Have you ever seen a small cat breed and just melted?
If so, you’re not alone. While big breeds like the Maine Coon are certainly lovely, there’s something about the smaller breeds that makes your heart go pitter-patter.
Here are 21 of our favorite tiny cat breeds, all of which are too cute for words. (Don’t worry – we’ve included photos!) From the Siamese to the Singapura, these little guys are sure to make your day.
21. Khao Manee
These ancient glistening white cats are originally from Thailand. Khao Manees are extremely popular among Thai Royalties because they are believed to bring good luck to anyone who possesses them. They are referred to by many aristocrats as the “White Gem”.
These pristine-looking cats with jewel-like eyes that display shades of blue, green, or gold have a medium build. Despite their thin frame, they are athletic and love some playtime with their owners.
20. Oriental Shorthair
Unlike their Long Hair counterparts, the Oriental Short Hair cats have a long and sleek body design. Their tubular bodies are complemented by their slender legs making them look elegant as they glide gracefully across the room.
This small cat breed was developed to explore all the possible combinations of color and pattern on a cat’s coat. And just like their colorful coat, they are known to have equally vibrant and colorful personalities.
19. Japanese Bobtail
Known for their unique short and curled tails, Japanese Bobtails are ideal house pets. They are medium-sized cats with upright ears that form right angles with their triangular heads making them look alert.
These happy cats are always full of energy. They are very people-oriented and are especially good with children. When meeting other cats, they love to play tag with their cat friends. They also adjust to dogs and other animals well.
18. American Shorthair
Originally, the American Shorthairs were bred to be employed as working cats for hunting rodent pests. They are the product of breeding a working cat breed and a so-called beautiful cat breed.
The resulting litter is low-maintenance, medium build, hardworking cats. They are not only beautiful, but healthy, easy-going, and affectionate. This breed is known for its longevity and amiability with children, dogs, and other animals making them ideal household and family pets.
17. Turkish Angora
A cat with a dog-like personality? That is what Turkish Angoras are known for. These medium-size elegant and energetic cats are extremely adaptable, loving, and playful. When around other people, they become alert and wary inspecting everyone just like a dog would.
These fluff balls look a lot bigger than their actual size because of their long-haired coats. They are covered in soft, silky fur that rarely mat and requires only minimal grooming.
16. Tonkinese
Tonkinese are beautiful, medium-sized cats covered in short, soft, and silky fur. Because of their size and lovable personality, they are the perfect lap cats for those who will decide to take them home.
They are intelligent cats that know how to express themselves to their owners by vocalizing their feelings. They can communicate in sentences and even paragraphs when they feel the need to and especially when they demand a response from their humans.
15. Russian Blue
Anyone who spots Russian Blue cats cannot ever mistake them for any other cat breed. These cats are covered in even, bright blue, short, silky, dense coats that are velvety to the touch. In contrast to their lustrous coat, are rounded, wide-set eyes that are vivid green.
These cats have a muscular but medium build. Aside from their unique appearance, they are also known for being gentle and devoted pets to their owners.
14. LaPerm
LaPerm cats have had quite a complicated history but thankfully their breed was preserved for us to enjoy their company today. These cats are named as such because they are covered in coats of either wavy fur or ringlettype curls.
Because of their curly coats, they look like they are heavy and big-boned cats. But underneath the hair is a slender body that weighs just fine as a lapcat. They are very affectionate pets.
13. Minuet
Created by crossbreeding Persian cats and Munchkins, Minuets are developed to be toy cats perfect for families with children. These cats possess the beauty of their Persian ancestor and the size of the Munchkins.
Because they are instinctively short, they earned the nickname Napoleon. They may be small, but these cats pack a lot of personalities. They are sociable and energetic. They are not shy around other people and are loving towards their owners.
12. Egyptian Mau
Owing to their exotic looks, Egyptian Maus are popular among cat enthusiasts. One can clearly infer that they are descendants of Cheetahs because of their striking spotted coat, gait, and agility which is characteristic of the feline.
These cats are endowed with refined and moderate bodies that are muscular but lean. But despite their intimidating appearance, these cats are affectionate pets. They love everyone in the family but will dote on a special person.
11. Scottish Fold
Because of their characteristic folded ears, these cats are called Scottish Folds. Over the years, these cats that have folded ears have become rare types. This is due to another cat type of this breed whose ears do not fold was introduced into the gene pool.
In general, these cats are medium-size but look round because they are covered in pads of fur. Their temperament matches the sweet expression on their faces.
10. Toybob
Toybobs are known for being the cat breed that retains their kitten attributes in terms of size and disposition even as adults. Just like their name implies, these cats are small in size with kinked bobbed tails.
They may be cuddly in size but these cats are charming and playful. They love spending quality time with their humans snuggling in sofas on most days, but when taken out they are interactive with other people.
9. Dwelf
This small cat named after its dwarf-like and elf-life features is the result of interbreeding three cat breeds. The Dwelf’s gene contributors are the Munchkins, American Curls, and the Sphynx.
The resulting designer cat breed displays each of the three breeds’ known features. These cats are small than the Munchkins, have curly ears thanks to their American Curls blood, and are hairless like the Sphinx. But their social and interactive personality is unique to them.
8. Sphynx
Known as the hairless cat, Sphynx is popular among cat enthusiasts who are suffering from allergies to animal dander. These medium-sized cats are actually not always totally hairless, meaning they have different degrees of “hairlessness”.
They can have a few fine hairs on selected areas in their bodies. Because of their lack of fur, these cats need regular baths as their body oils, which should be absorbed by their hair, will pile on their skin.
7. Cornish Rex
There are a lot of things that distinguish a Cornish Rex from all other cat breeds. They have a characteristically unusual curly coat that is very short, lies close to their small bodies, and is incredibly soft to the touch.
Moreover, they are also remarkable because of their egg-shaped heads with large ears set high on the head. But more than their looks these cats are interactive whose kitten qualities last a lifetime.
6. Devon Rex
Being related to the Cornish Rex, Devon Rex can be distinguished from the former with its short whiskers compared to the longer ones of the Cornish. But basically, this cat breed also stands small in terms of size.
They are loyal and clingy pets that will want to do everything with their human owners. Cat lovers even say that sometimes they almost behave like dogs because of their needy nature and playing habits.
5. Havana Brown
These chocolate-coated cats, called Havana Brown, are energetic and occasionally mischievous household pets. But they are also so affectionate that they crave interactions with their human families and even other animal pets all the time.
Their medium-sized bodies that are covered in rich brown color coats exhibit elegance and gracefulness. And it’s even better once you feel their fur because it’s so plush that it is likened to a luxurious mink coat.
4. Siamese Cat
Another ancient breed from Thailand, Siamese cats have captured the hearts of many cat lovers since its discovery. Back when the country was still called Siam, these medium-sized lean-bodied cats are favorite lapwarmers.
They are intelligent cats that know how to communicate with their owners. They speak both with their legendary voice and with their svelte body. With an inquisitive personality and loving nature, these furry friends make for a popular cat breed option.
3. Munchkin
The Munchkin’s cat breed name was derived from the novel Wizard of Oz. In the story, the inhabitants of the Munchkin Country are small and stout individuals. This cat breed is one of the most famous small cats because they are cute and cuddly pets.
Their tiny size is due to a gene mutation. The mutation resulted in short legs with bodies that are smaller than average and shoulders that are very low to the ground.
2. American Curl
With distinguished ears that curl back in a graceful arc, American Curl’s cannot help but draw attention to them. But it’s not a problem because these cats are very people-oriented and charming. They do not have problems adjusting to other pets, children, and new situations.
Aside from their notable ears, their medium-sized bodies covered in silky flat-lying coats, are equally attractive to the breed. They have minimal undercoat that hardly requires any grooming,
1. Singapura Cat
Weighing at only 4 to 8 pounds, the Singapura is the smallest of the cat breeds. This Southeast asian cat with a namesake of its country of origin is an extroverted, curious, playful but most importantly a nondestructive cat.
By being observant, they have become intelligent cats that learned how to work their way into the world. They know how to use their charm when interacting with humans making them a popular pet choice.
Related Questions
Is There A Cat That Stays Small Forever?
Toybobs are cats that remain small throughout their lives. Potential cat owners would love to know that this breed is not just a smaller version of another breed of cat. These cats are naturally small and bobbed-tailed animals that originated in Russia.
Is 7 Lbs Small For A Cat?
Yes, cats that weigh between 6 to 8 lbs are considered small in terms of size. Cats follow size guidelines that determine whether they belong to the small, medium, or large cat groups. Medium cats are anywhere between 9 and 13 pounds while large cats weigh 14 lbs or more.
What Is The Smallest Cat Ever?
The smallest cat ever was the blue point Himalayan Persian cat named Tinker Toy from Illinois, USA. The tiny cat only measured a mere 7cm tall and 19cm long even when it was fully grown, making it to Guinness World Records for being the smallest known cat that ever lived.
