15 Laid-Back Cat Breeds for People Who Like a Quiet Life
Some cats climb the curtains. These would much prefer a warm lap and an early night. Here is what each is like to live with, including the grooming and health facts breeders do not always volunteer.
Every cat is an individual, and a relaxed mixed-breed from the shelter can be the calmest cat you ever meet. But temperament is partly inherited, and decades of selective breeding have produced some breeds that are reliably easygoing and others, such as the Bengal, the Abyssinian and the Siamese, that are reliably busy.
The calm breeds have things in common. Most are heavy-boned and solidly built. Many trace back to the Persian or the British Shorthair. They tend to keep their feet on the floor, speak softly or not at all, and prefer a predictable home.
Calm does not mean no effort. A low-energy cat gains weight easily, and an overweight cat is headed for diabetes and arthritis. Several of these breeds carry inherited conditions that a responsible breeder tests for, and the long-coated ones need real grooming time. Go in knowing the costs as well as the charms.
If you want a companion that will sit with you instead of on top of the bookcase, start here.
Read all the way to the end. We save the rarest and shyest cat on the list for last.
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Floppy
1. Ragdoll
Photo: Mikhail Vasilyev / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Ragdoll is named for the way it goes limp and relaxed when picked up. The breed was developed in California in the 1960s and has become one of the most popular pedigreed cats in the country. It has blue eyes, a pale body and darker points on the face, ears, legs and tail.
This is a big cat. Males commonly weigh 15 to 20 pounds and females 10 to 15, and they take about four years to reach full size. Ragdolls follow their people from room to room, greet them at the door and tend to stay at floor and sofa level.
AdvertisementThe main health concern is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle. A DNA test exists for the Ragdoll form, and good breeders use it. Their trusting nature makes them poorly suited to life outdoors.
A Ragdoll does not sit near you. It sits on you, and stays.
Good to knowThe silky coat has little undercoat and mats less than a Persian's, but it still needs combing twice a week. Ask the breeder for the parents' heart test results.Advertisement -
Teddy bear
2. British Shorthair
Photo: Marijn van der Marel / Unsplash Would this one suit you?Round face, round eyes, round paws and a dense, plush coat that feels like a carpet. The blue-gray color is the best known, but the breed comes in many others.
British Shorthairs are calm, undemanding and quietly loyal. They like to be in the same room as you, usually beside you instead of on you, and most dislike being carried. They tolerate being alone during the working day better than most breeds. Males reach 12 to 17 pounds and mature slowly, over three to five years.
AdvertisementTheir steady nature and good appetite make obesity the main risk. The breed also has a higher rate of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, particularly in males.
Good to knowMeasure every meal, weigh your cat monthly, and use puzzle feeders and a daily play session to keep this placid breed moving. -
Serene
3. Persian
Photo: DailyHawker Lenses / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Persian is the original lap cat: quiet, sweet and content to decorate the sofa. It has a soft voice it rarely uses and little interest in climbing.
AdvertisementThe price of that glamour is maintenance. The long, thick double coat mats within days if it is not combed to the skin, and matting is painful. The flat face of the modern show Persian brings narrow nostrils, noisy breathing, crowded teeth and tear ducts that overflow and stain the face. Flat-faced cats also cope poorly with heat.
Persians are prone to polycystic kidney disease, an inherited condition in which cysts slowly replace kidney tissue. A simple DNA test identifies carriers. Buy only from parents tested clear.
A Persian's coat mats within days, and combing it is a daily job for life.
Good to knowPlan on 10 to 15 minutes of combing every day and a daily wipe of the eyes. Choose a kitten with a longer, "doll face" muzzle for fewer breathing and eye problems.Advertisement -
Easy version
4. Exotic Shorthair
Photo: Dan Wayman / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Exotic was created in the United States from the 1950s onward by crossing Persians with American Shorthairs. The result is the Persian's round head, big eyes and gentle nature with a short, thick, plush coat.
Exotics are a little more playful and curious than Persians, but still firmly in the quiet camp. They are affectionate, soft-voiced and happy to follow one person around the house.
AdvertisementThe short coat solves the matting problem. It does not solve the face. Exotics share the Persian's breathing difficulties, tear overflow, dental crowding and risk of polycystic kidney disease, so the same health checks apply.
Good to knowBrush once or twice a week, wipe the eye folds daily, and ask for proof that both parents are DNA tested clear of polycystic kidney disease. -
Gentle
5. Birman
Photo: Omar Ramadan / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Birman is a medium-to-large cat with a cream body, dark points, deep blue eyes and four pure white feet, known as gloves. It is sometimes called the Sacred Cat of Burma.
AdvertisementIn temperament it sits between the placid Persian and the talkative Siamese. Birmans are sociable, gentle and soft-voiced. They like company, human or animal, and do poorly if left alone for long days with nothing to do.
The coat is a pleasant surprise. It is long and silky but has very little undercoat, so it resists matting. The breed is generally healthy, with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy the main inherited concern.
Good to knowComb once or twice a week. A Birman suits a home with another friendly pet or with someone around for much of the day. -
Gentle giant
6. Maine Coon
Photo: Daniel Zopf / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Maine Coon is the largest common domestic breed and the official state cat of Maine. Males typically weigh 13 to 18 pounds, with some well beyond that, and females 8 to 12. They are not fully grown until three to five years of age.
AdvertisementFor their size they are remarkably gentle. Maine Coons are friendly, good with children and dogs, and playful well into old age without being frantic. They communicate in chirps and trills more than meows, and many enjoy water.
Three inherited conditions matter. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most important and has a DNA test. Hip dysplasia and spinal muscular atrophy also occur in the breed.
AdvertisementMaine Coons chirp and trill far more than they meow, which is a surprising sound from an 18-pound cat.
Good to knowBuy an extra-large litter box and a tall, heavy scratching post, comb the coat twice a week, and ask the breeder about heart screening. -
Sweet
7. Scottish Fold
Photo: Sergey Semin / Unsplash Would this one suit you?Scottish Folds are calm, affectionate and round-faced, with ears that fold forward and give them an owl-like look. Every Fold descends from a single barn cat found in Scotland in 1961.
The fold comes with a serious cost. The gene that bends the ear does so by weakening cartilage, and cartilage is also what cushions the joints. All folded-ear cats have some degree of the bone and cartilage disorder osteochondrodysplasia. It causes painful arthritis in the tail, ankles and knees, sometimes from a young age, and it has no cure.
AdvertisementFor this reason the breed is not accepted by Britain's main cat registry, and many veterinarians advise against buying one. The quiet behavior people admire is, in some cats, a sign that moving hurts.
The gene that folds the ear also damages the joints. You cannot have one without the other.
Good to knowChoose a Scottish Straight, the straight-eared cat from the same litters, which has the same temperament without the joint disease. If you own a Fold, ask your vet about pain management early.Advertisement -
Reserved
8. Russian Blue
Photo: Ankhesenamun / Unsplash Would this one suit you?A fine-boned, elegant cat with vivid green eyes and a short, dense double coat of blue-gray tipped with silver. The coat stands out from the body and feels like plush.
Russian Blues are quiet, clean and gentle. They are devoted to their own family and wary of strangers, and they usually disappear when visitors arrive. They are sensitive to noise and disruption and will remind you when dinner is late.
This is a naturally occurring breed with no major inherited diseases, and many live into their late teens. Their one weakness is food. They love it and will overeat if allowed.
AdvertisementGood to knowA Russian Blue suits a calm household with a steady routine. Give it a high or hidden retreat for when guests come, and measure its meals. -
Cuddly
9. Ragamuffin
Would this one suit you?The Ragamuffin split from the Ragdoll in the 1990s and was bred with other long-haired cats to widen the gene pool. It is large, heavily boned and comes in every color and pattern, not only the pointed pattern of the Ragdoll.
The temperament is the selling point. Ragamuffins are extremely people-focused, patient with children and happy to be carried about. Like Ragdolls they tend to go limp in your arms.
AdvertisementThey mature slowly, reaching full size at about four years, and big males approach 20 pounds. The thick, rabbit-soft coat tangles less than it looks as if it should. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease are the conditions to ask about.
Good to knowThis is an indoor-only cat that needs company. Comb weekly and watch the weight, since a fatty pad on the lower belly is normal for the breed but extra fat over the ribs is not. -
Patient
10. Selkirk Rex
Would this one suit you?The Selkirk Rex has a coat of loose, plush curls and curly whiskers to match. The breed began with a curly kitten born in a Montana shelter in 1987, and it comes in long and short coats.
AdvertisementBecause it was developed using Persians, Exotics and British Shorthairs, it has their solid build and their temperament. Selkirks are tolerant, relaxed and cuddly, with a playful streak that stops short of mischief.
The curls are fragile. Brushing pulls them straight and makes them frizz. The outcross breeds also passed along their health risks, so ask about polycystic kidney disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Good to knowComb the coat gently with a wide-toothed comb once or twice a week, and never brush it. Mist with water afterward to bring the curl back.Advertisement -
Peaceful
11. Himalayan
Photo: svklimkin / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Himalayan is a Persian in a Siamese color scheme: a pale body, dark points and blue eyes. It was produced by crossing the two breeds, and the largest American registry classes it as a color division of the Persian.
The nature is Persian with a slightly more outgoing edge. Himalayans are gentle, sweet and attached to their people, with brief playful moments between long naps.
Everything said about the Persian applies here. The coat needs daily combing to the skin, the flat face brings breathing and tear-duct problems, and polycystic kidney disease is in the breed. This is a cat that must live indoors in a cool house.
AdvertisementGood to knowDaily grooming is essential, so start when the kitten is young and keep sessions short and pleasant. Ask for DNA test results on both parents. -
Quiet
12. Chartreux
Photo: Luku Muffin / Unsplash Would this one suit you?An old French breed with a sturdy body on fine legs, a blue-gray woolly coat, and copper or orange eyes. The shape of the head gives it what looks like a permanent slight smile.
The Chartreux is among the quietest of all cats. Many rarely meow and communicate with small chirps instead. They are calm, observant and good-humored, they follow their chosen person from room to room, and they adapt well to apartments and to travel.
AdvertisementThey are rare in the United States, so expect a waiting list. The breed is robust. Slipping kneecaps, called patellar luxation, are the inherited problem breeders screen for.
Many Chartreux go through life hardly meowing at all. A small chirp is as loud as it gets.
Good to knowThe thick double coat is best combed with your fingers or a comb, not a brush. Expect a strong bond with one person in particular.Advertisement -
Adaptable
13. American Shorthair
Photo: Karin Kim / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The American Shorthair descends from the working cats that arrived with early European settlers and earned their keep hunting rats. It is a medium-to-large, muscular cat, and the silver tabby with black markings is the classic look.
This is the moderate choice on the list. American Shorthairs are easygoing, tolerant of children and dogs, affectionate without being clingy and content to amuse themselves. They are playful as youngsters and settle into calm adults.
They are among the healthiest pedigreed cats and commonly live 15 years or more. Weight gain is the main thing to guard against.
Good to knowThis is one of the lowest-maintenance pedigreed cats. Brush weekly, feed measured meals, and keep up the play sessions into middle age.Advertisement -
Mellow
14. Norwegian Forest Cat
Photo: Malin K. / Unsplash Would this one suit you?A big, strong cat from Scandinavia with a thick, water-resistant double coat, a full ruff, tufted ears and a long bushy tail. Like the Maine Coon it matures slowly, taking up to five years.
Norwegian Forest Cats are calm, friendly and independent. They enjoy your company without needing to be on your lap. They are excellent climbers, though, and will choose the highest perch in the house.
Good breeders test for glycogen storage disease type IV, a fatal inherited condition for which a DNA test exists. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hip dysplasia also occur.
AdvertisementGood to knowProvide a tall, sturdy cat tree. Comb twice a week for most of the year and daily during the heavy spring shed. -
Shy
15. Nebelung
Photo: Malek Dridi / Unsplash Would this one suit you?The Nebelung is a rare, long-haired cousin of the Russian Blue, developed in the United States in the 1980s. Its name comes from the German word for mist, which suits the silver-tipped blue coat and green eyes.
Nebelungs are gentle, quiet and deeply devoted to one or two people. They are shy with strangers and unsettled by change, noise and boisterous children. In a peaceful home they are affectionate lap cats that follow a routine to the minute.
AdvertisementThe breed has no known inherited diseases of its own. The medium-long coat is soft and fine and needs regular attention to prevent tangles behind the legs and on the tail.
Good to knowA Nebelung suits a quiet adult household without much coming and going. Comb twice a week and introduce any change slowly.
The short version
Breed gives you a hint, and the individual cat gives you the answer. Meet the cat first, and if you are buying a kitten, meet the mother too. Ask to see health test results for the conditions named here, which a good breeder will hand over without being asked twice. Walk away from anyone who will not let you visit.
Consider an adult. A kitten of the calmest breed is still a kitten for the first year or two, and the slow-maturing giants stay young even longer. With a grown cat, the personality you see is the one you get. Shelters and breed rescue groups have many calm adult cats, including pedigreed ones and plenty of gentle mixed-breeds.
Whichever you choose, keep your quiet cat lean, keep it indoors and take it for a checkup every year, twice a year after age ten. A calm cat that is well cared for will keep you company for 15 years or more.
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