Whether you are a dog person or love cats as much as we do, there is no denying that these creatures are actually the most beautiful in the world! From fluffy cats that express only joy and gentleness to felines that have beautifully colored eyes and charmingly adorable personalities, these large cat breeds are ready to conquer your soul and impress you with their beauty and personality traits.

According to animal experts, cats are some of the most popular pets in the United States, and people who own a cat as a pet can admit that they deserve this fame, as they are affectionate, trainable, intelligent and beautiful. However, “<beautiful> is subjective. That makes judging cats extremely challenging,” says Joan Miller of the Cat Fanciers Association, who has spent years as a cat show judge.

I guess we all once dreamed of owning a tiger or another wild feline, right? In fact, who doesn’t want to have such a cuddly companion? Well, unfortunately, you can’t own a wild cat, but these large domestic cat breeds will satisfy your needs.

So, here are some of the most beautiful large cat breeds in the world that will blow your mind and make you adopt one as soon as possible! Read on for more info!

Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest Cat is a large, heavily boned and coated cat that loves to spend time with their owners, being a very affectionate and intelligent feline. As you can see, this cat is a strong and muscular feline that has a beautiful coat and appearance. Their coat provides extra protection to those who still live in the wild.

“The dense coat that keeps [these cats] warm and dry during the northern winters is so water-resistant that it’s often difficult to bathe them for the show,” says Teresa Keiger, cat breeder and Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) judge.

Even though it is a large cat breed with a strong personality, the Norwegian forest cat is a loving and affectionate cat that loves to interact with their family. It weighs between 12 to 16 pounds, but the abundance of fur makes the Norwegian forest cats look even bigger than they really are.

This cat breed is very active, so they love to play and hunt toys. Being a territorial breed by nature, these cats will inspect your house every day to make sure that everything is fine.

The best part about owning a Norwegian forest cat is that they can control their diet by themselves and will stop eating when they feel that they have eaten enough – unlike other animals that eat all day long until they vomit. They also exercise a lot, as they are active animals.

Selkirk Rex

The Selkirk Rex is often considered a large cat breed that manages to impress everyone with their luxurious and curly coat. What makes this cat breed so special, apart from their size? Well, the Selkirk Rex has a strong and loving personality, being very patient with other pets and children, which makes them a great companion for families with other animals and kids.

If you want to adopt this cat breed, you have to make sure that you give them enough attention and affection, because they are very affectionate creatures that need a lot of attention.

“This curly-coated cat is a spontaneous mutation originally found in a shelter [in] Montana,” says Keiger. “Gentle and loving, the Selkirk Rex gets along great with people and other pets,” Keiger added.

“Selkirk Rex owners are consistently stopped by people with anxious hands wanting to pet and feel this soft, plush pet,” CFA explains. “The fortunate humans are those who can take these live teddy cats home for cuddles and hug.”

Ocicat

This beautiful and loving cat breed ranges in size from 12 to 15 pounds, which makes it a large cat breed. “The original parent breeds were the Abyssinian and the Siamese, and later American Shorthair,” says Keiger.

If you want to adopt this large cat breed, it’s important to know that they are very playful, active and affectionate animals that require a lot of attention. Moreover, they are just like dogs, so they will trail your footsteps around the house and ask you for petting and cuddling. They love to be surrounded by people, as they are generally social felines.

According to animal experts, this loving and friendly cat breed is perfect for families with children and other pets. They are also easy to train.

Manx

This large tail-less cat breed can get along with people of all ages and other pets, being a very affectionate feline.

“This breed is so much fun; so interactive and so playful and comical. They’re like little clowns,” says Gary Veach of Briar-Mar Manx Cattery and a CFA judge.

The Manx is a muscular breed that can weigh up to twenty pounds. In general, males are larger than females because of their muscle structure.

If you want to adopt this cat breed you should pay attention to their diet because they should stay in a good condition, especially because they tend to eat a lot of food and become overweight quickly. Even though they love to eat a lot of food, Maxes are actually very active animals that love to play all day. Nonetheless, this cat breed has a double coat, which means that you have to groom it daily.

Maine Coon

Did you know that the Maine Coon cat is considered the only longhair breed native to the United States? The Maine Coon is a large cat breed that has a strong body and a loving personality.

According to Bethany Colilla, a CFA judge and secretary of the Maine Coon Cat Breed Council, “[the mail coon cats] are typically about 15 to 20 pounds. Females tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum; however, the larger males can sometimes get closer to 25 pounds.”

This large cat breed loves their family and tends to become overweight if left uncontrolled, namely without exercise and a healthy diet. So, you have to monitor their diet and provide them with healthy foods and treats.

Siberian

As the name suggests, this beautiful cat breed is native to Siberia – it explains their long and protective coat. The Siberian cats are very affectionate with their family and playful. They have a loving and friendly personality which makes them similar to dogs, especially because they like to follow you everywhere in the house and accompany you in any activity you carry out.

“It isn’t unusual for a fully grown adult male to weigh as much as 25 pounds, but typically they run 12 to 16 pounds and females nine to 12 pounds. Yet they look smaller than the Coons because of their more compact, barrel-shaped bodies,” says Iris Zinck of Folie à Deux Siberian Cattery and a CFA Allbreed Judge.

American Bobtail

The American bobtail has a short tail, tufted ears and toes and a strong body. This cat breed has the friendliest personality of them all, and loves to play, is also devoted to their family, nice to guests and easy to walk on a leash.

“Males are generally 14 to 20 pounds and females nine to 15 pounds,” says Lorna Dawn Friemoth of NuDawnz Cattery. “They are very dog-like in nature and enjoy being carried like a sack of potatoes. And they are very in tune with their owners and are often used as therapy pets and in special needs classrooms.”