Which cat breed fits your family?
Cat breeds differ less dramatically than dog breeds, but coat care, how much a cat talks and whether it wants a lap vary enormously — and those are the things you live with every day. Answer five questions and we will show you the ones that actually fit your home — then you can read about each one properly.
Before you scroll: breed tells you a lot about a cat's coat, and less than you would think about the cat. Cats were domesticated thousands of years after dogs, and most of the selection that produced today's breeds happened in roughly the last 75 years — which is why a pedigree cat is far closer to an ordinary moggy than a Chihuahua is to a Great Dane. Use this page to narrow down the practical stuff, then judge the cat in front of you.
Start at the shelter
Domestic Shorthair
The ordinary, extraordinary shelter cat — every colour, every personality, and the one you can actually meet before you choose.
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate🧒 Great with kids$ to keep
Domestic Longhair
The same everyday cat with a long coat — beautiful, and a brush in your hand a few times a week.
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate🧒 Great with kids$ to keep
All 18 purebred cat breeds
Maine Coon
The gentle giant of the cat world — enormous, shaggy, and famously good-natured.
🐆 Big🙂 Moderate🌬️ Heavy shed🪥 Some grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Maine Coons regularly hold the record for the longest domestic cat, tail included.
Norwegian Forest Cat
A big, quiet, weatherproof Scandinavian cat that would rather be near you than on you.
🐆 Big🙂 Moderate🌬️ Heavy shed🪥 Some grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Norse legend gave the goddess Freyja a chariot pulled by large cats, which the breed is traditionally linked to.
Siberian allergy-friendlier
A round, dense, affectionate Russian cat that is often easier on allergy sufferers than most.
🐆 Big🙂 Moderate🌬️ Heavy shed🪥 Some grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Siberians are Russia's national cat and appear in written records going back hundreds of years.
Ragdoll
Large, silky and famously relaxed — a cat bred specifically to be picked up.
🐆 Big😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding🪥 Some grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: The name comes from the breed's habit of going completely limp when lifted.
Birman
A gentle, quiet colourpointed cat wearing four neat white gloves.
🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding🪥 Some grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Every Birman has white "gloves" on all four paws — it is written into the breed standard.
Persian
The classic long-haired lap cat — placid, quiet, and a daily grooming commitment.
🐈 Average😌 Low energy🌬️ Heavy shed💇 Pro grooming🙂 Careful kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Persians have been popular in Europe since the 1600s, making them one of the oldest recognised breeds.
Exotic Shorthair
A Persian in a plush short coat — the same calm cat without the daily brushing.
🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding🧼 Low grooming🙂 Careful kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Exotics are nicknamed "the lazy man's Persian" because they need so much less grooming.
British Shorthair
A dense, round, dignified cat that likes you very much and would still rather not be picked up.
🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding🧼 Low grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: The British Shorthair is thought to be the original inspiration for the Cheshire Cat.
Russian Blue allergy-friendlier
A fine-boned silvery cat with green eyes, quiet manners and a deep attachment to one or two people.
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate✨ Low shed🧼 Low grooming⚠️ Older kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: The silver sheen comes from each hair being tipped, which is why the coat seems to shimmer.
American Shorthair
A sturdy, healthy, good-tempered working cat — the pedigree version of the everyday tabby.
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate🧹 Some shedding🧼 Low grooming🧒 Great with kids$$ to keep
Fun fact: American Shorthairs are believed to have arrived on ships with early European settlers as working rat-catchers.
Siamese
Sleek, clever and extremely talkative — a cat that expects to be part of the conversation.
🐈 Average⚡ High energy✨ Low shed🧼 Low grooming🙂 Careful kids$$ to keep
Fun fact: Siamese kittens are born pure white; the dark points develop as they grow.
Oriental Shorthair
A Siamese in every colour except colourpoint — enormous ears, endless energy, endless opinions.
🐈 Average⚡ High energy✨ Low shed🧼 Low grooming🙂 Careful kids$$ to keep
Fun fact: The breed is recognised in hundreds of colour and pattern combinations, more than any other cat.
Abyssinian
A lithe, ticked, endlessly curious cat that treats your house as terrain to be surveyed.
🐈 Average⚡ High energy✨ Low shed🧼 Low grooming🙂 Careful kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Each Abyssinian hair is banded with several colours, which is what makes the coat glow.
Bengal
A muscular, spotted, high-energy cat that looks wild and needs entertaining like a small dog.
🐈 Average⚡ High energy🧹 Some shedding🧼 Low grooming⚠️ Older kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: The rosetted spotting comes from an ancestor that really was a wild cat — the Asian leopard cat.
Devon Rex allergy-friendlier
A small elfin cat with enormous ears and a soft wavy coat, permanently attached to a warm human.
🐈 Small⚡ High energy✨ Low shed🧼 Low grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: The breed began with a single curly-coated stray kitten found in Devon in 1959.
Sphynx
Hairless, warm, wrinkled and outrageously affectionate — and more upkeep than a coat, not less.
🐈 Average⚡ High energy✨ Low shed🪥 Some grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Sphynx cats are not truly hairless; they are covered in a fine down like the skin of a peach.
Burmese
A compact, glossy, surprisingly heavy cat that is about as dog-like as cats get.
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate✨ Low shed🧼 Low grooming🧒 Great with kids$$ to keep
Fun fact: Burmese are often called "bricks wrapped in silk" because they weigh far more than they look.
Scottish Fold
The cat with folded ears — sweet-natured, and carrying a genuine welfare problem you should read about first.
🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding🧼 Low grooming🧒 Great with kids$$$ to keep
Fun fact: Every Scottish Fold descends from a single barn cat called Susie, found in Perthshire in 1961.
📊 Compare all 18 side by side in a table
| Breed | Size | Energy | Shedding | Grooming | With kids | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Coon | 🐆 Big | 🙂 Moderate | 🌬️ Heavy shed | 🪥 Some grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Norwegian Forest Cat | 🐆 Big | 🙂 Moderate | 🌬️ Heavy shed | 🪥 Some grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Siberian | 🐆 Big | 🙂 Moderate | 🌬️ Heavy shed | 🪥 Some grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Ragdoll | 🐆 Big | 😌 Low energy | 🧹 Some shedding | 🪥 Some grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Birman | 🐈 Average | 😌 Low energy | 🧹 Some shedding | 🪥 Some grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Persian | 🐈 Average | 😌 Low energy | 🌬️ Heavy shed | 💇 Pro grooming | 🙂 Careful kids | $$$ |
| Exotic Shorthair | 🐈 Average | 😌 Low energy | 🧹 Some shedding | 🧼 Low grooming | 🙂 Careful kids | $$$ |
| British Shorthair | 🐈 Average | 😌 Low energy | 🧹 Some shedding | 🧼 Low grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Russian Blue | 🐈 Average | 🙂 Moderate | ✨ Low shed | 🧼 Low grooming | ⚠️ Older kids | $$$ |
| American Shorthair | 🐈 Average | 🙂 Moderate | 🧹 Some shedding | 🧼 Low grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$ |
| Siamese | 🐈 Average | ⚡ High energy | ✨ Low shed | 🧼 Low grooming | 🙂 Careful kids | $$ |
| Oriental Shorthair | 🐈 Average | ⚡ High energy | ✨ Low shed | 🧼 Low grooming | 🙂 Careful kids | $$ |
| Abyssinian | 🐈 Average | ⚡ High energy | ✨ Low shed | 🧼 Low grooming | 🙂 Careful kids | $$$ |
| Bengal | 🐈 Average | ⚡ High energy | 🧹 Some shedding | 🧼 Low grooming | ⚠️ Older kids | $$$ |
| Devon Rex | 🐈 Small | ⚡ High energy | ✨ Low shed | 🧼 Low grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Sphynx | 🐈 Average | ⚡ High energy | ✨ Low shed | 🪥 Some grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
| Burmese | 🐈 Average | 🙂 Moderate | ✨ Low shed | 🧼 Low grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$ |
| Scottish Fold | 🐈 Average | 😌 Low energy | 🧹 Some shedding | 🧼 Low grooming | 🧒 Great with kids | $$$ |
❓ Common questions
How do I choose the right cat breed for my family?
Cat breeds differ far less in size and exercise needs than dog breeds do, so the things that actually shape daily life are coat care, how much the cat talks, and whether it wants to be on your lap or left alone. Decide those three first and the shortlist gets short quickly.
What is the best cat breed for a family with young children?
Temperament matters more than breed, and an adult cat whose personality you can already see is a safer bet than any kitten. Look for a cat that tolerates handling, and teach children to leave it alone while it eats or sleeps. Very small, fine-boned or highly strung breeds suit older children better.
Are any cat breeds hypoallergenic?
No. Some breeds, including the Siberian, have a reputation for producing less of the protein most people react to, and some allergy sufferers genuinely do better with a particular cat — but individual cats vary enormously and no breed is allergy-proof. Spend time with the specific cat before deciding.
Should we adopt or buy a cat?
Adopt first. Most cats in shelters are Domestic Shorthairs and Longhairs, they avoid the inherited problems that concentrate in pedigree lines, and staff can tell you how each one behaves around children. Pedigree rescues exist too if you have your heart set on a breed.
📚 Where this comes from
We check our care advice against vets, animal charities, and government health guidance. Here is what this page is built on.
Vets, charities & official guidance
- Lovely lilies and curious cats — FDA
- Indoor and house cats — Blue Cross
- Cats — CDC Healthy Pets, Healthy People
- Feeding growing kittens — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Declawing position statement — Feline Veterinary Medical Association
Keeper & species-community guides
Checked August 2026. These are other people’s websites, and none of it replaces your own vet — if a pet seems unwell, call one.