10 Long-Haired Cat Breeds We Love

Widely recognized as the most popular pedigreed cat in the United States, the glamorous Persian is known for her gorgeous coat. Persian coats come in plenty of colors and even a variety of textures — their fur can be silky and shiny or soft and cottonlike.

A colorpoint version of the Persian, the Himalayan sports a flowing coat that comes in many colors and patterns, including seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, flame, tortoiseshell, blue-cream, cream and lynx points. Adoring fans have nicknamed the beautiful breed the Himmy.

It makes perfect sense to us: With lots of cat comes lots of fur. The plus-size Maine Coon, who typically weighs nine to 18 pounds, wears a shaggy coat, distinctive neck ruff, britches, tufted feet and a big, bushy tail.

Here's another shaggy cat we absolutely adore. The American Bobtail was created in the 1960s when cat fanciers crossed a Siamese with a short-tailed male tabby — resulting in his famed bobtail. This breed can have either a medium-length or long coat.

Have you ever met a Selkirk Rex? These curly-coated felines come in short-haired and long-haired varieties. The gene for the curly coat is dominant in the breed, and the same litter can have kittens with curly coats (and curly whiskers!) and others with straight coats.

The typically gentle, good-natured Ragdoll is renowned for her baby-blue eyes. Her equally impressive coat is a length called semi-long-haired, and it comes in four patterns (mitted, van, bicolor and colorpoint) and six colors (seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream).

The Birman is another semi-long-haired cat breed we simply can't get enough of. You may think his silky coat would shed a lot, but it generally doesn't. It's a good idea to comb it regularly as part of an overall home grooming routine that includes nail trimming and tooth brushing.

The Norwegian Forest Cat — or Wegie for short — boasts a beautiful double coat, a plumed tail, and tufted paws and ears. Her heavy coat, which may darken or lighten seasonally, offers protection from the cold weather of her Scandinavian homeland. During the Wegie's periods of heavy shedding, you may need to comb her daily to control the fur.

The semi-long-haired Siberian is another breed who wears a heavy coat due to the natural elements of her frigid homeland — in this case, Russia. Siberian cats tend to have a thick, water-resistant triple coat, a full collar ruff, britches on the hind legs and a bushy tail. During the spring and fall "molts," your Siberian may shed in large clumps.

If you've ever seen a LaPerm, we bet you haven't forgotten it! This breed's curly coat resulted from a spontaneous mutation and is most often seen in tortoiseshell, tabby or red coloring. LaPerms may be born bald or short-haired, and not all LaPerms develop the breed's signature curls. If you want to guarantee your cat will have curly fur, adopt an adult whose mature coat has already grown in.