The biggest cat in the world. Description of large cat breeds

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Having tamed a cat more than 10 thousand years ago, people did not calm down and started breeding new breeds. Today there are more than 200 of them. Breeders sought to breed unusual animals with unique characteristics. They differ in the length of the coat, color, character, size. For a very long time, representatives of the Maine Coon breed were considered the largest cat. Today another breed took over the palm.

Rating of the largest cats

Few can afford a dog that requires repeated daily walks. Quite another thing is a cat. It may well be limited to the area of \u200b\u200ban apartment or house. Just when choosing a pet, it is worth considering its size. Some breeds are so large and active, such as the Savannah cat breed, that it is preferable to have a private house with a large backyard to keep them. Top 10 largest domestic felines:

• 10th place. Opensten short-haired Chartreuse breed (in the UK it is considered a variant of the short-haired "British", and not a separate breed). They have a "dog" character, strong, muscular creatures, the weight of cats is up to 7 kg, cats - 4-5 kg;
• 9th place - pixie-bob (short-tailed elf). An artificially bred cat breed. Outwardly, they are very reminiscent of lynxes. Males weigh up to 8 kg, females - within 6 kg;
• 8th place for Turkish van. Large animals with a height of 35-40 cm, have a muscular elongated (up to 120 cm) body with a live weight in cats up to 9 kg, cats - up to 6 kg;
• 7th place for Siberian cats. The weight of males ranges from 6-9 kg, some individuals grow up to 12, females - 3.5-7 kg;
• 6th place goes to semi-longhair ragdolls. Calm phlegmatic animals easily gain weight up to 9 kg for cats and almost 7 kg for cats. The Ragdoll is a very popular breed all over the world;
• 5th place for the Norwegian Forest cat. Despite their outwardly large dimensions (due to the thick waterproof undercoat and lush wool), the weight of cats does not exceed 9.5 kg, cats - 7 kg;
• 4th place is occupied by the "British". Both long-haired and short-haired British cats are similar in body type and weigh the same: males - up to 10 kg, females - up to 7 kg;
• 3rd place is rightfully occupied by the Chausie cat breed. Crossbreeds of the first generation easily gain 15 kg. Subsequent generations are somewhat smaller;
• 2nd place for Maine Coons. The live weight of cats can reach 15 kg, and cats - up to 6 kg;
• 1st place. Today, the largest breed of domestic cats is the Savannah. Themheight - under 60 cm, and weight - up to 20 kg.

British

Plush aristocrats trace their history back to the time of the Roman Empire. Over the past millennia, animals have changed little. A calm and somewhat arrogant independent character does not prevent cats from being sincerely attached to their owners. Royal behavior keeps animals from petty mischief, they do not tear wallpaper and furniture.

Outwardly, the British look like large and massive animals on low legs, always with a thick tail. They have excellent he alth, dense, well developed, strong, muscular and large body. The coat is thick, elastic, resilient and very pleasant to the touch.

Chausie

This is the result of the love of a jungle cat and a domestic cat. These crosses were not uncommon in Egypt and did not cause any excitement among the local population. In the sixties of the last century, American breeders took several animals to the United States, and painstaking work began. It took a lot of time and effort to find out that crossbreeds of the first and subsequent generations can be crossed either with ordinary shorthair cats or with Abisins. Only in 2003 were breed standards recognized and approved.

Chausie is not the biggest cat in the world, but it is one of the five most expensive animals. The price for a kitten starts from 112 thousand rubles. (from $2000). They attract with their exotic appearance and temperament - a legacy from a wild ancestor. At the same time, animals have a gentle character and are easily trained. Chausie catsfriendly, intelligent and absolutely safe. They get along well with other pets. They are clean and trainable. For such animals, a private house with a spacious yard is preferable.

Maine Coons

For a long time they were the largest breed of domestic cats. Maine Coons were bred over 200 years ago. A distinctive feature, a highlight is the tassels on the tips of the ears. Another pride of seals is a luxurious tail. With their decent size, animals have a surprisingly gentle and soft voice. In addition, they are very careful in their movements, they have a unique grace.

The size of Maine Coon cats is impressive. An officially recorded body length record from the base of the tail to the tip of the nose is 123.2 cm. The same cat named Suity (USA, Nevada) is the owner of the longest tail - 41.5 cm. over kg.

Savannah

A relatively young breed of cats - Savannah - is well-deservedly popular all over the world. She was bred in the 80s of the last century in America. The goal was to create a large domestic animal with a wild exotic color. The initial breeds were from the side of the wild - the African Serval, the "home group" was represented by: Bengal cat, Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair. Today, a large livestock allows you to breed clean animals, mating savannah with savannah or serval with savannah.

The biggest cats are easy to train, walk on a leash, while retaining the habits of a real hunter. Quietly get along with other household inhabitants. They have high legs, an elongated neck, an elongated body, thick spotted hair, rounded large ears. The "youth" of the breed dictates the prices for its representatives, especially large specimens of the first generation are valued, the price can reach up to 1.1 million rubles. ($20,000).

Wildlife

The biggest cat in the world in the wild is the Amur tiger. This is a luxurious beast weighing up to 350 kg. The total length of the body with a tail is 3 meters, the height at the withers is 115 cm. The predator is perfectly “armed”: the length of its fangs is up to 10 cm, and its claws grow up to 7.5 cm. Harsh living conditions stimulated the development of thick and long fur. At one time, the tiger is able to absorb up to 18 kg of meat. The basis of the diet are deer and wild boars.

Unfortunately, intensive poaching has brought the animal population to the brink of extinction. All kinds of measures are being taken in Russia to preserve and increase the number of striped giants.

Curious hybrid

A liger is the result of crossing a lion and a tigress. An artificially bred hybrid is not a wild animal. In nature, such an interspecific union is impossible. The animal inherited such dimensions from its large parents. In addition, the phenomenon of heterosis was added. The first hybrid generation has greater growth, increased immunity and disease resistance.

The most famous male named Hercules. When rising on its hind legs, its height is 3.7 meters, weight is more than 400 kg. In 2006, the animal entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest cat on the planet.