5 Beautiful Long-Haired Cat Breeds

Felines are such elegant, sophisticated animals. You see it in how they walk, their personalities, and their striking appearance. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the most beautiful long-haired cat breeds.

Yes, they may take more of your time, in the sense that they have to be brushed regularly, but they’re so cute you won’t be able to stop yourself from falling in love with them!

Long-Haired Cat Breeds

It’s very important for long-haired cat breeds to be brushed often in order to keep hairballs from forming. To make sure your cat doesn’t run away or get upset, we recommend that you start getting them used to it as early as possible (ideally as a kitten). If you’re thinking of adopting a cat and you like “majestic” breeds, here are a few gorgeous ones to consider.

1. Turkish Angora

The Turkish Angora is one of the oldest breeds that exist. They come from the Ankara region of central Turkey. People call all long-haired cat breeds “Angoras” sometimes, but that’s actually a mistake. An Angora’s coat can be one of several colors: blue, red, brown, silver, beige and even tabby.

As far as temperament is concerned, Turkish Angoras are intelligent, active, agile cats who love to meow. They’re usually very devoted to their owners and follow them around the house. They’re affectionate, playful and cuddly. However, they do need a bit of space to play around in.

2. Maine Coon

Maine Coons have a very interesting story. And actually, they’re descendants of the Angora cat. History shows that when Marie Antoinette fled France to go to the United States, she took her six Angoras along for the ride.

The Queen didn’t manage to complete her mission, but her pets did. They made it to the Port of Wiscasset, in Maine. A cabin boy named Tom Coon proceeded to adopt them, and that’s how the Maine Coon breed originated.

They can be any color. The fur on their heads is short, and it gets longer the closer it is to their tails. The breed tends to be lazy but loving, and enjoys outdoor activities (especially hunting.) They’re also expressive in their meowing.

3. Persian

Sporting a wide, flat face, Persian cats are said to be “aristocratic.” The first ones came from Persia (now Iran), then spread to Italy and England. Persian cats have thick, long, silky fur, and their tails are round and furry. Their coat colors vary. They’re pretty solid, but also prone to obesity.

Persons have an affable nature, rather “chill,” since they’ve never experienced wild instincts. They can easily spend hour after hour sleeping, they’re a bit haughty, and they like to show off their good looks.

4. Ragdoll

What makes this long-haired breed special is that it can relax its muscles and look like a rag doll as a result (hence the name). Ragdoll cats are a cross between a Siamese, a Persian and a Burmese. They don’t have hunting, defensive, or “guard cat” instincts. In fact, they barely even react to danger.

Docile cats, Ragdolls don’t meow a lot. Their fur can either be brown, grayish, lilac or chocolate brown. On the plus side, their coats only need a little bit of attention to prevent matting.

5. Balinese

Balinese cats descend from Siamese cats and other long-haired cat breeds. They have a  lot of silky fur, which can come in a variety of colors (blue, lilac, gray, chocolate brown, red, etc).

Originating in the United States in 1940, Balinese cats are slender, elegant, muscular and medium-sized. They have wedge-shaped heads, large, pointy ears, and sport long necks, thin tails and long legs.

Balinese cats are loyal, but only to their favorite person: usually whoever feeds them. They’ll try to get your attention with their crazy antics, and they get along well with children. Their meowing is soft.

A few other long-haired cat breeds are the Himalayan, the Norwegian Forest, the Sacred Cat of Burma (Birman), the Somali cat, and the American Curl cat.

Main image source: Takashi Hososhima