cats have a record of descent. I found it interesting to know that the early Egyptians may have domesticated cats from 4000 years ago, and they considered all cats to be from the same species no matter the breed. These Egyptians even worshipped a goddess cat and mummified the cats for the next life.
What are the 12 most popular cat breeds?
They include the Siamese, Persian, Maine coon, Ragdoll, Bengal, Abyssinian, Birman, Oriental shorthair, Sphynx, Devon Rex, Himalayan, and the American shorthair.
Some of these breeds have been there for long and have grown favor in the eyes of men, some have gained popularity after being featured in a movie.
Some of these breeds are very adorable, with some amazing characteristics that are unforgettable.
Without further ado, let’s look more into these cat breeds and stay tuned for some interesting facts about these cat breeds.
Popular Cats Breeds – The Siamese
The Siamese cat is also known as an Asian cat. These are among the cats that are native to China and are brought to Siam, which later changed to modern Thailand. In the 19th century, the Siamese was able to create much attention in Europe and northern America hence its popularity. The Siamese is known for its distinctive coloration markings also known as points. The cats have a feature of a triangle head shape, huge ears, Blue almond-shaped eyes, slender but muscular body. These breed of cats like to play; they are intelligent; they are affectionate and social. Most of the time, they will seek human interaction. Interestingly, these cats have good value due to their unusual and beautiful appearance. They had favor in the royal families in Thailand who believed this cat would receive their soul when they died.
Persian Cats
Persian cats are also known as the Persian Longhair or Iranian cat or Shiraz cat in Iran. In the 1620s, their first ancestors were taken to Italy from Persia later on, recognized as Iran. These cats have great features such as long hairs, a round face, and a short muzzle. They come in many different colors, and they have a docile character. They are known to be quiet and sweet. This cat features in several movies, arts, and commercials. The popularity of Persian cats has grown over time. An interesting fact about the Persians is that they need grooming to resemble a lion where the body needs shaving while the hairs around the head legs and tail are left long.
Maine Coon
This is among the main domesticated cats worldwide. This cat is native to the state of Maine. This cat is also known as the gentle giant due to its huge body and its social nature. In the 19th century, this cat was popular in cat shows but had not been the same since the appearance of the long-haired breeds. Even after the threat, they still managed to gain popularity in the USA. This cat is great at hunting, thanks to his big legs and toes. It was the first cat to win the first well known shows in the New York Madison square garden in 1895.
Ragdoll
The Ragdoll is a huge and masculine cat characterized by semi-longhair with a soft and silky coat. Their name “dog/puppy-like cats” came from their tendency to follow people around. They are known as rag dolls due to the limping and relaxing when picked up the character. They are docile; they know how to hold their aggression towards other pets, and they are affectionate. These cats are popular in the United Kingdom and the United States. A cool fact is that they are among the largest breeds of cats and they were the World’s longest Janus cat.
Bengal
The Bengal cat came from a hybrid of domestic cats, the ‘prionailurus bengalensis,’ also known as the Egyptian Mau and the Leopard cat. This is a domesticated cat with a golden shimmer thanks to the hybrid. They have beautiful markings on their bodies such as spots, rosettes, arrowhead markings, and marbling. The Bengal has gained popularity over the years. In 1980, the breed was fully developed and by 1992, the TICA had 125 registered breeders of the breed. These days, there are more than 1000 breeders of the Bengal. It’s interesting to know that they require training to learn tricks and also steal.
Abyssinian
This cat was bred in Great Britain in the 19th century, and British soldiers returned home with these cats bought from local traders. The cat is a slender, medium-sized cat with fine bones. They have wedge-shaped heads with pointed ears. Depending on the color of their coat, there are different types of cats. Their naming comes from their origin land Ethiopia formerly known as Abyssinian. These cats have a great sense of hearing thanks to their large pointed ears.
Birman
The Birman cat is also known as the Sacred cat of Burma. It is long-haired, with a silky coat and deep blue eyes with contrasting whites ‘socks’ on each pow. The name was from the French form of the word Burma which is birmanie. Like other color-pointed breeds, they also born white then, after one week, they start to develop the points If the color is dark and two weeks if the color is clear. These breeds like to play and can even learn tricks like how to fetch.
Oriental Short Hair
The Oriental shorthair cat has close links to the Siamese. The difference between these two is the full range of colors and patterns that the Oriental shorthair has. While their roots are from Thailand, you can find these cats from New York cat breeders. This breed is prevalent among the CFAs. It’s interesting to know that they are the smartest among all cat breeds.
Sphynx
This breed of cats can do not have fur or coat. This breed came from selective breeding in the 1960s. They have long heads and webbed feet. Their bodies have the color that their fur would be if they had. They may have solid, tabby, van, point or can markings on their body. Due to their lack of fur, they continuously emit heat, and they feel warm to the touch. They are 4 degrees warmer than other cats.
Devon Rex
This breed came to existence in the 1950s. They have tall ears, short hairs, and are intelligent. They have slender bodies and wavy coats. With their intelligence, they can learn complicated tricks. The only problem is that they are difficult to motivate. These cats are naughty and playful, and they love people. It is funny that you will find close links of this cat breed to a dog, a cat, and a monkey. Hence the name monkey in a catsuit. This breed has gained popularity in a short time.
Himalayan
The Himalayan is also known as the Himalayan Persian or the colorpoint Persian in Europe. It is similar to the Persian breed and is a sub-breed of the Persian. The difference between the two is the blue eyes and the paint coloration of the cross between the Siamese and the Persian. The Himalayan cats have short legs with a round body, which prevents them from jumping as high as the other cats. They are good companions, social and intelligent. It’s interesting to know that they do not climb on the kitchen counters, refrigerators, and curtains.
AMERICAN SHORTHAIR – Popular Cats Breeds
This breed comes from Europe to North America. They were brought to North America to keep goods from the destruction of rats and mice. This cat has gained popularity and has attained the 7th position in the most popular pedigree cat in the United States. They have powerful bodies with a round head and short ears. They have 80 different colors and patterns.
Well, there you have it. 12 most popular cat breeds. According to the descriptions, do you think your cat is among the twelve mentioned?
