These Are the Most Expensive Cat Breeds in the World

Weight: 7-17 lbs
Lifespan: 15-20 Years
Average Price: $800-$2,500*

British Shorthairs are a beautiful breed of cat with fluffier coats than they are furry. If one were to trace the ancestry of their Shorthair back as far as can be, they’d learn that their little friend was a mix of a domestic feline from the Roman Empire and the wild cats of the streets of Britain.  

British Shorthair © Jiri Foltyn/stock.adobe.com

It’s hard not to fall in love with the wide fuzzy face of a British Shorthair, especially after having played with one for a few minutes. They love attention, don’t get too aggressive when playing, and their random cases of the “zoomies” don’t seem to be nearly as crazy as most other cats.

Weight: 8-15 lbs
Lifespan: 12-15 Years
Average Price: $425-$5,000*

In the 1960s, an American cat breeder developed the semi-longhaired Ragdoll cat, and it is just as cute and cuddly as it sounds. Personality-wise, the Ragdoll is commonly referred to as the most dog-like cat one can find. It has no problem being held, loves a good belly rub, and follows its person everywhere.

Ragdoll ©cat/Stock.Adobe.com

Standard features of Ragdoll cats include V-shaped markings on their foreheads, a long fluffy tail, a thick coat of super-soft fur, and piercing blue eyes that always get what they want. To get one of these “dogs in a cat’s body,” it could cost as little as $425, or, if it’s of show-quality, as much as $5,000.

Weight: 6-13 lbs
Lifespan: 11-15 Years
Average Price: $250-$3,000*

After seeing the ears of this next cat, it’s pretty apparent why it’s called a Scottish Fold. Its folded-over ears make it appear as though it’s always a little sleepy, but in reality, it’s just really cute. These fluffy furballs are just like any other tabby – right down to the “M” pattern on their foreheads. Except for their folded ears, of course.

Scottish Fold ©Andrey Tairov/Shutterstock.com

Scottish Folds are not the most extravagant or expensive cats around, but one member of the breed has managed to become the 6th richest cat in the world — ‘Anderson Pooper’ of the Walmart family empire.

Weight: 8-20 lbs
Lifespan: 12-16 Years
Average Price: $1,500-$10,000*

They’re a mix of the Egyptian Mau and the Asian leopard cat. Some can grow to be 16-inches tall and weigh as much as 20 lbs. It looks like a jungle cat yet acts similar to a house cat. Bengal cats are a playful breed that was first bred in the 1970s and have gained a reputation as one of the lazier domestic cat breeds.

Bengal © Sanozar/Stock.adobe.com

For a Bengal cat to be considered authentic, its wild ancestry can only date back a maximum of four generations — otherwise, it would be too domesticated. Their wild heritage has made these cats quite popular, but it’s also what has caused the breed to be banned in states like Hawaii and New York.

Weight: 8-25 lbs
Lifespan: 12-15 Years
Average Price: $1,200-$4,000*

The Maine Coon cat is a special kind of breed. For a household cat, these felines are enormous. Holding the record for the longest domesticated breed of cat (48.5 inches), adult males average an astonishing length of around three feet from nose to tail-tip and max out at approximately 16-17 inches tall. 

Maine Coon Cat © TRAVELARIUM/stock.adobe.com

Their enormous size can be pretty intimidating, but when it comes to interacting with people or other animals, these gentle giants are pretty much just a cat version of a Labrador Retriever. A Maine Coon will cost about the same as a 1-year lease for a Ford Focus, but the lovable monsters are worth every penny.

Weight: 8-10 lbs
Lifespan: 10-14 Years
Average Price: $2,000-$5,000*

Peterbald cats were first bred in 1994 as part of a breeding experiment by Olga S. Mironova in post-Soviet Saint Petersburg. Not all Peterbalds are born entirely without hair, but they do all have an inherited hairless gene. 

Peterbald © seregraff/AdobeStock

Due to their hypoallergenic trait and the fact that they’re effortless to groom, Peterbald cats have gained popularity amongst cat lovers whose allergies cannot withstand the fur-filled air that accompanies most pets. Similar to its hairless relative in North America, the Sphynx, Peterbald cats are pretty affectionate and love to have daily playtime with their people.

Weight: 7-15 lbs
Lifespan: 15-20 Years
Average Price: $500-$3,000*

Before anyone gets their hopes up thinking that they’re about to see a blue cat, bring those hopes back down. The Russian Blue cat is not, in fact, blue. It’s gray. This breed’s fur only appears to be blue when the sun catches it just right. 

Russian Blue Cat © benevolente/AdobeStock

A hypoallergenic breed, Russian Blues are very active cats and love to have lots of space to wander around and explore. Russian Blues are generally quiet and do their own thing but also thoroughly enjoy the affection of their people. Unlike many domestic cats, Blues don’t mind visits from strangers, and they welcome any back scratch they can get.

Weight: 8-10 lbs
Lifespan: 10-12 Years
Average Price: $7,000-$11,000*

One of the mystical cats of Southeast Asia, the Khao Manee cat, has a history that has been referenced in poems that date back to 1300s Thailand. They are shorthaired white cats with eyes like gemstones that are either blue, gold or a mix of both.

Khao Manee © Pattana/Stock.adobe.com

Not many people have heard of the Khao Manee. However, due to their mischievous nature and desire to inquire about everything and anything they can, the trouble makers won’t soon be forgotten. Buying one of these “white gems” will set someone back about as much as a roundtrip flight to Thailand (in first-class) on a United Airlines flight.

Weight: 7-15 lbs
Lifespan: 13-17 Years
Average Price: $1,500-$5,000*

If you’ve ever wanted to have a tiger at home but were too concerned about the consequences of having a jungle cat in a domestic environment, this is the cat for you. The breeders who brought the world the Bengal cat in the ‘70s, were playing God once again in the ‘80s, when they crossed a Bengal with a domestic shorthair cat, and ended up with a round-faced feline similar to a tiger. It was aptly named “Toyger.”

Toyger ©Kutikova Ekaterina/Shutterstock.com

As their name entails, they are a toy-sized version of a tiger, but their face, pattern, and the orange tint of their fur are where the similarities to its namesake end. Toygers are energetic, playful cats that love attention and cuddles from their human families.

Weight: 8-12 lbs
Lifespan: 14-18 Years
Average Price: $800-$1,200*

The American Wirehair is especially unique because, unlike the Bengal and Toyger cats, its existence was the result of a spontaneous mutation that occurred in the litter of an American Shorthair and not the intentional creation of a new breed. The Wirehair is a naturally evolving hybrid of sorts. It’s just like its shorthaired relatives; only it doesn’t leave its fur everywhere.

American Wirehair ©Boyloso/Shutterstock.com

Super intelligent and sometimes obsessively curious, American Wirehair cats are loyal companions with lively personalities. They’re easy to groom and about as low maintenance as a cat can be. Many people think that since this breed has Wirehair instead of fur that it’s hypoallergenic, it’s not. If you have allergies, remember to bring your antihistamines when playing with an American Wirehair.

Weight: 26-33 lbs
Lifespan: 24-26 Years
Average Price: Up to $125,000*

Ashera cats are one of the most expensive cats that someone can (legally) have as a pet in the United States —well, most of the states anyway. They’re a mix of Savannah and Asian leopard cats (amongst others) and can be more than a yard tall when fully grown.

Ashera ©Pierre Aden/Shutterstock.com

At $125,000 each, Asheras aren’t cheap. These exotic cats look a little like something out of Disney’s The Lion King and are very loyal to their people. Asheras also enjoy playing a game of fetch every now and again and aren’t opposed to being harnessed up for a walk around the neighborhood.

Weight: 12-25 lbs
Lifespan: 18-22 Years
Average Price: $10,000-$50,000*

There is no larger known domesticated cat breed on Earth than the adorable Savannah cat. The Savannah is a cross between a wild African cat called a “serval” and a domesticated feline. Depending on their sex and diet, a Savannah can grow to be up to a foot and a half tall and weigh as much as 25 lbs. 

©Корнеевец-Выдренкова/Stock.Adobe.com

In order for Savannahs to grow up strong and healthy, it’s important for them to be fed a steady diet of raw meat (liver, beef, or chicken). However, as they get older, regular wet cat food should suffice. They might look like large predators, but Savannah cats love a good cuddle.

Weight: 6-12 lbs
Lifespan: 8-14 Years
Average Price: $1,500-$10,000*

Best known as the scary hairless cat of everyone’s nightmares or “that thing” that Rachel brought home on Friends, Sphynx cats are the definition of why someone would not judge a creature based on how it looks. The Sphynx is actually quite docile in nature and great with strangers (with the odd exception, of course).

Sphynx ©New Africa/Shutterstock.com

There are two variations of the Sphynx cat, both of which originated in the 1970s. The first came from the home of Target, Minnesota, in 1975. The other, classified as the Canadian Sphynx, was first spotted in Toronto, Ontario, three years later.

Weight: 7-12 lbs
Lifespan: 12-17 Years
Average Price: $500-$5,000*

Looking like giant balls of fur with smooshed faces and droopy eyes that look as though they’re about to pop out of their heads, the history of Persian cats is believed to go back a few thousand years; however, the first documentation of the breed is from 1620. There are a few variants of the Persian cat, but the most well-known is the longhaired Persian. 

Persian ©NTP_RASTA/Shutterstock.com

Longhaired Persian cats are extremely sweet and fantastic with kids. They usually don’t mind becoming part of dress-up time, but more than anything else, they take pride in their luxurious long hair. And for a good reason — it’s magnificent.