Cat lovers will think: the more cat, the better. In that case, you’re in luck with a number of cat breeds that can grow incredibly large. There are cats that grow significantly larger than the average house cat. Which ones? You can read about them in this top 10 largest cat breeds.
10. Burmese
When you bring a Burmese into your home, you know exactly who the matriarch of your cat is. That would be Wong Mau, a cat originally from Thailand. She was brought to the United States in the 1930s, where she was crossed with a Siamese. The personality of a Burmese therefore resembles that of a Siamese.
They are curious, enjoy having people around them, and also have the typical Siamese voice. Although a Burmese doesn’t look that large, they can reach a substantial weight. The maximum weight of these cats is around 5.5 kilos.
9. Persian
Persians are cats originally found in Iran. A wealthy Italian visited this region during one of his travels, where he encountered these beautiful cats. He was so fond of them that he decided to take them back to Europe. This introduced the breed to European cat lovers, which is why many Persians can still be found in households today.
Females have an average maximum weight of about five kilos, while males can weigh up to 6.5 kilos. They are somewhat calmer cats that mostly want to relax. It’s no surprise then that they rank high on the list of popular cat breeds.
8. American Bobtail
This cat breed is primarily known as a species that loves to play and pull silly pranks. The American Bobtail doesn’t sit still much, but is incredibly good with children. They are social and patient, making them a great fit for families with young kids. As the name suggests, this cat was bred in America. Their tail is just a bit shorter than that of the average cat. Their weight, however, is above average, as an American Bobtail easily reaches a weight of 7 kilos.
7. Chausie
The name of this cat comes from Latin, where it means “jungle cat.” They are partially wild and not fully domesticated. They are sweet cats, but also incredibly playful. This breed has a lot of energy and loves to run around. This immediately means they are challenging cats to care for, as they require a lot of time and attention. All that muscle mass ensures that the Chausie can reach a significant weight, with a maximum of about 7 kilograms.
6. Norwegian Forest Cat
When you see this cat, the first thing you notice is its enormous coat of hair. As the name indicates, these cats originally come from Norway. Yet, they prefer not to live in the forests. This breed is completely happy as a house cat. They are not very active and enjoy a nice lazy life with their own scratching post, a spot to look outside, and plenty of food.
If you want to adopt one of these cats, you must keep in mind that they can grow very large. They can reach a maximum weight of no less than 7.2 kilos.
5. Ragamuffin
Some cat breeds are centuries old, but that doesn’t apply to the Ragamuffin. This breed was developed in the 1990s, though no one remembers exactly how these animals came to be. What we do know is that the Ragamuffin is a true lap cat. They love nothing more than cuddling and have a mild personality. Their soft coat makes them look like a real teddy bear. The males of this breed can easily reach a maximum weight of nine kilos.
4. Ragdoll
If you cross a teddy bear with a cat, you get a Ragdoll. This breed looks incredibly cute thanks to their large amount of hair, but they are also very huggable. They love attention and are moreover very calm.
This breed is also very intelligent and can learn all kinds of different tricks. That might be a good thing, because a Ragdoll needs to be able to listen well. With a maximum weight of nine kilos, these animals are incredibly heavy.
3. Maine Coon
This large cat breed originally comes from North America and is one of the oldest breeds found there. The name of the breed is based on the place where the species was discovered: in the state of Maine. The females of this breed are somewhat smaller, with a maximum weight of about six kilos. The males have a more impressive size, as they can weigh no less than eight kilos. They are incredibly intelligent cats that are also very social. For example, you can teach a Maine Coon to play fetch, and they love lying in your lap.
The Maine Coon is actually listed in the Guinness World Records as the largest cat, as they look at length rather than weight. This is because they don’t want to encourage people to overfeed their cats. The longest living cat is the Maine Coon “Ludo,” who is 118.3 centimeters long. An even longer cat has lived, also a Maine Coon, named Stewie; he was 123.2 centimeters long.
2. Siberian Cat
These cats can take a hit. As the name suggests, the Siberian cat originally comes from Siberia. It was discovered there around the year 1000. The cold conditions and wild nature required these cats to be incredibly smart. This allowed them to still find a bite to eat. These character traits can still be found in this breed today.
They don’t really need their thick coat against the icy cold anymore, but it does look extremely cute. These animals can also weigh up to nine kilos.
1. Savannah
The first Savannah was born in 1986 by crossing an African Serval and a Siamese cat. The first cross is designated F1. Subsequent generations are designated F2, F3, and so on. Members of the F1 and F2 generations are the largest, thanks to the influence of Serval genetics. African Servals weigh about 12 kilograms as adults, and some F1 Savannahs reach a similarly high weight.
These cats are muscular, have long legs, a short spotted coat, and large round ears. It will come as no surprise then that they are very athletic, and some Savannahs can jump more than 2 meters high into the air!
