Most Popular Cat Breeds (CFA Top 10)
The Ragdoll has been the world's most-registered pedigree cat for years running. Here's the CFA's top tier — and what each one is actually like at home.
How we built it
We list the breeds that consistently make the CFA's published top 10 by registration, led by its long-standing top two, and link each to its full PetGrit profile.
The Cat Fanciers' Association — the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats — publishes an annual ranking of its most-registered breeds. It's the nearest thing to an official cat popularity chart. The plush, placid Ragdoll has held number one for years, with the Maine Coon a steady runner-up. Here are the breeds that consistently fill out the CFA's top 10, with an honest line on each. (Remember: most cats in the world are wonderful non-pedigreed domestic shorthairs and longhairs, which registries don't count.)
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- 1
Ragdoll
Natural breed · Large
Big, docile, and famously floppy when held — a people-oriented lap cat that's stayed number one for years.
View profile - 2
Maine Coon
Natural breed · Large
The gentle giant: huge, shaggy, dog-like, and chatty, with a coat that needs steady brushing.
View profile - 3
Devon Rex
Natural breed · Small-Medium
An impish, wavy-coated 'pixie cat' that craves warmth and company and stays playful for life.
View profile - 4
Exotic Shorthair
Natural breed · Medium
The Persian's easy-care cousin — same sweet, quiet nature in a short, plush coat; still a flat-faced breed.
View profile - 5
Persian
Natural / longhair breed · Medium
Serene, glamorous, and high-maintenance: daily grooming plus flat-faced breathing and eye care.
View profile - 6
British Shorthair
Natural breed · Medium-Large
The teddy-bear cat — calm, dignified, and independent, happy to be near you rather than on you.
View profile - 7
Abyssinian
Natural breed · Medium
Lithe, busy, and endlessly curious; an athletic cat that climbs, investigates, and rarely sits still.
View profile - 8
American Shorthair
Natural breed · Medium-Large
An easygoing, healthy all-rounder — the laid-back, adaptable classic family cat.
View profile - 9
Scottish Fold
Natural breed · Medium
Sweet and owl-faced, but the folded-ear gene is tied to a painful cartilage disorder — buy with eyes open.
View profile - 10
Sphynx
Natural/hairless breed · Medium
Hairless, hot to the touch, and intensely social; needs regular bathing and warmth, not a hands-off cat.
View profile
Sources & method
Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) — Most Popular Breeds — ranked by annual CFA registration totals (recent CFA reporting) . Registrations track pedigreed cats registered with the CFA, not the total population of each breed
- Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) — annual Most Popular Breeds release — Primary source for the registration-based ranking.
- PetGrit cat breed profiles — Temperament, grooming, and health context for each breed.
The short version
- The Ragdoll is the world's most popular pedigreed cat breed, with the Maine Coon consistently second.
- The CFA top 10 leans toward affectionate, people-focused breeds — Ragdoll, Devon Rex, Sphynx — plus serene flat-faced cats like the Persian and Exotic.
- Registries only count pedigreed cats; the most common pet cats everywhere are non-pedigreed domestic shorthairs and longhairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular cat breed?
The Ragdoll. In the Cat Fanciers' Association's registration rankings, the Ragdoll has been the most popular pedigreed cat breed for years running, valued for its large size, docile temperament, and tendency to go limp and relaxed when picked up. The Maine Coon is its steady runner-up.
Are these the most common cats people actually own?
No — and that's an important distinction. These rankings count only cats registered with a breed registry. The most common pet cats in homes worldwide are non-pedigreed domestic shorthairs and longhairs (the classic 'moggie' or mixed-breed cat), which registries don't track at all. The CFA list reflects popular pedigree breeds, not overall cat ownership.
Why does the order change year to year?
The CFA recalculates the list annually from new registration totals. The top two — Ragdoll and Maine Coon — have been remarkably stable, but the breeds in positions three through ten tend to swap places from one year to the next, which is why we treat them as a tier rather than a fixed sequence.
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