Cat Fanciers' Association announces top U.S. cat breeds of 2016

Children and Pets

Abyssinian, British shorthair, Cat Fanciers Association, cats, Devon Rex, Domestic shorthair, exotic, Exotics, Maine Coon, Persian, ragdoll, Scottish fold, sphynx

February 12, 2017

by Janice Wells

The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) has announced the 10 most popular cat breeds in the U.S. for 2016. For the third year in a row, the exotic was No. 1. CFA compiles the list based on its cat registry.

The same cat breeds that were in the Top 10 in 2015 were in the Top 10 in 2016, except the Orienta dropped out of the Top 10 spot and was replaced at No. 10 by the Devon Rex, which jumped from the No. 11 spot that it held the previous year. Other breeds that made the Top 10 in 2016 with a higher ranking than the previous year are the Ragdoll, which jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 ; the British shorthair, which went from No. 5 to No. 3; and the Sphync, which rose from No. 10 to No.. 8. Three breeds in the Top 10 had a lower ranking in 2016 compared to the previous year: the Persian dropped from No. 2 to No. 4; the Maine Coone fell from No. 3 to No. 5; and the Abyssinian went from No. 8 to No. 9.

Here are CFA’s Top 10 cat breeds in the U.S. for 2016:

1. Exotic

(2015 Ranking: No. 1)