Most people can easily identify a Siamese or Persian out of a lineup of house cats, but can you imagine naming just about any other cat breed? The Peterbald for example? Or the Sokoke? Your guess is as good as mine. It might be time to take up a new hobby, like bird watching!
These are the rarest cat breeds are from all over the world and some of them even cost a lot! Have you ever seen any of these gems before? You should follow this list for more information about these awesome animals.
The Cat Fanciers’ Association points out that only 2%- 4% of owned cats make the pedigreed cut. For this reason, all purebred felines can be considered rare and thus treasured. Here are 10 rarest cat breeds you might not have heard of before- or seen in person!
List of 12 Rarest Cat Breeds
1. Bombay
Bombay cats are an ideal pet. They are medium-sized, balanced, friendly and outgoing – with a surprisingly high weight for their size! They have a body and tail of medium length. Their head is round with medium-sized and wide-set ears, a moderate stop that is visible, large, round and wide-set eyes.
If you’re paying attention, then you’ll notice that people have been coming up with a ton of requests for smaller versions of wild big cats such as lynxes, bobcats, jaguars, lions etc. They even wanted to make a smaller panther.
2. Egyptian Mau
photo: memphisandcash_
Egyptian Mauses are a small- to medium-sized short-haired cat breed found. It’s one of the few breeds that have natural spots, appearing on just the tip hairs of its coat. The Egyptian Mau is also considered a rare breed, making their adoption even more desirable!
3. Turkish Van
The Turkish Van is a natural breed that originated in the Middle Arab and has react to its soiled, rugged, and varied environment. This breed is known for their signature pattern. As such, they are now called Van to describe their pure white coats with brown markings.
4. British Shorthair
photo: chasiugold
The British shorthair cat is a medium-to-large breed with a short coat and distinctive round face. It is sweet, loyal & affectionate without being clingy or needy.
It’s well known that cats live very long lives. You may not know this, but the British Shorthair is one of the oldest cat breeds that has been around for a VERY long time – its over two thousand years old! In the UK, this kind of cat is so revered that one inspired the look for the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. Plus, it’s the most pedigreed breed!
5. California Spangled
photo: curious_paws_
California Spangled is a hybrid cat–the result of crossing the best qualities and characteristics of 5 different breeds, including Angora, Siamese, Abyssinian, American Shorthair, and British Shorthair. They’re energetic, but loyal & loving at the same time.
The California Spangled has been developed in the US at the urging of famous anthropologist Louis Leaky. Sadly, this breed is now one of the rarest cats on Earth because it’s not in fashion anymore.
6. Geoffroy’s Cat
photo:geoffroycat.gcwg
Geoffroy’s cats are native to South America and are found across various countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile. Don’t worry – this isn’t a specific cat, just a whole species. And one of the smallest on earth. It’s not just size that makes these cats special though, they can weigh up to 8 pounds full grown!
7. Ragamuffin
photo: musashi.the.cat
The Ragamuffin cat is surprisingly unique in comparison to other cats, which may have an odd-sounding name. We didn’t know about this breed until 2003, but it won the hearts of cat lovers everywhere shortly after. It’s a mix of several different breeds including the ragdoll and certain street cats which is reflected in its fur and eyes.
8. Ocelot
photo: parcanimalierdespyrenees
Ocelots are not just any old domesticated cat. They’re exotic, temperamental, and a lot of people have tried to make them pets with varied results. If you’ve ever watched Archer, then you’ll know the kind of high-maintenance pet an ocelot can be.
9. Serengeti
While you weren’t born an original, it takes a lot of work to sculpt yourself into one. Cats have been bred that way for a long time. A fine example of this is the Serengeti
The Serengeti is a mixed-breed cat that’s a cross between the Bengal and the Oriental Shorthair breeds. These cats are known for being loyal, energetic, and agile.
10. The Norwegian Forest Cat
I like cats and the Norwegian Forest Cat is a pretty popular choice in Europe. It was almost driven to extinction during World War 2 but luckily it managed to survive thanks to some Norwegians Forest Cat Club.
11. Caracals
Caracals are beautiful cats with a distinct face marking, reddish-brown skin, long legs and big black tufted ears. Caracals are a type of Lynx and like their relatives, they have some aggressive tendencies. However, they’re not quite the same.
12. Peterbald
photo: delmar_cat_and_family
The Peterbald is a rare cat breed originating from Russia. They were created in 1994 as an experiment in St Petersburg by Olga Mironova
This is a pretty easy to spot cat. They’re called the Peterbald and they mostly populate Russia. Instead of hair, they’re completely bald, which can be kind of weird to look at but also really cool. Some are sometimes found sans hair but most are bald nonetheless.
Related : 11 Most Popular Fluffy Cat Breeds with Their Pictures
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