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Cat Breeds

Welcome to our new Cat Breeds page!

Rollover the pictures of the cats to reveal its breed characteristics and click ‘Full breed Details’ to find out all about this breed and watch our new fantastic breed videos! (Breeds marked * have short and long haired variations).

An e-version of the Standard of Points is available to download here.  This version is dated June 2026.

Don’t see the breed you’re looking for? Click here to see our unrecognised breeds

Abyssinian

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 10 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, fine & resilient
  • 15 years
  • No
  • Vocally quiet, playful
  • 28 different colours
Full breed details

Asian *

Breed characteristics

  • 12 – 15 lbs
  • Low for shorthairs, weekly for longhairs
  • Shorthair fine & glossy, longhair fine & silky
  • 16 years
  • Yes
  • Sociable & interactive, lively & energetic
  • Over 400 colour combinations
Full breed details

Australian Mist

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 15 lbs
  • Low
  • Short & silky
  • 15 – 18 years
  • Yes
  • Lively & affectionate
  • 7 different colours
Full breed details

Balinese

Breed characteristics

  • 5 – 8 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Silky, single coat
  • 18 years
  • Yes
  • Affectionate, inquisitive & playful
  • 34 different colors
Full breed details

Bengal

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 15 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, luxurious, soft
  • 12 – 16 years
  • No
  • Intelligent, playful, affectionate
  • 3 colours, 2 patterns & 3 different eye colours
Full breed details

Birman

Breed characteristics

  • 10 – 15 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Semi longhaired, silky texture
  • 12 – 16 years
  • No
  • Playful & affectionate
  • 20 different colours
Full breed details

British*

Breed characteristics

  • 7 – 17 lbs
  • Shorthair, grooming when moulting, Longhair daily
  • Shorthair short & dense, longhair is semi-longhair, straight and dense
  • 14 – 20 years
  • No
  • Patient, tolerant and a bit lazy
  • 6 pattern groups, many different colours
Full breed details

Burmese

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 14 lbs
  • Low
  • Shorthair, sleek & glossy
  • 10 – 17 years
  • No
  • Confident, sociable & athletic
  • 10 different colours
Full breed details

Chartreux

Breed characteristics

  • 11 – 18 lbs
  • Low
  • Dense, short, woolly coat
  • 12 – 15 years
  • Yes
  • Calm, intelligent, affectionate
  • One colour – blue
Full breed details

Cornish Rex

Breed characteristics

  • 5 – 10 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, dense, silky & wavy
  • 16 years
  • Yes
  • Sociable, affectionate & playful
  • All colours and patterns are allowable
Full breed details

Devon Rex

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 9 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, dense, soft & wavy
  • 12 – 16 years
  • No
  • Intelligent, mischievous & highly active
  • All colours and patterns are allowable
Full breed details

Egyptian Mau

Breed characteristics

  • 7 – 9 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, dense & resilient
  • 12 – 15 years
  • No
  • Energetic, athletic, gentle
  • 3 colours, bronze, silver & smoke
Full breed details

Exotic Shorthair

Breed characteristics

  • 7 – 14 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Short, dense and soft
  • 12 – 15 years
  • No
  • Gentle, affectionate & playful
  • 6 pattern groups, many different colours
Full breed details

Korat

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 10 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, glossy & fine
  • 15 – 18 years
  • Yes
  • Intelligent, lively & companiable
  • One colour – blue
Full breed details

La Perm*

Breed characteristics

  • 5 – 8 lbs
  • Low
  • Soft, light & springy
  • 12 – 15 years
  • Yes
  • Clever, inquisitive & extrovert
  • All colours and patterns are allowable
Full breed details

Lykoi*

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 12 lbs
  • Low
  • Very soft
  • 12 – 15 years
  • Yes
  • Active & outgoing
  • All colours & patterns except white & bi-colour
Full breed details

Maine Coon

Breed characteristics

  • 10 – 20 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Undercoat with substantial glossy topcoat
  • 9 – 15 years
  • No
  • Sweet natured, playful & friendly
  • Most colours, except chocolate, lilac & colourpointed
Full breed details

Manx

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 12 lbs
  • Low
  • Double coat
  • 12 – 14 years
  • Yes
  • Sociable, intelligent & playful
  • All colours & patterns are allowable
Full breed details

Nebelung

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 16 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Thick, medium length coat
  • 15 – 18 years
  • Yes
  • Shy, intelligent & playful
  • One colour – blue
Full breed details

Norwegian Forest Cat

Breed characteristics

  • 9 – 16 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Woolly undercoat with smooth overcoat
  • 14 – 16 years
  • No
  • Gentle & friendly
  • All colours, except Chocolate, Lilac, Apricot, Caramel, Cinnamon, Fawn and Siamese pattern
Full breed details

Ocicat & Ocicat Classic

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 12 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, satiny texture
  • 15 – 18 years
  • Yes
  • Loving, intelligent & playful
  • 12 colours
Full breed details

Oriental*

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 14 lbs
  • Low
  • Silky & fine
  • 12 – 15 years
  • No
  • Lively, intelligent & sociable
  • Many colour & pattern combinations
Full breed details

Persian

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 12 lbs
  • High maintenance, daily grooming
  • Long, thick & fine
  • 14 – 16 years
  • No
  • Sweet & gentle
  • Many colour & pattern combinations
Full breed details

RagaMuffin

Breed characteristics

  • 10 – 20 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Semi-long, soft & plush
  • 12 – 16 years
  • No
  • Docile & even tempered
  • All colours & patterns allowed, except Colourpointed, with or without white
Full breed details

Ragdoll

Breed characteristics

  • 10 – 20 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Medium length, silky & dense
  • 12 – 17 years
  • No
  • Gentle & playful
  • 3 patterns & many colours
Full breed details

Russian

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 15 lbs
  • Low
  • Dense & soft
  • 12 – 15 years
  • No
  • Playful & intelligent
  • Blue, Black & White
Full breed details

Selkirk Rex*

Breed characteristics

  • 9 – 16 lbs
  • Twice a week
  • Thick & dense
  • 15 years
  • No
  • Loving & patient
  • All colours & patterns allowed
Full breed details

Siamese

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 15 lbs
  • Low
  • Short & fine
  • 10 – 15 years
  • No
  • Outgoing, extrovert & noisy
  • Many colour combinations
Full breed details

Siberian

Breed characteristics

  • 13 – 26 lbs
  • High maintenance, daily grooming
  • Medium length, dense & soft
  • 12 – 15 years
  • Yes
  • Energetic & intelligent
  • Wide variety of colours & patterns, including Colourpoint
Full breed details

Singapura

Breed characteristics

  • 5 – 8 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, fine & silky
  • 9 – 15 years
  • Yes
  • Extrovert & intelligent
  • Golden ivory ticked with sepia brown
Full breed details

Snowshoe

Breed characteristics

  • 7 – 12 lbs
  • Low
  • Dense & resilient
  • 14 – 20 years
  • Yes
  • Inquisitive, active & intelligent
  • 4 patterns & several colours
Full breed details

Sokoke

Breed characteristics

  • 5 – 10 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, close-lying & glossy
  • 12 – 20 years
  • Yes
  • Playful & intelligent
  • One pattern, two colours
Full breed details

Somali*

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 12 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Soft, fine & dense
  • 12 – 14 years
  • No
  • Affectionate, intelligent & inquisitive
  • Wide variety of colours
Full breed details

Sphynx

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 11 lbs
  • High maintenance, including regular bathing
  • Fine down
  • 15 years
  • No
  • Affectionate, sociable & intelligent
  • All colours & patterns allowable
Full breed details

Suffolk

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 11 lbs
  • Low
  • Single, smooth coat
  • 10 – 15 years
  • Yes
  • Talkative & playful
  • Four colours – chocolate, lilac, cinnamon & fawn
Full breed details

Thai

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 10 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, glossy & fine
  • 15+ years
  • Yes
  • Intelligent, lively & companiable
  • Blue & Lilac Point, and solid Lilac
Full breed details

Tonkinese

Breed characteristics

  • 6 – 12 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, fine, soft & silky
  • 15+ years
  • Yes
  • Outgoing & confident
  • 3 patterns & many colours
Full breed details

Toyger

Breed characteristics

  • 8 – 15 lbs
  • Low
  • Short, luxurious, soft
  • 12 – 16 years
  • Yes
  • Intelligent, playful, affectionate
  • 2 colours, one pattern, 3 eye colours
Full breed details

Turkish Van & Vankedisi

Breed characteristics

  • 7 – 20 lbs
  • Weekly grooming
  • Semi-longhaired, soft & silky
  • 12 – 14 years
  • Yes
  • Intelligent & affectionate
  • One pattern, various colours. Vankedisi is all white
Full breed details

Recognised Breed Names for Registration & Exhibition

Click here to see our unrecognised breeds
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
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