Cats Cat Breeds Long-Haired Cat Breeds

10 Fluffy Cat Breeds for Endless Cuddles

If you don't mind daily brushing, one of these cats could be perfect for you.

By Jackie Brown
Published on 10/06/23
Orange Persian cat

Getty Images/Alexandra Draghici

For some cat lovers, a long, luxurious coat is everything. Fluffy cats are not only beautiful to look at, but they are soft, plush, and extra fun to snuggle and stroke. Many cat breeds have long, fluffy coats, from the well-known Persian to the rare Turkish Angora.

Read on to learn more about 10 fluffy cat breeds.

Tip

Fluffy cat breeds generally need more coat care than short-haired cats. Most fluffy cats need daily brushing and combing to prevent mats and tangles, and some benefit from belly shaves to reduce mats.

  • 01 of 10

    Birman

    Birman cat

    Getty Images/Kryssia Campos

    The Birman is a color-pointed cat, with a lighter-colored body and darker points of color on the head, feet, and tail. Gentle, peaceful, and sweet, Birmans are wonderful family pets that love to lounge in your lap. The long, single coat is not hard to keep up as it resists matting. Weekly brushing or combing will keep it fluffy and tangle-free.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Gentle, quiet and loving

    WEIGHT: About 7 to 14 pounds, with males slightly larger

    LENGTH: About 15 to 18 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Medium-long to long; silken in texture, with heavy ruff around the neck

    COAT COLOR: Seal point, blue point, chocolate point, lilac point, blue-cream point, lilac-cream point, red point, cream point

    COAT PATTERNS: Tabby point, tortie tabby point

    EYE COLOR: Blue                                                  

    LIFE SPAN: 12 to 16 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: Unknown; possibly Burma

  • 02 of 10

    Himalayan

    Himalayan Persian cat

    Getty Images/Kryssia Campos

    The Himalayan cat is essentially a Persian cat with the coloration of the Siamese. The Himalayan’s thick double coat needs daily brushing and combing to keep it well-maintained. Some people have a professional groomer shave their Himalayans’ bellies short to help prevent mats from forming.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Sedate, affectionate, gentle, friendly, and intelligent

    WEIGHT: 7 to 12 pounds

    LENGTH: 12 to 16 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Long hair

    COAT COLOR: White to cream

    COAT PATTERNS: Pointed markings, which can be a wide range of colors including chocolate, seal, blue, lilac, and red

    EYE COLOR: Blue

    LIFE SPAN: Up to 15 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: United States

  • 03 of 10

    Maine Coon

    Maine Coon cat

    Getty Images/Nynke van Holten

    One of the largest cat breeds, the Maine coon is extra fluffy, with a thick double coat that developed to protect the cats from the harsh winters of the Northeast. Though not as grooming-intensive as the Persian, the Maine coon’s coat does require regular brushing, from daily to several times a week depending on the texture of the individual cat’s coat.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Amiable, gentle and dog-like

    WEIGHT: Average of 9 to 18 pounds; males can weigh 20 pounds or more

    LENGTH: About 19 to 30 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Heavy and shaggy; silky with coat falling smoothly

    COAT COLOR: White, black, blue, red and cream

    COAT PATTERNS: Tabby, bi-color, parti-color (including tortoiseshell), parti-color and white (including calico), shaded, smoke, and shaded/smoke and white

    EYE COLOR: Varies according to coat color, but may be green, gold, green-gold, copper, blue or odd-eyed

    LIFE SPAN: 12 to 15 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: United States

  • 04 of 10

    Norwegian Forest Cat

    Norwegian forest cat

    Getty Images/undefined undefined

    Like the Maine coon, the Norwegian forest cat developed naturally in a cold environment, which led to a thick, waterproof double coat. Though very fluffy, the Norwegian forest cat’s coat is not hard to keep up. Weekly brushing or combing is usually sufficient as the coat is not prone to matting.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Friendly, interactive, independent, adventurous

    WEIGHT: Up to 18 pounds

    LENGTH: Up to 36 inches, nose to tail

    COAT LENGTH: Long hair with a dense undercoat

    COAT COLORS: Almost any color with or without white markings

    COAT PATTERNS: Most patterns except colorpoint; tabby is common

    EYE COLOR: Shades of green, gold, green-gold, copper, or blue (in white or partially white cats)

    LIFE SPAN: Up to 16 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    Continue to 5 of 10 below
  • 05 of 10

    Persian

    Gray Persian cat

    Getty Images/Alexandra Draghici

    The Persian's fluffy coat is long and dense, with an immense ruff of fur around the neck like a lion’s mane. Persians notoriously have one of the most difficult coats to maintain. Daily brushing and combing are necessary to catch tangles and prevent mats. Because the coat is so dense, the daily brushing can be rather time-consuming. Persians need daily facial care to wipe and clean around the eyes and the folds of skin around the nose.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Sweet, gentle and affectionate

    WEIGHT: About 7 to 12 pounds

    LENGTH: About 14 to 17 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Long all over the body and thick, with an immense ruff around the neck, deep frill extending between the front legs and very full brush tail

    COAT COLOR: Blue, black, white, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, silver, golden

    COAT PATTERNS: Shaded and smoke (including cameo and tortoiseshell patterns), tabby, parti-color, calico and bicolor, and Himalayan (pointed colors)

    EYE COLOR: Varies according to coat color, but may be copper, blue, green, blue-green, hazel and odd-eyed

    LIFE SPAN: 15 to 20 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: Persia and Iran

  • 06 of 10

    RagaMuffin

    RagaMuffin cat

    Getty Images/sergeyskleznev

    The RagaMuffin's medium-long coat is very dense and fluffy with a silky and soft texture and a ruff of fur around the neck. They can be any color or pattern other than the pointed pattern found in the Siamese. The ragamuffin is exceptionally sweet and loving, calm and gentle with children, and a wonderful companion. 

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Sweet, gentle, affectionate, calm

    WEIGHT: Males typically 12 and 20 pounds; females 8 and 15 pounds

    LENGTH: Up to 33 inches long

    COAT LENGTH: Long and silky

    COAT COLOR: White, black, blue, red, lavender, cinnamon, chestnut, platinum, and chocolate

    COAT PATTERNS: Any pattern, except colorpoint

    EYE COLOR: Amber, blue, green, gold, odd-eyed

    LIFE SPAN: Up to 18 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: United States

  • 07 of 10

    Ragdoll

    Ragdoll cat

    Getty Images/peredniankina

    The ragdoll's fluffy double coat is moderately long, with very little undercoat. The coat naturally resists matting, making it easy to keep up with weekly brushing. Most ragdolls are great snugglers, so the breed is a good choice for those who want a lap cat.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Friendly, easygoing, cuddly, social

    WEIGHT: Up to 20 pounds

    LENGTH: Up to 40 inches nose to tail

    COAT LENGTH: Medium-length hair

    COAT COLOR: Chocolate, red, seal, blue, lilac, and cream

    COAT PATTERNS: Mitted, color point, bicolor, tortoiseshell, lynx

    EYE COLOR: Blue

    LIFE SPAN: Up to 17 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: United States

  • 08 of 10

    Selkirk Rex

    Selkirk rex cat

    Getty Images/GlobalP

    The Selkirk rex has one of the most unique hair coats in the cat world—soft, plush, and curly. The breed comes in both short and long coat lengths, and both are very fluffy. The short coat has deep waves with curled ends, while the long coat has loose individual curls.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Laid-back, friendly, affectionate, medium-energy

    WEIGHT: Up to 16 pounds

    LENGTH: Up to 30 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Short or long hair

    COAT COLORS: Any genetically possible color or combination

    COAT PATTERNS: Tabby, shaded, tortoiseshell, chinchilla, smoke, calico, bicolor, tricolor, pointed, mink, sepia

    EYE COLOR: Any color

    LIFE SPAN: Up to 15 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: No

    ORIGIN: United States

    Continue to 9 of 10 below
  • 09 of 10

    Siberian

    Siberian cat

    Getty Images/marieclaudelemay

    With their unique, triple-layer coat, the Siberian cat is one of the fluffiest cat breeds around. Each layer—undercoat, middle layer, and outer coat—contributes additional warmth, insulating the Siberian from the cold. They're surprisingly easy to groom, needing only occasional brushing. Many people who are allergic to cats find they can live comfortably with Siberian cats, something that is attributed to the breed’s naturally low levels of FelD1, the protein that causes cat allergies in humans.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Friendly, mellow, gentle, calm

    WEIGHT: 15 to 20 pounds

    LENGTH: 17 to 25 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Varies from coarse to soft; moderately long to longhaired triple coat with a full collar ruff

    COAT COLOR: Any color 

    COAT PATTERNS: Any pattern

    EYE COLOR: All colors

    LIFE SPAN: 10 to 18 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: Maybe

    ORIGIN: Russia

  • 10 of 10

    Turkish Angora

    Turkish Angora cat

    Getty Images/GlobalP

    The Turkish Angora comes from Turkey, where it’s considered a national treasure.  Though the length of the finely textured single coat varies from cat to cat, all Turkish Angoras should have long, full tails and a ruff around the neck. The coat, which is very soft, with a silken sheen, is not prone to matting and doesn’t require extensive brushing.

    Breed Overview

    PERSONALITY: Playful, social, intelligent, mischievous, and occasionally bossy with other pets

    WEIGHT: Up to 9 pounds

    LENGTH: Up to 18 inches

    COAT LENGTH: Long hair

    COAT COLORS: Any color except those showing hybridization (chocolate or lavender)       

    COAT PATTERNS: Any patter except the Himalayan (pointed) pattern

    EYE COLOR: Blue, green, green-gold, amber, odd eyed (one eye is blue and the other is green, green-gold or amber)

    LIFE SPAN: Up to 15 years

    HYPOALLERGENIC: Yes

    ORIGIN: Turkey

Breed Characteristics

Cat breeds might be considered fluffy if they have hair that’s about more than about 1 inch long, but some fluffy cat breeds have even longer hair. Many fluffy cat breeds have double coats, with two layers of hair—a longer outercoat and a shorter, denser undercoat. One breed, the Siberian, even has a triple coat with three layers of hair. Multiple layers of hair keep fluffy cats warm in the cooler winter months.

Cats with double or triple coats typically lose much of their undercoat ahead of the warmer summer months during a period of heavy shedding. With the undercoat mostly gone, air can circulate down to the skin, helping to keep the cat cool in the summer heat. As fall and winter approach, the coat grows back, becoming thick and dense in time for the cold weather.