The 10 Quietest Cat Breeds
Other than singing the praises of their favorite cat food, cats are generally considered to be quiet pets (OK, except when your female is in heat, but that’s not all year). If you are lucky enough to have a quiet moment in your home and your cat is exceptionally happy, you may hear them purring from across the room. As far as meowing, they generally will be heard when they are hungry or want to go outside.
So how can there be a quietest cat breed list? For one reason there are chatty Tabbies. They may meow to get your attention or just to annoy you. That’s about the best we could come up with. Of course, a chatty Tabby can be hilarious, so there is the fun and laughter factor for the more talkative breeds. But if it’s peace and quiet you prefer, here is the short list of the quietest cat breeds.
Bengal
The Bengal looks more like a Leopard than a Tiger, but this is still a big cat. But its personality is not like a roaring lion. Though it has its noisy moments, you can expect it to not have much to say most of the time. That across the room purr can be heard at times, but only when it is exceedingly happy. You can think of it as a middle of the road cat when it comes to quietness, and it still physically affectionate.
Persian
Yes, those big balls of soft, plushy fur so popular with many cat owners is also among the quietest breeds. Think of it as a quiet confidence achieved by knowing it is one gorgeous animal. Rumor has it that it gets highly offended when it sees a pig wearing lipstick, but even then will keep its opinion to itself.
Scottish Fold
A cat that is becoming increasingly popular among cat owners, the Scottish Fold has those unique ears that make a statement to both the human and cat worlds. If Taylor Swift owns one (or two) and makes them part of her social media channels, you know there is something special about them. But you’ll rarely hear them raise their meow or purr loudly, even when you hit a sour note.
Ragdoll
This cat looks nothing like the ragdolls that are familiar to the Baby Boomer generation. Cats in general have a reputation for being standoffish, but the Ragdoll is more of a cuddler. You might find it pawing at your legs or curling up next to you when you are in bed. If their affections are rebuffed, you might get one loud meow out of them, but that’s about it.
Cornish Rex
Not to be confused with the Cornish Hen, it can be said it is one of the world’s most interesting looking cats. They will never be accused of being “no-necks.” You might think with the longer neck they would have a tendency to be more vocal, but this is another middle of the road cat on the low end of the sound barrier rankings. Some have said it looks like an alien, but we all know from Aliens that Jonesy is not particularly fond of them. There are some videos out there that have startled cats when they see themselves in the mirror, so you should check out the breed being filmed.
American Shorthair
One of the reasons you see so many of this breed in the homes of cat lovers is because they are quiet. Another is because they are like more than a few people who avoid large groups of people. Instead of meowing for attention or out of irritation all the clattering noise people make, they just try to find a quiet place. When the crowd disappears, the American Shorthair will quietly reappear. Cats are smarter than you think.
Russian Blue
This cat has a bluish-grey color to its fur and not a hint of red. But the fact that they are among the quietest breeds can give rise to suspicion. They are said to be the Maria Sharapova equivalents in the cat world, as they are both regal looking and gorgeous. Maybe they are quiet because they have been genetically programmed not to talk to anyone. Despite the speculation, they are more likely to give you a nudge when they are hungry rather than meow you to the edge of insanity.
British Shorthair
If you see the British personality as generally aloof, then you will immediately recognize this cat breed by its name. Historically, it is one of the country’s oldest cats and has a quiet temperament but actually is quite affectionate. Unlike the Russian Blue, this is a commoner cat and justifiably proud of it. This may also account for why it is particularly aloof to strangers. But within its family it is both quiet and sociable.
Norwegian Forest Cat
This is a BIG cat which may give people the idea that it also going to be a noisy one. But the reality is quite the opposite. Maybe it’s because carrying around all that fur all day doesn’t give them much room for vocalization. Or maybe they have that “strong, silent” look. This is the third of the middle of the road selection, and one that you might want if size matters.
Abyssinian
Yep, we were curious about the name of this cat, and as it turns out its country of origin actually is Abyssinia. Today the country is known as Ethiopia. It may be such a quiet cat because it has learned over the many years of its origin country’s existence that noisy cats can find themselves in the middle of the desert. But we can’t find out because they aren’t saying.
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