Compiling a list of superlatives is always fascinating. Keeping with that spirit, here's a list of the largest, smallest, heaviest, fastest, cat breeds. Largest cat breed By common consensus among cat experts, the Maine Coon is usually considered the largest cat breed. Males can weigh up to 24 pounds. The Maine Coon is a very old breed whose origins are shrouded in mystery. According to some, the breed came ...

All cats are unique. Individual personality traits are displayed within a particular breed depending on how the cat is raised and his early socialization. But as with dogs, feline genetics do affect cat personality, behavior, and health. Many purebred cats are raised by a breeder who knows their genetic history, personality and what veterinary care they’ve had. When you get a purebred cat, you know generall ...

Description The Turkish Van is a natural breed, known for its distinctive color pattern. In fact, the word "van" is now used by the cat fancy to describe white cats with colored head and tail markings. The Van body is moderately long, broad, sturdy, deep-chested and muscular. Mature males show marked muscular development in the neck and shoulders; the shoulders are at least as broad as the head and flow int ...

Description Neither streamlined like the Siamese nor stocky like the Burmese, the Tonkinese strikes a happy medium. The conformation is midway between the extremes of the svelte body type and the cobby , body type. The Tonk has a medium-length torso that shows well-developed muscular strength without coarseness . The abdomen is taut, well-muscled and firm. The legs are fairly slim and are in proportion to t ...

Description Poised, regal and refined, the Turkish Angora is arguably one of the world's most beautiful breeds, with its fine, silky plumage, long, elegant body, pert, pointed ears and large, lovely eyes. The Angora has a long and slender medium-size body with fine boning and firm musculature. Though muscular and strong, this breed is elegant, refined and graceful. The shoulders are the same width as the hi ...

Description The Thai, sometimes called the Traditional, Old Style, or Applehead, is a medium to large cat with a moderate body and head type. The body is long, substantial and solid, and is neither cobby nor svelte in type, nor in any way extreme. The cat presents a well-balanced appearance with all elements in proportion. The overall impression should be of a cat that is robust and muscular but also lithe ...

Description Snowshoes are often favored by people who like the Siamese look but are not fond of the extremely svelte body and head type of today’s show Siamese. A number of today’s Showshoe breeders also breed Traditional Siamese and other traditional breeds. The Snowshoe is a medium-sized shorthaired cat with a semi-foreign body style that combines the heftiness of its American Shorthair ancestors with the ...

Description Once you get past the shock of seeing a naked cat, you’ll notice other distinct differences. The ears, for one thing, look large enough to intercept satellite signals. And most striking of all, the perfect cat should be as wrinkled as an animated raisin. The Sphynx isn’t more wrinkled than any other cat, though—you can just see the wrinkles. Adults should retain as many wrinkles as possible, par ...

Description If you want a cat with the high spirits of the Abyssinian but with a glorious, semi-long coat, look no further than the Somali. Somalis are no longer simply longhaired Abyssinians—the years of selective breeding have created a number of differences. A medium to large breed, Somalis are larger than their Aby relatives. The body is medium long, lithe and graceful, showing well-developed muscular s ...

Description The Pura is a small cat with large eyes and ears. The Pura’s body is moderately stocky and muscular with a firm midsection. The legs are heavy and muscled at the body, tapering down to small, short, oval feet. The tail length is short of the shoulder when laid alongside the torso. It tends toward slender but is not whippy and has a blunt tip. Adult males weigh 6 to 7 pounds; adult females weight ...