There are easily a million things to love about our feline friends: those sweet little paw pads. The swish of their tails. The dulcet tones of their nighttime warbling.
Okay, maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch. But if pressed, we could come up with an enormous list of things we adore about cats, and at the head of that list, we'd have to put their adorable ears. You've just gotta love the way they turn this way and that to better hear things all around them.
And you know what makes those ears extra adorable? When they look like they're a little (or a lot!) too big for the kitty's noggin. We just melt. And we thought you might, too, so we've pulled together pictures of 10 cat breeds with what we consider rather exceptional ears. Enjoy!
10 Cute Cat Breeds With Big Ears
Vidar Skauen, Animal Photography
Sphynx
His ears might not be the first thing you notice about this hairless breed, but their large size only adds to the Sphynx's exotic appearance.
Alan Robinson, Animal Photography
Cornish Rex
While the Sphynx has no hair, the Cornish Rex sports an interesting short coat with bent hairs — all the better to accentuate those curly whiskers and intriguing ears!
Johnny Kruger, Animal Photography
Devon Rex
The Devon Rex shares many of the attributes you likely noted in his cousin, the Cornish Rex. Both have unusual fur (although the Devon's is a bit less curly than the Cornish's), big eyes and — you guessed it — outstanding ears.
Tetsu Yamazaki, Animal Photography
Oriental
Would the svelte and athletic Oriental be quite so chatty if she didn't have those oversized ears? We'll never know!
Tetsu Yamazaki, Animal Photography
Siamese
The Siamese comes in two types: show and traditional — when you picture a Siamese with a wedge-shaped head and substantial triangular ears, you're thinking of the show version, pictured here.
Johnny Kruger, Animal Photography
Balinese
The Balinese looks quite a bit like the show Siamese, just with a longer coat and plumed tail. Both breeds are entertainingly chatty and known to have an inquisitive nature.
Alan Robinson, Animal Photography
Abyssinian
The Aby (as his fans call him) rarely sits still. In addition to those grand ears, his appearance is also notable because of his ticked coat, which gives him the appearance of a small African wildcat.
Helmi Flick, Animal Photography
Ocicat
Speaking of big-eared cats that look like they belong in the wild, we couldn't leave out the Ocicat! Her spots might look wild, but she's typically a playful, sociable breed.
Tetsu Yamazaki, Animal Photography
Savannah
Yet another breed with a wild appearance is the Savannah, which was only recently (2012) recognized by The International Cat Association. But you could picture him hunting in the savannah, turning those satellite-dish ears this way and that to catch the sound of his prey, right?
Helmi Flick, Animal Photography
Singapura
Are the Singapura's ears really that big or is it just that she's the smallest of the domestic cat breeds? It probably doesn't matter — we think she's awfully cute with those big ears, big eyes and itty bitty body.
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