The following list of cat breeds includes only domestic cat breeds and domestic and wild hybrids. The list includes established breeds recognized by various cat registries, new and experimental breeds, landraces being established as standardized breeds, distinct domestic populations not being actively developed and lapsed (extinct) breeds.
As of 2023, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes 73 standardized breeds, [1] the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 45, [2] the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) recognizes 50, [3] the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) recognizes 45, [4] and the World Cat Federation (WCF) recognizes 69. [5]
Inconsistency in a breed's classification and naming among registries means that an individual animal may be considered different breeds by different registries (though not necessarily eligible for registry in them all, depending on its exact ancestry). For example, TICA's Himalayan is considered a colorpoint variety of the Persian by the CFA, while the Javanese (or Colorpoint Longhair) is a color variation of the Balinese in both the TICA and the CFA; both breeds are merged (along with the Colorpoint Shorthair) into a single "mega-breed", the Colourpoint, by the World Cat Federation (WCF), who have repurposed the name "Javanese" for the Oriental Longhair. Also, "Colo[u]rpoint Longhair" refers to different breeds in other registries. There are many examples of nomenclatural overlap and differences of this sort. Furthermore, many geographical and cultural names for cat breeds are fanciful selections made by Western breeders to be exotic sounding and bear no relationship to the actual origin of the breeds; [6] the Balinese, Javanese, and Himalayan are all examples of this trend.
The domestic short-haired and domestic long-haired cat types are not breeds, but terms used (with various spellings) in the cat fancy to describe "mongrel" or "bicolor" cats by coat length, ones that do not belong to a particular breed. Some registries such as the Cat Fanciers' Association allow for domestic short hairs and domestic long hairs to be registered for the purpose of outcrossing. [7] They should not be confused with standardized breeds with similar names, such as the British Shorthair and Oriental Longhair.
Breed | Location of origin | Type | Body type | Coat type and length | Coat pattern | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abyssinian [8] | Unspecified, but somewhere in Afro-Asia, likely Ethiopia [9] | Natural | Semi-foreign | Short | Ticked tabby | |
Aegean | Greece | Natural | Moderate | Semi-long | Multi-color | |
American Bobtail [10] | United States [11] | Mutation of shortened tail | Cobby | Semi-long | All | |
American Curl [12] | United States [11] | Mutation | Semi-foreign | Semi-long | All | |
American Ringtail | United States [11] | Mutation | Foreign | Semi-long | All | |
American Shorthair | United States [11] | Natural | Cobby | Short | All | |
American Wirehair | United States [11] | Mutation | Normal | Rex | All | |
Aphrodite Giant | Cyprus | Natural | Lean and muscular | All | All | |
Arabian Mau | Arabian Peninsula | Natural | Moderate and muscular | Short | All | |
Asian | United Kingdom | Crossbreed between the Burmese and Chinchilla Persians | Moderate | Short | All without white and without siamese pointing | |
Asian Semi-longhair | United Kingdom | Crossbreed between the Burmese and Chinchilla Persians | Moderate | Semi-long | All without white and without siamese pointing | |
Australian Mist | Australia [13] | Crossbreed between the Abyssinian, Burmese, and Australian short-haired cats [13] | Moderate | Short | Spotted or marbled | |
Balinese | Developed in United States; [11] foundation stock from Thailand | Mutation of the Siamese | Semi-foreign | Long | Colorpoint | |
Bambino | United States [13] | Crossbreed between the Munchkin and Sphynx [13] | Dwarf | Short | Black + white hairless | |
Bengal | Developed in United States, [13] but created in Asia | Hybrid of the Abyssinian and Egyptian Mau × leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) | Large | Short | Spotted, marbled, or rosetted | |
Birman | Developed in France; foundation stock from Burma (Myanmar) [11] | The original Birman was crossed with the Siamese and the Persian to create the Birman of today. | Cobby | Semi-long | Mitted colorpoint | |
Bombay | United States and Burma (Myanmar) | Crossbreed between the Black American Shorthair and Sable Burmese | Cobby | Short | Solid black | |
Brazilian Shorthair | Brazil | Natural | Normal | Short | All | |
British Longhair | United Kingdom (England) [11] | Natural | Cobby | Semi-long | All | |
British Shorthair | United Kingdom (England) [11] | Natural | Cobby | Short | All [14] | |
Burmese | Burma (Myanmar) [11] | Natural | Semi-foreign or semi-cobby | Short | Solid and Tortoiseshell [15] | |
Burmilla | United Kingdom (England) [11] | Crossbreed between the Burmese and the Chinchilla Persian | Semi-cobby | Short | Solid with Shaded Silver and Silver Tipped patterns | |
California Spangled | United States [11] | Crossbreed between the Abyssinian, American Shorthair and British Shorthair | Moderate | Short | Spotted tabby | |
Chantilly-Tiffany | United States | Natural | Cobby | Long | Solid, classic tabby, spotted tabby and ticked tabby | |
Chartreux | France [11] | Natural | Muscular; cobby | Short | Varying shades of blue | |
Chausie | United States | Hybrid of the Abyssinian × jungle cat (Felis chaus) | Normal | Short | Solid black, black grizzled tabby and black ticked tabby | |
Colorpoint Shorthair | United Kingdom (England) | Crossbreed between the Abyssinian, Siamese and short-haired cats | Foreign | Short | Colorpoint | |
Cornish Rex | Cornwall, England, United Kingdom | Mutation | Foreign | Rex | All | |
Cymric, Manx Longhair or Long-haired Manx [lower-alpha 1] | Isle of Man, United States, and Canada [lower-alpha 2] [11] | Mutation of the Manx (shortened tail) | Semi-cobby | Long | All | |
Cyprus | Cyprus | Natural | Lean and muscular | All | All | |
Devon Rex | Buckfastleigh, Devon, England, United Kingdom | Mutation | Semi-foreign | Rex | All | |
Donskoy or Don Sphynx | Russia | Mutation | Semi-foreign | Hairless | Solid | |
Dragon Li or Chinese Li Hua | China | Natural | Normal | Short | Ticked tabby | |
Dwelf | United States | Crossbreed between the American Curl, Munchkin and Sphynx | Dwarf | Hairless | All | |
Egyptian Mau | Egypt [11] | Natural | Moderate and muscular | Short | Spotted tabby | |
European Shorthair | Continental Europe [11] | Natural | Moderate | Short | All | |
Exotic Shorthair | United States [11] | Crossbreed between the American Shorthair and Persian | Cobby | Short | All | |
Foldex [16] | Canada | Crossbreed between the Exotic Shorthair and Scottish Fold | Cobby | Short | All | |
German Rex | Germany [11] | Mutation | Semi-foreign | Rex | All | |
Havana Brown | United Kingdom (England); foundation stock from Thailand | Crossbreed between the Siamese and black short-haired cats | Semi-foreign | Short | Solid brown | |
Highlander | United States | Crossbreed between the Desert Lynx and Jungle Curl | Moderate | Short/long | All | |
Himalayan or Colorpoint Persian [lower-alpha 3] | United States and United Kingdom [11] | Crossbreed between the Persian and Siamese | Cobby | Long | Colorpoint | |
Japanese Bobtail | Japan [lower-alpha 4] [11] | Mutation of shortened tail | Moderate | Short/long | All | |
Javanese or Colorpoint Longhair [lower-alpha 5] | Developed in United States [11] and Canada; foundation stock from Southeast Asia | Crossbreed between the Balinese (with some Colorpoint Shorthair), Oriental Longhair and Siamese | Oriental | Long | Colorpoint | |
Kanaani | Israel [13] | Hybrid of short-haired cats × African wildcat (Felis lybica) | Semi-foreign | Short | Solid black, chocolate spotted tabby or cinnamon spotted tabby | |
Karelian Bobtail | Ladoga Karelia, Russia [17] | Natural, mutation of shortened tail [18] | Medium [19] | Short/long [20] | All, except pointed | |
Khao Manee | Thailand [13] | Natural | Moderate | Short | Solid white | |
Kinkalow | United States | Crossbreed between the Munchkin and American Curl | Dwarf | Short | All | |
Korat | Thailand [11] | Natural | Semi-foreign or semi-cobby and muscular | Short | Solid blue | |
Korean Bobtail | Korea | Natural, mutation of shortened tail | Moderate | Short/long | All | |
Korn Ja or Konja [ citation needed ] | Thailand | Natural | Small | Short | Solid black | |
Kurilian Bobtail or Kuril Islands Bobtail | Kuril Islands, North Pacific [13] | Natural, mutation of shortened tail | Semi-cobby | Short/long [13] | All | |
Lambkin | United States [11] | Crossbreed between the Munchkin and Selkirk Rex | Dwarf | Rex | All | |
LaPerm | United States [11] | Mutation | Moderate | Rex | All | |
Lykoi | United States | Mutation | Moderate | Sparse haired | Black roan | |
Maine Coon | United States [11] | Natural, crossbreed | Large | Semi-long/long | All excluding chocolate and colourpoint | |
Manx | Isle of Man [11] | Mutation of shortened tail | Moderate | Short/long | All | |
Mekong Bobtail | Developed in Russia; foundation stock ultimately from Southeast Asia [13] | Mutation of shortened tail | Moderate | Short | Colorpoint | |
Minskin | United States [13] | Crossbreed between the Munchkin, Burmese, Devon Rex, and Sphynx | Dwarf | Hairless | All | |
Minuet | United States | Crossbreed between the Persian and Munchkin | Dwarf | Short/long | All | |
Munchkin | United States [11] | Mutation of dwarf cat | Dwarf | Short/long | All | |
Nebelung | United States [13] | Natural, mutation | Foreign | Semi-long | Solid blue | |
Neva Masquerade (colorpoint Siberian) [lower-alpha 6] | Russia [13] | Crossbreed between the Siberian and a colorpoint cat [22] | Cobby [13] | Long [13] | Colorpoint | |
Norwegian Forest Cat | Norway [11] | Natural | Cobby | Long | Chocolate or orange and white bicolor | |
Ocicat | United States [11] | Crossbreed between the Abyssinian, American Shorthair and Siamese | Large | Short | Spotted tabby | |
Ojos Azules (extinct) | United States [11] | Crossbreed | Moderate | Short | All | |
Oriental Bicolor | Developed in United States and United Kingdom, later in Continental Europe; foundation stock ultimately from Thailand | Color variety of the Oriental Shorthair | Oriental | Short | Bicolor | |
Oriental Longhair [lower-alpha 7] | Developed in United States and United Kingdom; foundation stock ultimately from Thailand [11] | Crossbreed between the Oriental Shorthair and long-haired cats | Oriental | Semi-long | All; if colorpoint is considered to be a separate breed, it is called the Javanese | |
Oriental Shorthair [lower-alpha 7] | Developed in United States and United Kingdom; foundation stock ultimately from Thailand [11] | Crossbreed between the European Shorthair and Siamese | Oriental | Short | All | |
Persian (modern) | Developed in United States and Europe; foundation stock from Greater Iran [11] | Mutation of the Traditional Persian | Cobby | Long | All but colorpoint | |
Persian (traditional) | Greater Iran [11] | Natural, but some crossbreeding with the Turkish Angora | Cobby | Long | All but colorpoint | |
Peterbald | Russia | Crossbreed between the Donskoy, Oriental Shorthair and Siamese; before this, it was between the Balinese and Javanese | Oriental | Hairless, velour, brush, or straight coat | All | |
Pixie-bob | United States [11] | Mutation (falsely claimed to be a hybrid of the domestic cat and the bobcat (Lynx rufus) early on) | Medium | Short | Spotted tabby | |
Ragamuffin or Liebling (obsolete) | United States | Crossbreed between the Ragdoll with limited out-crossing to the Himalayan, the Persian, and other long-haired cats | Cobby | Long | All | |
Ragdoll | United States [11] | Behavioral mutation in a crossbreed, presumed to be between the Persian or Turkish Angora and the Birman or Burmese | Cobby | Long | Colorpoint, mitted, or bicolor | |
Raas | Raas Island, Indonesia | Natural | Moderate | Short | Solid blue, solid cinnamon, or cinnamon colorpoint | |
Russian Blue | Russia [11] | Natural | Moderate, Oriental | Short | Solid blue | |
Russian White, Russian Black and Russian Tabby | Developed in Australia; foundation stock from Russia | Crossbreeds between the Russian Blue and short-haired cats from Siberia, Russia | Moderate | Short | Solid white, solid black and tabby | |
Sam Sawet | Thailand | Color variety of the Thai | Moderate | Short | Solid | |
Savannah | United States [13] | Hybrid of the domestic cat x serval (Leptailurus serval) [23] | Large | Short | Spotted | |
Scottish Fold | United Kingdom (Scotland) [11] | Mutation of the bones and cartilage of the ears | Cobby | Short/long | All | |
Selkirk Rex | United States in 1988 [11] | Mutation/crossbreed between the American Shorthair, Persian, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair and British Shorthair | Large and cobby | Short/long (longhair, sometimes in early generations, can appear to be semi-long) | All | |
Serengeti | United States | Crossbreed/hybrid between the Bengal and Oriental Shorthair | Oriental | Short | Spotted | |
Siamese (modern) ) | Developed in United States and Europe; foundation stock from Thailand [11] | Mutation of the Thai | Oriental | Short | Colorpoint | |
Siberian or Siberian Forest Cat ) | Siberian Tundra, Russia. | Natural | Cobby [13] | Long [13] | All; except chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, and fawn [21] | |
Singapura | Developed in United States; foundation stock from Singapore [11] | Possibly a mutation of a crossbreed (excluding the Munchkin), solving why they are so small | Small | Short | Ticked tabby | |
Snowshoe | United States [11] | Crossbreed between the American Shorthair and Siamese | Moderate | Short | Mitted colorpoint | |
Sokoke | Kenya [13] | Natural | Moderate | Short | Ticked tabby | |
Somali | United States, Canada | Mutation | Cobby | Long | Ticked tabby | |
Sphynx | Canada, Europe [11] | Mutation | Oriental | Hairless | All | |
Suphalak | Thailand | Natural | Moderate | Short | Solid reddish-brown | |
Thai or Traditional, Classic, or Old-style Siamese; Wichien Maat [lower-alpha 8] | Developed in Europe; [13] foundation stock from Thailand [11] | Natural | Moderate | Short | Colorpoint | |
Thai Lilac, Thai Blue Point and Thai Lilac Point | Thailand | Color varieties of the Korat | Moderate | Short | Solid lilac and colorpoint (blue point and lilac point only) | |
Tonkinese | Canada, United States [11] | Crossbreed between the Burmese and Siamese | Oriental | Short | Colorpoint, mink, or solid | |
Toybob | Russia | Mutation | Dwarf | Short | All | |
Toyger | United States [13] | Crossbreed/hybrid between the Bengal and short-haired cats | Moderate | Short | Mackerel tabby | |
Turkish Angora | Turkey [11] | Natural | Semi-cobby | Semi-long | All | |
Turkish Van [lower-alpha 9] | Developed in United Kingdom; foundation stock from Turkey [13] | Natural | Semi-cobby | Semi-long | Van pattern | |
Turkish Vankedisi (white variety of Turkish Van) [lower-alpha 9] | Developed in United Kingdom; foundation stock from Turkey [13] | Natural | Svelte | Long | Solid white | |
Ukrainian Levkoy | Ukraine | Crossbreed between the Donskoy and Scottish Fold | Moderate | Hairless | Solid gray | |
York Chocolate | New York, United States | Natural | Moderate | Long | Solid chocolate, solid lilac and solid taupe or any of these colors with white |
The Siamese cat is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Asian cat. It derives from the Wichianmat landrace. The Siamese cat is one of several varieties of cats native to Thailand. The original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century. Siamese cats have a distinctive colourpoint coat, resulting from a temperature-sensitive type of albinism.
The Cymric is a Canadian cat breed. Some cat registries consider the Cymric a semi-long-haired variety of the Manx breed, rather than a separate breed. Except for the length of fur, in all other respects, the two varieties are the same, and kittens of either sort may appear in the same litter. The name comes from Cymru, the indigenous Welsh name of Wales, even though the breed is not associated with Wales. The name may have been chosen to provide a "Celtic" sounding moniker for the breed. While the breed's Manx bloodline originated from the Isle of Man, the long-haired variant is claimed to have been developed by Canada. The breed is called the Longhair Manx or a similar name by some registries.
The American Bobtail is an uncommon breed of domestic cat which was developed in the late 1960s. It is most notable for its stubby "bobbed" tail about one-third to one-half the length of a normal cat's tail. This is the result of a cat body type genetic mutation affecting the tail development, similar to that of a Manx cat. The breed is not related to other short-tailed breeds, such as the Cymric cat, or the Japanese Bobtail or Kurilian Bobtail, despite the similar name and physical type—the breeding programs are entirely unrelated, and the genetic mutation causing the bobbed tail are known to be different, as the mutation causing the American Bobtail's short tail is dominant; comparatively, the Japanese Bobtail, for example, has a tail mutation that is recessive.
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) was established in the United States in 1906. The CFA is currently the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. Originally headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey, the CFA moved to Alliance, Ohio in 2010. The association's stated mission is preserving and promoting pedigreed breeds of cats while also enhancing the well-being of all cats. CFA's first licensed cat shows were held in Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan in 1906. The association today has a known presence in Europe, China, and Japan along with its well-established activity in the United States and Canada.
The Javanese, also known as the ColorpointLonghair in some registries, is a variety of purebred domestic cat.
The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat that is developed from and closely related to the Siamese cat. It maintains the modern Siamese head and body type but appears in a wide range of coat colors and patterns. Like the Siamese, Orientals have almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large ears, and an elongated, slender, and muscular body. Their personalities are also very similar. Orientals are social, intelligent, and many are rather vocal. They often remain playful into adulthood, with many enjoying playing fetch. Despite their slender appearance, they are athletic and can leap into high places. They prefer to live in pairs or groups and also seek human interaction. Unlike the breed's blue-eyed forebear, Orientals are usually green-eyed. The Oriental Longhair differs only with respect to coat length.
The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace of domestic cat in Russia, and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late-1980s. Since 2006, the breed is recognised for registry and championship status with all major cat registries.
The Oriental Longhair is a variety of domestic cat closely related to the Oriental Shorthair. The Oriental Longhair in some registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA), it is considered a separate breed. In others, such as the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), it is a division, along with the short-haired variety, of a merged breed, the Oriental. With no globally recognised naming convention, other cat fanciers may refer to this type as Foreign Longhair, Javanese or Mandarin. It was formerly known as the British Angora before being renamed in 2002 by British cat fanciers in order to avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora.
The Colorpoint Shorthair is a variety of Siamese cat. The only major registries to recognise them are the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and the World Cat Federation (WCF). This breed was established from breeding American Shorthairs with the Siamese to produce different point colors, beyond the four standard Siamese colors.
The Peterbald is a hairless cat breed of Russian origin. It was created in St. Petersburg in 1994 from an experimental cross of a Don Sphynx and an Oriental Shorthair. They have an Oriental build with a dominant hair-losing gene. The breed was accepted for Championship status in 2009.
The Neva Masquerade is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired domestic cat, which originates in Russia. It is the sister breed or colourpoint variant of the Siberian cat, a centuries-old Russian landrace. The colourpoint markings are the result of a colourpoint gene originally found in Siamese cats. The Neva Masquerade is believed to be derived from crossing the Siberian cat with Asian colourpoint cats, such as the Siamese or Thai landrace, or possibly cats related to those, such as the colourpointed Persian cats. Some cat registries may classify the Neva Masquerade as a colourpoint variety or sub-breed of the Siberian cat, while others consider it to be a separate sister breed. Regardless of its classification, all Neva Masquerade cats are selectively bred and pedigreed today in all major cat fancier and breeder organisations under the Siberian (Forest) cat or Neva Masquerade. This means that all Neva Masquerade cats are purebred cats with a formally registered ancestry.
A cat registry or cat breed registry, also known as a cat fancier organization, cattery federation, or cat breeders' association, is an organization that registers domestic cats of many breeds, for exhibition and for breeding lineage tracking purposes. A cat registry stores the pedigrees (genealogies) of cats, cattery names, and other details of cats; studbooks, breed descriptions, and the formal breed standards ; lists of judges qualified to judge at shows run by or affiliated with that registry, and sometimes other information. A cat registry is not the same as a breed club or breed society. Cat registries each have their own rules and usually also organize or license (sanction) cat shows. The show procedures vary widely, and awards won in one registry are not normally recognized by another. Some registries only serve breeders, while others are oriented toward pet owners and provide individual as well as cattery memberships, while yet others are federations only deal with breed clubs or even other registries as intermediaries between the organization and breeders.
An Oriental bicolour is any cat of Oriental type, either long-haired or short-haired and in any pattern including colourpoint, which has white areas on its coat caused by the white spotting gene. In most cat fancier and breeder organisations, Oriental bicolours do not constitute a standardised breed, but a coat pattern variant of the breed of their foundation stock. One breed registry is an exception, the UK-based Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), which has defined them as a separate breed named Oriental Bicolour (capitalised).
Colourpoint or colorpoint may refer to:
The Kurilian Bobtail is a cat breed originating from the Russian Kuril Islands, as well as Sakhalin Island and the Kamchatka peninsula of Russia. Short- or long-haired, it has a semi-cobby body type and a distinct short, fluffy tail. The back is slightly arched with hind legs longer than the front, similar to those of the Manx. The breed is also called the Kuril Islands Bobtail, Kuril Bobtail and Curilsk Bobtail, and may be referred to without "Bobtail". It is sometimes also spelled Kurilean. The original short-haired variant is a natural breed, known on the islands for over 200 years. As selectively bred pets, they have been popular in USSR and to some extent other parts of Europe, especially for their rodent-hunting abilities, since the middle of the 20th century, but remained rare in North America as of 2011.
The Canadian Cat Association is a non-profit organization in Canada whose mission is to promote the welfare of all cats in Canada, maintain a registry of pedigreed cats in Canada, and further the improvement of all breeds of cats in Canada. CCA-AFC is Canada's only globally-recognized national cat registry, with its pedigrees and registrations accepted by major global associations such as the Cat Fanciers' Association, The International Cat Association, and Fédération Internationale Féline. To date, CCA-AFC has registered over 190,000 cats.
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Khorasan as early as around 1620, however, this has not been proven. Instead, there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed being exported from Iran from the 19th century onwards. Persian cats have been widely recognised by the North-West European cat fancy since the 19th century, and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' breed standards subsume the Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.
The Balinese is a long-haired breed of domestic cat with Siamese-style point coloration and sapphire-blue eyes. The Balinese is also known as the purebred long-haired Siamese since it originated as a natural mutation of that breed and hence is essentially the same cat but with a medium-length silky coat and a distinctively plumed tail.
Colorpoint Longhair or Colourpoint Longhair is a disused term for one of multiple varieties of domestic cat, and may refer to:
Colourpoint or Colorpoint cat may refer to:
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the use of this name in the cat world, although it is always used to describe cats of distinctly Oriental type. It has been adopted simply because of the tradition which has grown up for using the names of countries and islands from south-eastern Asia for other Oriental breeds, such as the Siamese and Balinese.