Table of Contents
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The bigger they are, the harder
they fall… in love with you.
The largest domestic cat breed are rising in popularity after the drop of the newest Aladdin movie. Who doesn’t want to be a fierce and beautiful princess with a powerful, fluffy tiger at her side?
Don’t be mistaken though. Big cats can be just as cute and adorable as their smaller relatives. Besides, the bigger the cat, the bigger the cuddles.
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1. Main Coon
They are the number one in the largest domestic cat breed worldwide. This impressive feline is well known for it´s social and gentle nature, which has earned it its nickname “the gentle giant”.
These very intelligent cats need a lot of protein in their diet as they require a lot of energy to move around.
Appearance-wise they have a prominent ruff on their chests, strong bone structure, rectangular body shape, two differently layered coats with longer guard hairs with a silky satin under layer undercoat, and a long, bushy tails.
Two of the more “accepted” stories are that they are the descendant from Marie Antoinette´felines that had come to America when she tried to escape France. Even if the royal French had been less successful, her cats had survived the journey across the Atlantic Ocean and settled in North America just fine.
Another one talks about them being the offspring from Captain Charles Coon´s , an English Seafarers´, cats that mated with local feral cats to create this large cat breed.
Health
Overall Maine coons are one of the healthier large cat breeds. However, they may suffer from several diseases that the big felines often tend to suffer from:
- HCM
- SMA
- Hip dysplasia
- PKD
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2. Norwegian Forest Cat
As their name may suggest, these beautiful forest dwelling creatures are naturally outdoor cats. However, they can be trained to be indoor cats. Their claws are so sharp that they can even climb stone with them.
They are well known to have a top coat with glossy long water shedding hair and a woolly undercoat. They are adept to live in the cold climates of Northern Europe.
This mighty large cat breed was refereed to as “skogkatt” in old Nordic legends. The “skogkatt” is a “mountain-dwelling fairy cat with an ability to climb sheer rock faces that other cats could not manage”. Nowadays, this name is used by certain breeders and organizations when referring to this cat.
Health
They are an overall healthy breed to adopt. some health issues may be:
- GBE1
- GSD IV
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3. Ragdoll
Like many other of the largest domestic cat breed on this list, Ragdolls have a stunning coat. White and creme or grey fur, as well as crystal blue eyes, are the standard for this beautiful breed.
Ragdolls are affectionate, intelligent, gentle, and an easy-to-handle lap cats that love following you from room to room.
In recent years, breeders in the UK have tried to “breed out” the limpness of Ragdolls, as they say it may not be in the best interest of the cats. I for one find this great!
Origin
One of few large cat breeds that were introduced by a woman, Ann Baker is the original owner of the ancestor of all Ragdoll cats. Long story short, one of Anne’s´cats had produced a kitten with Siamese colouring and very calm character.
Anne knew she had discovered something special so she went on to produce more of this breed.
Ragdoll cats are mostly bred for their desirable traits, such as their large size, gentle demeanour, pointed colouration, and a tendency to go limp when picked up.
The Ragdolls are a very healthy choice of pet. They may be at risk of obesity, heart problems or bladder stones though.
The males weigh up to 3 kilograms more than the largest female and when in full glory can range up to
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4. Siberian Cat
Going all the way to Russia now, this huge cat is closely related to the Norwegian Forest Cat and is sometimes referred to as the Siberian Forest Cat. These cats
Siberian Cats moult once or twice a year, the second time being a “light”summer moult. They have the three natural types of fur that a cat can have: awn hair, down hair, and guard hair.This helps protect them from Russia´s freezing climate.
Furthermore, they are known to be exceptionally good jumpers and have great acrobatic skills. This is mainly due to their longer hind legs which causes them to have a naturally lightly curved back,
They are one of the most hypoallergic largest domestic cat breed generally are not afraid of water.
Origin
This ancient cat is believed to be the ancestor of all long haired-cats. When they first arrived in the US they caused a lot of confusion. They all looked so different! This breeds looks can differ depending on which part of Russia it originated from.
Siberian cats are appear at least once in Russian folklore, especially a cat named Kotofej Ivanovich .
One of the main problems this large cat breed may encounter is HCM.
the males weigh more than the females (usually between 6.8 and 9.1 kilograms) and are one of the largest cat breeds at 30 to 36 cm long. Talk about a frosty giant!
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5. Savannah Cat
Last but not least, we have this exotic kind of large cat breeds. These amazing cats are loved for their loyalty and “dog-like” behaviour. They can be trained to walk on a leash and to fetch. For anyone who ever wanted to own a small tiger or leopard: here you go.
Their fur coat is spotted, which is extremely rare!
Savannah cats are hybrid cats- a cross between a serval and a domesticated cat.
Each generation of breeds gets assigned their own number as their sizes as well as “purity” changes through out the timeline.
These type of large cat breeds can jump up to 2.5 m into the air from a standing position. Savannah cats also have a nick for opening doors and handles so, if you are planning on getting one, make sure you have some precautions in place.
Health
Since Savannah cats are rather unique, they require a specific diet too.
A high quality diet with no grains or byproducts is recommended here. they may also suffer from HCM, like most pure bred cats.
The male Savannah cats are usually bigger and weigh between 3.2 and 9.1 kilograms, depending on the generation.
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6. Abyssinian Cat
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Resembling the African wildcat (aka the ancestor of all domestic cats, the Abyssinian cat has a set place in our hearts. The history of the Abyssinian cat in the UK is a little obscure, but it is likely that it was brought back via army personnel from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), in the 1860s. Other sources claim that the Abyssinian cat breeds originated from ancient Egypt.
Furthermore, early Abyssinian cats were often crossed with British Shorthairs or oriental breeds to create new breeds. Long-haired Abyssinian kittens have been found in litters for many years, and since the 1970s they have been developed as a separate breed called the Somali.
This one of the largest domestic cat breed is a slender, fine-boned, medium-sized cat. The head is moderately wedge-shaped, with a slight break at the muzzle, and nose and chin ideally forming a straight vertical line when viewed in profile. Their alert large pointed ears are super cute. The eyes are almond shaped and are gold, green, hazel or copper depending on coat colour.
7. Himalayan Cat
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I think no list is complete without including this beautiful breed. Even though they aren’t strictly a grey and white cat breed, they have some of the most fluffy fur imaginable.
Being a subgroup of the Persian, they are generally known to come in fluffy white or grey fur coats.
These felines like living in relaxed households, as they are very dependent on their daily dose of cuddles. They are great inddor cats that love companionship, playing fetch and being groomed.
To be completely honest, I might be slightly biased towards black cats. Both my babies are a long-haired black and a short-haired white and black after all. I adopted them off the streets so…thgey are strays. Those two are some of the greatest blessings I have ever received.
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Biggest cat in history
Mymains Stewart Gilligan, or Stewie, a Maine Coon was the world record holder at round 123 cm (48.4 in) large.
I hope you enjoyed reading about 5 of the cutest large cat breeds that live across the globe. If you did, we’re sure you will love reading about these affectionate cat breeds that deserve your love.
Let me know what your favourite large cat breed is below and don´t forget to give your cat a hug from me. Read you next time!
