Cat breeds in Australia
Honest Australia-specific breed guides. Every page covers 2026 prices from reputable AU breeders, typical monthly food cost, what insurance you'll pay, and the hereditary issues to screen for. We skip the fluff and give you what matters before you commit to 15+ years.
The Ragdoll is Australia's most-searched cat breed for good reason. They're huge, fluffy, dog-like, and famously docile — they literally go limp when picked up. Excellent first cat for families, but HCM screening matters.
The teddy-bear of cats — round face, dense 'crushable' coat, calm temperament. British Shorthairs are independent and dignified rather than velcro. Excellent apartment cats if you want company that doesn't need managing.
The Aussie moggy — the default cat. Not a pedigree breed, but the genetic mixed-heritage generally means a healthier, longer-lived cat than a pedigree. Adopting from RSPCA, AWL, or a rescue is almost always the right call.
The 'gentle giant' of the cat world. Maine Coons are absurdly large, absurdly friendly, and absurdly hairy. They chirp rather than meow, walk on a harness, and fetch like a dog. Expensive to feed and to insure, but worth it if you have the budget.
Smart, loud, and wildly affectionate — Burmese cats are velcro. Australian Burmese in particular (a recognised sub-type) are slightly rounder than American Burmese and are Australia's most popular short-haired pedigree after the British Shorthair.
The original people-cat. Siamese are intensely social, demanding, vocal, and fiercely loyal. If you want a cat that's basically a small opinionated dog, this is it — but know you're signing up for 18+ years of conversation.
The iconic long-haired lap cat. Persians are famously placid — almost reserved — with spectacular coats that are a genuine daily commitment. Flat-faced show lines have real breathing and tear-staining issues; 'traditional' or doll-faced Persians are healthier.
Elegant, introverted, and one of the lowest-Fel-d-1 breeds (meaningful reduction in cat-allergy triggers). Russian Blues form tight bonds with their owner but hide from visitors. Quiet homes only.
The naked cat. Wrinkled, warm, and socially intense. Sphynx are high-maintenance — they need weekly baths, warm rooms, and constant engagement — but they're genuinely unique companions.
Half domestic cat, half Asian Leopard Cat (originally). Modern Bengals (F5 and later) are fully domestic but retain the wild coat and a lot of the drive. Stunning cats; demanding owners required.
The 'owl cat' — famously cute, famously ethically fraught. The same gene that folds the ears causes skeletal disease. Responsible breeders now outcross Fold × Straight to limit severity. Many AU vets recommend avoiding the breed entirely. Read both sides before buying.
A Siamese in every colour but the Siamese colourpoint. Same loud, demanding, loyal temperament — just in solid, tabby, tortie, smoke, or bicolour. Australia's best-kept secret among pedigree cats.
One of the oldest recognised cat breeds and one of the most active. Abyssinians don't really 'sit' — they patrol. Great for an engaged owner; terrible for someone who wants a lap cat.
The 'Viking cat' — large, thick-coated, athletic, independent. Norwegian Forest Cats thrive in cooler Australian climates. They're more reserved than Maine Coons and less clingy than Ragdolls.
A Burmese × Siamese cross, recognised as a breed in the 1970s. Tonkinese inherit the affection of the Burmese and the intelligence of the Siamese, with the volume dialled down. Widely considered the best cat breed for people who want a personality but can't live with Siamese vocalisation.
Often confused with Ragdolls and Persians — Birmans are their own thing. Silky semi-long coat without undercoat (much less matting), white 'gloved' paws, and a gentle, attentive personality. Excellent compromise for people who want long-haired without daily grooming.
The Australian Mist is the country's only fully homegrown cat breed — developed in Sydney by Dr Truda Straede in 1977 from Burmese, Abyssinian, and domestic shorthair lines. Bred specifically for indoor Australian living: tolerant of being picked up, low-prey-drive (so you don't end up with another wildlife liability), and unfazed by hot climates.
Burmillas are what you get when a Burmese accidentally meets a Chinchilla Persian — and someone notices the kittens look spectacular. Silver-shaded coat with dramatic black mascara eyeliner around bright green eyes. Burmese temperament without the foghorn voice. Quietly very popular in Australia.
If a chihuahua and a kitten had a baby that thought it was a monkey, you'd get a Devon Rex. Big ears, elfin face, curly soft coat, and an unhinged personality that wants to be on your shoulder, in your dinner, and under the doona — usually in that order.
Greyhound of the cat world — narrow body, long legs, arched back, tucked belly. The wave-pattern coat (marcel waves rather than Devon's curls) is uniquely soft. Cornish Rexes never quite stop being kittens, mentally — even at age 12 they'll chase a string until you collapse from boredom.
Originally from the Isle of Man, where a natural tailless mutation took hold in a small island gene pool. The tailless gene is lethal in homozygous form — embryos don't develop. Even surviving rumpy kittens face Manx Syndrome risk. Choose a breeder who pairs rumpy with stumpy or tailed parents.
A Ragdoll splinter group bred for genetic diversity outside the original Ragdoll bloodline. Practically identical in temperament — large, gentle, dog-like, lap-loving — but allowed in a wider colour range and from a broader gene pool. Easier to find genetic-health diversity.
Ancient Turkish breed — direct descendants of the cats that lived in Ankara for centuries. Long single coat (no undercoat = much less matting than Persian/Maine Coon), athletic build, and famously busy personality. White cats with one blue and one green eye are the iconic look.
Bred specifically to look like a black panther in miniature: glossy black coat, copper-gold eyes, muscular build. Black American Shorthair × sable Burmese cross. Personality is full Burmese — affectionate, dog-like, vocal.
The world's smallest registered cat breed — adult females top out at 2 kg. Sepia-ticked coat, large eyes and ears that dwarf the face. Despite the dainty look, Singapuras are famously curious and shoulder-perchers.
Siamese × American Shorthair cross — gives you Siamese body type and pointed colouring with white 'snowshoe' paws and a distinctive face blaze. The white markings are genetically tricky to produce; even from two Snowshoe parents, only 1 in 3 kittens may meet the breed standard.
Persian × Siamese cross fixed in the 1950s. Persian body and coat with Siamese pointed colouring and blue eyes. In some registries (TICA, CFA Persian division) Himalayans are classified as a Persian colour variety rather than a separate breed.
A natural dwarfism mutation that produces short legs (~7–8 cm vs normal cat's 12–15 cm). Recognised by TICA but explicitly not recognised by FIFe, GCCF, or several other registries on welfare grounds. The Cat Council of Australia does not recognise the breed. Buyers should research the welfare debate carefully.
The cat that looks like a sheep. Curly coat from a dominant gene (so kittens with one Selkirk parent get curls, unlike Cornish/Devon). British Shorthair-style chunky body. Calm, patient temperament — quite different from the manic Cornish Rex despite the curls.
The only naturally spotted domestic cat — the spots are not a result of cross-breeding with wild cats. Considered the original cat of Ancient Egypt; modern breeding line traces to a single Egyptian queen smuggled out of Cairo in 1953. Athletic, graceful, and strikingly fast — recorded at 48 km/h in short sprints.