All cat lovers have dreamed of petting a tiger at least once. Or a lion. Or a snow leopard. Well, or any other big cat that you just can’t pet - after all, each of them is a huge paradise on its paws! Fortunately, we have domestic cats, who are just as wonderful. Only small ones.
However, in nature there are compromise options. Today we want to show you the largest breeds of domestic cats from all over the world, which in size are as close as possible to real tigers and lions, only they (most likely) will also agree to live with you without biting off other people’s limbs for fun.
Ragdoll
Average weight: male 5-9 kg, female 4-7 kg
The brightest and largest representative of this cat breed is Merlin, who looks at everyone around him exactly as they deserve it. But in general, this type of cat has a soft character - ragdolls are able to completely relax in a person’s arms, as their name suggests (ragdoll from English - “rag doll”).
Maine Coon, 7-12 kg
Representatives of the breed are distinguished by their large size, rich “fur coat” and impressive body weight. The Maine Coon is a reliable friend and an excellent companion who quickly wins the love and recognition of all family members.
Cats of this breed love games, and are ready to play in the morning or evening; during the daytime, the cat is unlikely to keep you company in games, since at this time she prefers to sleep.
The Maine Coon is a kind and wise animal. From birth he is a born hunter and strategist, has a developed intellect, but at the same time the animal is not at all vindictive.
Cats with beautiful fur easily “read” the emotional mood of their owner, so they always know when to approach to receive a portion of affection.
Norwegian Forest Cat
Average weight: male 6-9 kg, female 5.5 kg
Despite the name of the breed, these kites live quietly in apartments and do not beg their owners to urgently take them to the Norwegian forest. But it’s still worth giving them the opportunity to walk more often, as they are very energetic and love open spaces. Norwegians are patient, ready to serve as exemplary mousecatchers, and at the same time very friendly. Among the funny features of the breed, it is worth noting that only its representatives descend from the tree head down. So that's how they do it.
British Shorthair
Average weight: male 4-8 kg, female 3-7 kg
One of the oldest cat breeds on the planet. According to legend, the British are descendants of the same Cheshire cat. And these beauties quietly live up to 20 years and very rarely (compared to other cats) meow, attracting people’s attention. In general, they calmly tolerate loneliness and know how to entertain themselves in the absence of their two-legged slaves.
Common lynx
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This herding dog-sized predator is still found in some regions of Europe. Especially in North and Central, you can still find this animal in the wild. The lynx is a very territorial animal, whose territory can reach up to 1000 square kilometers. They hunt mainly at dusk for rabbits and deer. It is easily recognized by its long ears and short tail.
Housey (chausie, shawzy)
Average weight: male 4-7 kg, female 3-5 kg
This cat breed, with many variations in its name, was created by crossing a jungle cat and a domestic cat. Houseies love to jump, climb trees and hunt everyone and everything. This type of cat is so rare that the world has yet to study them. What is known is that they are friendly, treat other pets well, and love to travel!
Turkish van
Average weight: male 6-9 kg, females 4.5-6 kg
These adorable creatures differ from other cats in that they get along well with other pets, even dogs (and they also love children, provided that they do not torture them too much). Vans are very active and inquisitive - all the shelves in your house will be conquered, and all the toys will be played with. They especially love to catch objects on the fly, performing amazing pirouettes in the air. As you can imagine, these Turkish guys would rather sit on your shoulders than lie on your lap. So play with them more!
Cheetah
The cheetah is known as the fastest land animal in the world. Its speed is admired in Africa and Iran, where it catches its prey with a short sprint. His light build coupled with his long legs is what makes him so fast. Its pale yellow body covered with black spots can reach one and a half meters in length.
Siberian cat
Average weight: male 5-7 kg, female 4-5 kg
This breed is considered the national Russian cat. In character, they are, surprisingly, similar to dogs. Yes Yes! They become attached to only one owner, follow him, get bored, protect him from rodents and greet him at the door with a loving look. Although they may not get along with another dog (already a real one) - competition for the owner’s attention, after all.
Their focus on people is generally on a cosmic level - if a Siberian sees that his person is busy, then he simply will not bother with him. This behavior of KOTA is nothing but admirable. And this breed of these big cats is recognized as hypoallergenic - but they are ideal, after all!
Jaguar
The golden skin of this massive predator, whose height at the withers varies from 69 to 79 cm and weight from 68 to 135 kg, is painted with bright patterns - black spots and rings. Intricate colors help to perfectly camouflage among bushes and trees. The jaguar has no equal in pursuing prey. The hardy mammal covers tens of kilometers every day, it swims well and runs fast. The hunter kills with one leap - the blow of a powerful paw can break the victim's spine.
The range of jaguars is Central and South America. The Olmec Indians inhabited these lands in the 2nd century BC. e., they believed that people and huge spotted cats had common ancestors. Today, the graceful animal, once revered by man, is in danger of extinction and is listed in the Red Book.
Carthusian cat (or chartreuse)
Average weight: males 6-7 kg, females 4-5 kg
These short-haired Frenchies are the most jealous cats in the world - they cannot stand rival pets in any way. If there is Chartreuse in the family, then there is ONLY Chartreuse in the family! They have the same attitude towards their favorite place in the house - try to take it! By nature, Chartreuse is endowed with a very weak voice (although they purr from the heart - you can hear it in the next room). But in contrast to their vocal abilities, these cats, as you already understand, are gifted with a steely character that will have to be reckoned with.
Savannah
Average weight: 7-15 kg (!!)
These spotted beauties (a mixture of a serval and a domestic cat) are not only enormous in size for domestic cats, but also cost from 1.5 thousand to 50 thousand dollars. Few people know, but one of the reasons why breeders decided to breed this breed is the desire to reduce the number of suffering leopards and cheetahs, which for some reason all sorts of rich people keep in their homes. But the Savannah will not suffer - their character (like Siberian cats) contains uncompromising loyalty to their people.
Famous giant cats
Breeders and owners of big cats are constantly recording new achievements to show the benefits of breeding and keeping a particular breed.
Before the fairly young Maine Coon Omar from Australia had time to win the hearts of lovers with his 120-centimeter size and 14-kilogram weight, his record was challenged by the even larger Walter de Lanez from the Ukrainian Melitopol.
Its weight exceeds 20 kg. In the near future, the owners are going to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records to take away the championship “throne” from overseas competitors.
British shorthair cats have long been famous for their faithful service to their state. They are traditionally appointed to the position of chief rat catcher at the Prime Minister's residence, and the treasury allocates separate financial resources for their maintenance. When Larry the cat left his post for a while, the whole country discussed this fact.
British Cat Larry
But even outbred cats rarely give the palm to their purebred brothers. The legendary Tom, who was picked up by an English officer somewhere near Sevastopol during the Crimean War, showed his saviors many caches of food, thanks to which they managed to avoid starvation.
Judging by the memories, he differed from an ordinary domestic cat in his very large size. And in 2022, a mongrel cat appeared in Philadelphia, Mister BJ, who weighed almost 13 kg; in size he could “overtake” the wild savannah and the Maine Coon.
Experienced owners believe that there is never too much of a good cat. It is impossible to refuse such a pleasure in the house as a large, affectionate cat, which rubs against the legs and purrs loudly under the owner’s side. Health problems in such animals are extremely rare, and with proper care they can live to a ripe old age.
Almost all large cats belong to the category of long-livers and easily cross the 15-year mark. This means that they please owners much longer than smaller representatives of the “cat” family.
Sources
- https://MrKot.com/samye-bolshie-koshki-v-mire
- https://pets-expert.ru/bolshie-koshki-obzor-krupnyh-porod/
- https://twizz.ru/10-samyx-bolshih-domashnih-koshek/
- https://basetop.ru/samye-bolshie-koshki-v-mire/
- https://litbro.ru/interesnoe/top-10-samyh-bolshih-koshek
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Kurilian Bobtail
Average weight: male 5-7 kg, female 3-5 kg
They are excellent fishermen, although they do not like water. Representatives of this breed are very fond of active games, including chasing a toy and then returning it to its owner (don’t you think that the bigger the cat, the more doglike traits it has?). And look at the characteristic bobtail ponytail - it is surprisingly short (3-8 cm).
