The ten most popular pedigreed cat breeds in the Cat Fanciers' Association's 2026 ranking, based on kittens registered with CFA in 2025, led by the Maine Coon for the second year running.
The Maine Coon Cat is the most popular pedigreed cat breed in the Cat Fanciers' Association's 2026 ranking, which is based on 2025 CFA registrations; it is first for the second year in a row. The Ragdoll is second and the Persian third. CFA publishes only the rank order, not registration counts.
Each spring the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats, ranks breeds by the previous year's registrations. The 2026 ranking, released in March 2026 and based on 2025 registrations, keeps the Maine Coon at No. 1 for a second year, and the American Shorthair returns to the top ten. The list reflects registered pedigreed kittens in CFA's own registry only, so it measures what CFA breeders register, not which cats are most common in homes.
The Maine Coon tops CFA's ranking for the second year in a row. One of the largest domestic cat breeds, it is known for its shaggy, water-resistant coat, tufted ears and sociable, adaptable temperament.
Ragdolls are known for their blue eyes, pointed colouring and silky medium-long coats, and for a relaxed temperament that has them going limp when picked up, the trait behind the breed's name.
The Persian, with its long flowing coat, round face and short muzzle, is one of the oldest breeds in the cat fancy. Its coat needs daily grooming.
The Exotic was developed by crossing Persians with shorthaired breeds, giving the Persian's flat-faced look with a plush coat that is much easier to keep.
With its large ears, elfin face and soft, wavy coat, the Devon Rex is, in CFA's words, the most popular shorthaired breed for the past five years. It is known for being people-oriented and playful.
Each hair of the Abyssinian's ticked coat carries several bands of colour, giving it a warm, glowing look. The breed is known for being active and curious.
The British Shorthair is a sturdy, round-faced cat with a very dense, plush coat, best known in its blue-grey 'British Blue' form. It is calm and undemanding.
The Siberian is a large, semi-longhaired forest cat from Russia with a thick, water-resistant coat suited to cold winters.
The American Shorthair returns to the top ten this year. Descended from working cats brought to North America by European settlers, it is a muscular, easygoing breed.
The Russian Blue has a short, dense, silver-tipped blue-grey coat and green eyes, and is known for being gentle and somewhat reserved with strangers.
| # | Name | Origin | Coat | Temperament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine Coon Cat | United States (Maine) | Long, shaggy | Friendly, intelligent, loyal |
| 2 | Ragdoll | United States (California) | Medium-long, silky | Relaxed, affectionate, devoted |
| 3 | Persian | Persia (Iran) | Long, flowing | Gentle, serene, affectionate |
| 4 | Exotic | United States | Short, plush (teddy-bear texture) | Placid, loving, adaptable |
| 5 | Devon Rex | England (Devon) | Short, wavy, fine | Playful, devoted, mischievous |
| 6 | Abyssinian | Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia) | Short, ticked (agouti pattern) | Active, intelligent, curious |
| 7 | British Shorthair | United Kingdom | Short, dense, plush | Gentle, reserved, patient |
| 8 | Siberian | Russia | Long, triple-layer, water-resistant | Mellow, loving, intelligent |
| 9 | American Shorthair | United States (descended from European cats) | Short, dense, resilient | Easygoing, patient, adaptable |
| 10 | Russian Blue | Russia (Archangel Isles) | Short, dense, silver-blue | Intelligent, affectionate, reserved with strangers |
Breeds are ranked in the order published by the Cat Fanciers' Association in 'Most Popular Breeds for 2026' (25 March 2026), which ranks breeds by the number of cats registered with CFA in calendar year 2025. CFA publishes the rank order only, not registration counts, so the chart shows rank position (10 = most popular, 1 = tenth) rather than a count. Only CFA registrations are covered; other registries such as TICA, FIFe or GCCF rank breeds differently. Breed descriptions are general characteristics, not care advice.
In the Cat Fanciers' Association's 2026 ranking, based on 2025 CFA registrations, the Maine Coon is No. 1 for the second year in a row, ahead of the Ragdoll and the Persian.
A pedigreed-cat registry founded in the United States in 1906 and now the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. It maintains breed standards, registers pedigreed cats, runs cat shows and publishes an annual breed-popularity ranking.
No. CFA publishes the order of the top breeds but not how many cats of each breed were registered, so this page ranks by position only.
No. Only pedigreed cats registered with CFA are counted. Mixed-breed domestic shorthairs and longhairs, the large majority of pet cats, are not part of the ranking.
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