There are a variety of large domestic cat breeds that can be found all over the world. Some have been around for centuries and others are fairly new additions to the family. These cats come in all shapes, sizes, and colors but they all have one thing in common: big personalities! If you’re looking for a pet with some heft then check out these large domestic cat breeds.
Some of us dream of big cats as pets- a world where it is safe and natural to have a tiger, lion, or leopard as a pet. A baby tiger or snow leopard is an adorable thought, but reality soon sinks in. These sweet kittens do not stay small long!
Large domestic cat breeds can be an alternative to this dream. You may not even know the difference, as some of these guys can grow up to be pretty big!
Overall, a large domestic cat will of course not grow up to eat you for dinner. And here is where your dreams may be fulfilled- you can safely have a ‘big cat,’ in your home after all!
Interested in wild cat breeds? For further reading, check out the comprehensive guide to wild cats of North America.
On the flip side, if you are looking for a tiny ‘munchkin’ cat, check out this article on Munchkins!
The Maine Coon cat is one of the largest domestic cat breeds. These big cats are similar in size to small-to-average-sized dogs and can weigh as much as 30 pounds!
This is a true domestic breed, and not a wild cat hybrid, as their size might suggest.
Interestingly, the Maine Coon is so big, that it can be easily mistaken for a bobcat. Although many people readily quote the Maine Coon as being the largest domestic cat breed, the Maine Coon is actually smaller than the Ragdoll and larger than the Norwegian Forest Cat.
Maine Coon’s often win awards for length, especially because of their long, fluffy tails. If you measure due to weight, however, you can find a few other domestic cat breeds, as mentioned above, that are technically larger. But, the Maine Coon is still no peanut!
They have large, soft paws that act like snowshoes so they don’t sink into the carpet or leave paw prints on your furniture.
Some non-purebred litters can produce Maine Coons with 6 toes. Additionally, in a very un-cat-like way, they really love water and will jump right into it!
It is a well-known fact that Maine Coons meow differently than other cat breeds. They will let out a Yowl! over a Meow! They like to trill and chirp with soft voices!
Maine Coons are known to be very social and happy, yet they are still confident and independent in nature.
Maine Coons are very smart cats with a lot of expressive body language to match their intelligence. They like being around people in general but do best when there is one person who spends most of his or her time at home so that this cat can be around someone all the time. They can get lonely if left alone too long.
Smart, playful, and gentle, they have become known as ‘Gentle Giants.’ That being said, Maine Coons are still very active and outgoing. Large in size, they are still gentle in nature.
Loyal, (quite like dogs), and affectionate towards their owners, Maine Coons are definitely snuggle material!
Maine Coons are usually on the fluffy side! They have a lot of beautiful, long, fur.
Maine Coon cats come in a variety of colors but usually have patterns that include stripes, swirls, spots, or rosettes. They also have long fur with an undercoat which can be thick and shaggy.
Sources quote 70 -75 color patterns!
Eyes can be green, gold, or brown.
They have elegant long ears with tufts of fur that stick out of the tips.
Pros:
These animals are great with kids and other animals in the house, due to their friendliness and patience.
Social and interactive.
Cons:
There is a lot of fur here to pet, but also to groom, bathe, and brush!
Their great love for other animals and their owners makes them easily lonely if left alone for too long- so don’t leave them without company- at least not for very long!
Be prepared to spend a bit more money on a large cat just because they are a bit bigger. This will mean more food and more litter needed!
Origins:
Sprucepets debunks the myth that Maine Coons were originally crossed with raccoons! In reality, Maine Coon cats developed through nature’s own breeding choices, which passed on strong traits in the cats genetically.
In this way, Maine Coon cats became well suited to the cold winters in Northeast America, where they originated. They were named after the state of Maine, where the Maine Coon cat was first recognized as its own distinct breed.
Guinness World Records:
Maine Coons often win awards in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest domestic cat! Check out the video below, where Stewie one the award for the longest cat of all time to date:
Sadly, Stewie recently passed away. He still holds the record for the longest domestic cat yet. But, to see the current living cat that is the longest domestic in the world, see below:
For more on caring for your Maine Coon and for Maine Coon learning, see the video below:
For tips on walking your Maine Coon, click here.
As you can see, having a Maine Coon can be a wonderful life! Their intelligence, sociability, and playfulness are sure to be a joy to anyone.
Owners just need to be prepared to spend extra time on grooming and play with these guys, as much is needed for them in both areas.
Additionally, owners need to be ready to spend some extra dollars on food & litter and potentially grooming if they would like that taken care of for them.
Once these things are sorted, or you have a plan in place, having a Maine Coon can be pure joy 🙂
Do you have any experience with Maine Coon cats? Please feel free to share below; we would love to hear from you!
Ragdoll cats are considered one of the largest domesticated cat breeds in the world. They come from the long-haired cat breed, Genus Felis, Subfamily Felinae, of the Family Felidae (Cat Family), to be specifc, fancy, and scientific 😉
In terms of their size, Ragdolls are large cats. They have a medium-length coat and their body is typically between 16–20 inches in length, with the tail adding another six to nine inches. These animals can weigh anywhere from 17-30 pounds when fully grown!
Average Weight:
males: 22 pounds average
females: on average about 16-18 pounds
Average Dimensions:
males: 16-20 inches in length
females: 14-16 inches in length
Generally, six to nine inches long but can be longer. Males on average have a tail that’s seven to eight and females have a tail that’s six to seven inches long.
When you pick up a Ragdoll Cat, it will usually just go limp and put its head on your shoulder. This cat relaxes all of its muscles, and this floppiness is where the animal gets its endearing nickname of “Ragdoll.”
This cat may need to be kept inside. Ragdoll’s do not necessarily have the ‘street smarts’ to survive outside, and for the sake of long happy lives, it is usually best to keep them inside. (But still, make sure that they exercise indoors!).
The Ragdoll is not only one of the largest domestic cats but also has very affectionate personality traits. The cat will often follow you around your home like an oversized dog would do.
These cats are known for their docile, gentle nature and long locks. These traits make them popular among pet owners as they do not scratch furniture or people when they’re handled–a trait many other breeds of cats have to be trained out of them!
The Ragdolls eyes are blue, green, or hazel. They have a broad nose and large, round ears that give them an appealing look. The cat has long hair that is white with black tips but the tip color can be seen in kittens as young as three months old
Ragdolls have a large-boned and muscular body. Thus, they have a build that is both heavy and powerful.
The Ragdoll also has long hair that is typically white with patches of orange or brown on their ears, legs, tail, muzzle and chest. They may have one to three colors in any given cat.
Their tails are long and plumed.
Their legs are long, slender in appearance with large paws that have a pad of hair on the underside to keep them warm.
The coat of the Ragdoll is a medium length and can be either plush (short, fuzzy) or semi-long with soft cottony hair. Coat patterns are generally pointed patterned markings over a white or beige body, though Ragdolls do not have a distinct “look” to them as they can come in different shapes or sizes.
Affectionate, smart, and gets along easily with other animals.
Will also get along well with children.
Gorgeous fur, colors, and patterns. Soft fur!
Doesn’t bite or scratch.
Sociable, kind, and gentle.
Well-behaved
Care-taking is generally easy.
Ragdolls can be on the pricey range.
They are not hypoallergenic, and they do shed moderately.
They are not the most active breed.
The Ragdoll is a large domestic cat breed that originated in California, USA.
Ann Baker, a breeder, created the Ragdoll breed in the city of Riverside, from free-roaming cats in her neighborhood.
She noticed that a longhaired white domestic cat tended to breed cats with idiosyncratic and enchanting temperments. She used this cat, Josephine, to create her breed with free-roaming cats that she found of her choosing.
The Savannah Domestic Cat Breed is a new breed of cat that has only been around since the 1980s. The first female Savannah cat was born in 1986 and it quickly became popular because of its wild appearance, which includes spots instead of stripes! The average weight for a male Savannah is 15 to 18 pounds, whereas females are usually 10 to 14 pounds. They are between 12 and 16 inches tall on average with males being taller than females.
Savannah cats have many unique features from their coat coloration to the contrasting colors on their ears and nose. These cats can be very social or they may not like strangers at all-it depends on the individual personality! And these are definitely big fellas! To find out all about the Savannah cat, read on.
The first official Savannah cat to be born was in 1982 when Judy Frank, a Bengal breeder located in Pennsylvania, bred her male African Serval wild cat to one of her female domestic shorthairs. The domestic female was a Siamese cat.
Judy Frank bred the two cats because she was interested in the idea of having a new animal to breed. Judy Frank told an interviewer that she had always been fascinated with wild cats and wanted to know what would happen if their genetics were blended with domestic cat genes.
The first kitten from the litter was named Savannah, after the Savannah grasslands (savannas) of Africa, where Savannah’s serval father originated from.
Another cat from this litter caught the attention of Patrick Kelley, who purchase one for himself.
Later in the 1990s, Joyce Sroufe and Patrick Kelley then joined forces and worked together on the Savannah breed for many years.
Judy Frank, Patrick Kelley, and Joyce Sroufe are credited with the creation of this breed. However, much credit belongs to Kelley and Sroufe, who worked hard to promote the breed and to petition The International Cat Association to accept it (which they did).
Since then, the breed caught on quickly, and there are now 60 Savannah cat breeders worldwide.
This breed is beautiful and unique, but also much easier for the average person to care for than a Serval cat.
The Savannah is an elegant-looking large cat with medium-length hair! They have slender body frames, long legs and their head has big round ears which are set high on its head like those of an African wild cat.
Their body frames are strong and their coats come in a variety of colors, such as black, ivory, brown, or spotted tabby! Their spotted coats make them look like a small leopard or even a cheetah.
Savannah’s are definitely in the category of ‘large’ domestic cat breeds.
Savannah cats (also called Servals) can grow up to be about 17 inches tall and are proud owners of their record for the world’s tallest domestic cat.
Savannah cats can weight as much as 25 pounds while females are typically 12 pounds or more.The height and weight of Savannah cats is dependent on how many generations it has been since they were a wild serval.
Active and intelligent, these cats are still safe for families with children and other pets.
Owners do need to keep in mind that although their short hair is easy to groom, there is still twice as much cat here! In fact, Savannah’s are close in size to a medium-sized dog. Naturally, this means that the cat will need more food, litter, and grooming- and playtime!
Savannah’s love water and have a very wild sounding ‘mew’ that can be better described as a ‘hiss’.
Because the Savannah is a wild cat and domestic cross, it has very few health issues since the breed has had very little inbreeding.
These cats are loyal and will bond closely with their owners.
What’s your favorite big breed of cat? Let us know by leaving a comment below or sharing!
Sources:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/76734/12-huge-facts-about-maine-coons
https://www.purina.co.uk/find-a-pet/articles/cat-types/breed-guides/big-cat-breeds
https://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds/collections/largest-domestic-cats/
https://www.thesprucepets.com/largest-domesticated-cats-4843236
https://www.dailypaws.com/living-with-pets/pet-compatibility/large-cat-breeds
https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/cats/choosing_the_right_cat_for_you/top_7_largest_cat_breeds
https://www.thesprucepets.com/savannah-breed-profile-554212
https://savannahcat.com/public/index.php?page=about
Thanks. I learned a lot from your article. We took in a very large male cat when a neighbor of ours passed away. He had a lot of Maine coon in him and an adorably docile nature. We actually had to trap him to get him as he was very timid and scared and lived mostly outside and was regularly fed by our neighbor until he passed. It was a very cold winter and we knew our last chance was to get him before the temperatures dropped to the single digit on the Fahrenheit scale. Even though he took to us, he was very frail and had all manner of health issues. The main issue was a hypothyroid condition. We actually took him in for radiotherapy and it seemed to be successful but then when we took him back for a check-up he jumped off the examination table and had a massive heart attack and that was it. We missed him very much even though he had only been with us for less than a year. Now I understand so much more about this breed. I had also heard different things about the origins of Savannah cats, so you cleared that up too. Maybe someday we will look for a Maine Coon kitten. Best regards, Andy
Hi Andy, sorry for your loss! You took such good care of that cat while he was living- good for you. My cat actually has a very similar story to your Maine Coone’s. He was very wild and lived mostly outside when he first started showing up at our house. He didn’t weigh a lot because he only ate what he hunted in the wild. He is very gentle-natured but it took him a couple of years to really get used to us as his new family 🙂
