By nature, people are such that they always strive to get everything that is most beautiful, large and rare. This also applies to pets. Each time, breeders develop new breeds to secure their place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Felinologists never stop working, so in the world today there are many varieties of cats with their own individual traits.
If we talk about the largest cats in the world, they must be assessed according to various parameters. Some consider a big animal to be one that has a considerable body length, while others consider tall pets. Find out more about the largest cat breeds in the world.
The largest domestic cats in the world
Today the main rivals who are fighting for the title of the largest domestic cat in the world are MAIN COON AND SAVANNAH.
Their likely third competitor is a cat belonging to the Asher breed. But, after a recent revelation, it turned out that such pets are a figment of the imagination of a felinologist, and therefore do not exist, but are an ordinary savannah, called by a different name.
After the scandal, this student was disqualified, but some nuances of this interesting story should be told. And today there is no clear court ruling regarding this breed of cats.
A serious hereditary examination is being carried out, designed to find out the whole truth about the usher. Her owner, a man named Brandy, claims that the savannah and the Asherah are completely different animals.
Third place – Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Jaguar
The Jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and the third largest in the world. The preferred habitats of jaguars are swamps and wooded areas; but they also live in bushes and deserts. The largest population of jaguar is in the Amazon rainforest. Jaguars roar, they have a powerful jaw, sharp and strong fangs, which gives a high bite force. The coat is usually yellow-brown, but the color sometimes varies from reddish-brown to black. Black jaguars, leopards and pumas that exhibit melanism are called "black panthers" or simply "panthers".
How to distinguish a jaguar from a leopard?
How to distinguish a jaguar from a leopard
The jaguar has dark “rosette” spots on its body, in the center of which, unlike the leopard, there are black dots. Along the midline of the back there is a row of long black spots that sometimes merge into stripes.
The male jaguar is larger than the female and weighs between 100 and 160 kg. They establish territories twice as large as females and cross the ranges of several females.
Jaguars are endangered. There are an estimated 15,000 jaguars left in the wild. Life expectancy is 12-15 years, in the zoo over 20 years.
Savannah
By weight, it is the largest domestic cat in the world, but its height and body length are also significant.
Savannahs weigh between twelve and fifteen kilograms, almost the same as Maine Coons, although individuals have been known to reach a weight of twenty kilograms. The height of the savannah is approximately sixty centimeters.
And today there is debate about whether these cats are considered domestic, since they arose as a result of crossing an ordinary cat and an African serval.
If you dig deeper, many pets have wild ancestors.
In addition to all the achievements, the Savannah is the most expensive cat in the world, its maximum cost is from 4,000 to 25,000 dollars.
In the wild and at home
There are people who like to keep a truly dangerous wild animal at home. It is believed that representatives of the cat family are best suited for these purposes. Considering that attempts to cross a wild cat with a domestic cat do not always lead to satisfactory results, the most desperate cat admirers decide to purchase a wild individual.
This decision can hardly be called reasonable, because living in direct contact with a predator can lead to unpredictable consequences. Having chosen such a pet, you need to carefully consider the conditions of detention and safety rules for it and, of course, for all household members.
So, wild cats that can theoretically be kept at home:
- Jaguarundi is an unusual cat with a face that resembles a weasel. The animal is native to South and Central America, whose closest relative is the puma. Despite such a serious relationship, the jaguarundi gets along well with humans. Cats are diurnal, quickly get used to their owner, and are easily tamed. The average weight of a male is 8 – 10 kg.
Jaguarundi
- Geoffroy is a relatively small cat native to South America. In appearance and habits it resembles a leopard, but is much smaller in size. The weight of an adult animal is about 5 kg; large cats can weigh 8 kg. Geoffreys are easy to train, especially if training begins at an early age. Cats are very affectionate, playful, and easy to make contact with. They can live both in a house or apartment, and in a cage on the street.
Geoffroy
- The caracal is another wild cat that lives near humans. Caracals can be trained, but it will take a lot of time and a lot of effort is required to get noticeable results. Keeping such a pet is expensive, and the animal is not suitable for living in a home. He requires a spacious outdoor enclosure. An adult male reaches a weight of 20 kg.
Caracal
- The Asian leopard cat is one of the most popular wild animals to keep as pets. Outwardly similar to a leopard, only smaller in size. The weight of an adult cat is 10 - 15 kg, with a body length of 43 - 45 cm. She gets used to living in a house quite easily if she is provided with suitable conditions. But keeping it in an outdoor enclosure is optimal.
Asian leopard cat
- Serval - ranks first in popularity among wild cats kept at home. The animal has a friendly disposition, they are capable of strong attachment to a person and remain devoted to him for many years. In terms of habits, the serval is in many ways similar to a dog. Very smart, easy to train. Can become an excellent protector for the owner. With proper upbringing, he grows up obedient, affectionate, and faithful. The weight of an adult male ranges from 9 to 18 kg.
Serval
The liger is considered the largest wild cat in the world. This animal is a hybrid resulting from the crossing of a lion and a tigress. Ligers are not found in the wild because lions and tigers have different habitat regions. The average weight of a male is 340 kg, height at the withers is 1.6 - 1.7 m. The Hercules liger is officially recognized as the largest representative of the breed. His weight is more than 420 kg, with a height of 1.86 m.
Maine Coon
Maine Coons are a large variety of cats, wonderful pets with tufted ears, long and soft hair and a variety of colors. They weigh from eight to fifteen kilograms and are approximately forty centimeters tall.
The record holder is the Maine Coon Stewie, who became the longest cat in the world. Its total length was one hundred twenty-three centimeters. In Russia, you can buy a Maine Coon kitten from 20,000 to 100,000 rubles.
Fifth place – Puma
Puma
Other names for puma are mountain lion, cougar, panther. The puma belongs to the genus Puma. Lives in North and South America. Lives in bushes, swamps and forests. Mountain lions are solitary and territorial animals, with ranges ranging from 250 sq. km up to 950 sq. km. The puma has yellow-brown fur, straight ears, and a long tail. The animal is born with spots that disappear as they grow.
Males weigh on average from 50 to 100 kg, females - 30-65 kg . Pumas have large, strong paws and proportionately the largest hind paws in the cat family. This physique helps to jump long distances (4-12 meters) and run fast (60-80 km/h).
The puma does not roar, it makes sounds of hissing, growling, whistling, screaming. Mountain lions are active at dusk, at night, and at dawn; These are predators that eat prey of various sizes - from insects, rodents to medium and large ungulates (especially deer).
The total mountain lion population is estimated to be less than 50,000. The average lifespan in the wild is 8-13 years, in a zoo it is about 20 years.
Chausie
In addition to the contenders for the title of the largest cat in the world described above, we need to talk about the descendant of the jungle cat - the chausie. She weighs up to eighteen kilograms and can reach forty centimeters in height.
Breeders, creating this breed and crossing an Abyssinian with a jungle cat, wanted to get a domestic breed that would protect wild animals from life in captivity. They achieved their goal, and today the Chausie gets along well with humans and is quite friendly towards its owners. In Russia You can buy Chausie kittens by paying from 100,000 rubles.
Ragamuffin
California is considered the birthplace of this breed, and it was born as a result of the efforts of Ann Baker, who decided to modify the Ragdoll. So she began to crossbreed the Ragdoll with other cat breeds, such as the Persian, the Yard Longhair, and the Himalayan.
As a result of these efforts, a breed was born that was called “cherub,” but at the last moment it was renamed and began to be called “ragamuffin,” which means “ragamuffin.”
Adults weigh at least 10 kilograms and acquire impressive sizes, although they mature only at 4 years of age. The breed does not have a beautiful, proportional physique, but it is distinguished by a variety of coat colors.
Ragdoll
Ragdoll cats, although different in size from ordinary pets, cannot be considered true giants.
The largest among them are males, and even then not always. Ragdolls weigh up to nine kilograms with a maximum height of one meter.
Such cats are also called rag dolls. Their ancestors gave them tireless ardor, kindness, a pretty appearance and an absolute lack of aggression. Ragdoll kittens cost from 10,000 rubles. up to 40,000.
Pixie bob
Another representative of the giants among cats is the pixie-bob, which has short fur and looks like a lynx, from which it is almost indistinguishable.
Pixie bobs are like little lynxes: they have tufted ears and a similar coloration. In addition, these animals have very short tails. A male can weigh up to eight kilograms, and a female can weigh up to five. A pixie-bob cat can be purchased for 25 – 70 thousand rubles.
Siberian
Cats bred in Russia. They especially stand out among their relatives for their size.
Males can weigh twelve kilograms, but females weigh less, only five or six.
Their main feature is their excessive fluffiness and docile nature. They look like large and overwhelming bundles of tenderness. Felinologists say that Siberian cats are hypoallergenic, so even very sensitive people can have them. A Siberian cat can be purchased from 5,000 rubles. up to 20,000 rub.
Leopard or Asherah cat
Cats of this breed appeared relatively recently, they were bred by American geneticists led by the British entrepreneur Simon Brodie. The long-legged African Serval, which is the name given to the wild cat, and the Asian leopard predator were crossed.
As a result, biotechnologists got a cat - a leopard. She bears the name of the goddess Asherah. The goal of geneticists was to breed an animal that could be considered a perfect creature in all respects.
The leopard cat differs from other species of the cat family by its impressive size, menacing appearance, powerful paws, predatory grin and exotic appearance.
At the same time, Asher cats have typical habits of domestic pets and an easy-going and affectionate character. They, just like other individuals, love to play, cuddle and “sing” songs - they purr. These unpretentious creatures love to play and frolic with children. At the same time, they are careful and try not to scratch anyone.
Simon Brodie's employees developed hypoallergenic cats several years ago. This achievement will help many people have a furry, affectionate and beloved friend in their home. True, this desire can be expensive. A small Usher can cost around $22,000, but more often than not the amount is much higher.
If you buy a hypoallergenic cat, then you need to add about six thousand more to this amount.
By purchasing this pet, you get:
- complete vaccination of the individual;
- annual health insurance;
- identifier – a microchip implanted into the body of an individual;
- hygiene kit;
- special toys made from safe material;
- food that can be called not only dietary, but also elite;
- claw attachments made of vinyl included in the set;
- as well as a consultation with veterinarian Ronald Tripp for 10 years.
It is this luminary of veterinary science who is a recognized expert on cats; he knows better than others how to properly care for them.
Asher cats are recognized as the largest, but this fact is already disputed by the creators of the Savannah breed. The scandalous fame of the dispute is fueled by legal showdowns, during which DNA tests are even carried out.
Forest Norwegian
In our area, Scandinavian forest cats are rare; the breed is common in the countries of Northern Europe. The weight of the animal reaches 10 kg. It is considered the national breed of Norway. Cats have a quiet, good character, are very sociable, and quickly become attached to a person.
The price of a kitten starts from 10,000 rubles; for trained exhibition participants you will sometimes have to pay 30,000 or 40,000 rubles.
British Shorthair
This breed of cats reaches 7-8 kg, have a friendly character, although it is believed that the British are arrogant, independent and “walking on their own” cats.
They have high intelligence, playfulness, and, of course, independence; they will not tolerate bad treatment. The average price of a British shorthair cat is about 12,000 rubles.
