Cats have many adorable accessories! Noses and fluffy tails. Those majestic whiskers! But one of our favorite parts of our lovely cats is their ears.
So at the top of our list is their ears, and the bigger they are, the cuter they are.
Have a special attraction to your big-eared feline friends? Read about cats with big ears right now!
We’ve compiled a list of 15 cat breeds with big ears so you can see them in all their adorable glory!
By the way, you can find pretty infographics with cat breeds with big ears at the end of the article. ๐ฑ
And sure, our Abyssinian “guys” are included as well.
Watch OUR Video about Cats with Big Ears
Why Do Cats Need Big Ears?
In the wild, large ears perform essential functions for animal survival.
For example, feline ears act as satellite antennas, helping wild cats pick up the tiniest sounds while hunting.
Most domestic cats use their imposing ears to listen for the rustle of a treat bag or a tinkling toy as they return home to their owners.
Cats’ ears are very similar to the ears of other mammals and have the same three structural areas: the outer, middle, and inner.
The outer ear consists of the auricle (that outer triangular part you see on the top of the head, and what we usually think of when we talk about ears) and the ear canal.
The job of the auricle is to pick up sound waves and route them through the ear canal to the middle ear. Cats’ auricles are movable and can turn and move independently.
“Cats largely control their ear with their muscles,” says Dr. George Strain, a neuroscientist at the University of Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine. “They can actually use it as radar, turn it toward a sound source and increase their auditory sensitivity by 15 to 20 percent.“
It has been noted that among pets, cats have the best hearing. This is a great help to them in that they are predators by nature.
Cats’ ability to hear a wider range of sounds helps them detect a wider range of prey types and gives them the ability to hear and avoid their own predators.
And of course, breeds of cats with big ears vary in appearance and personality.
Some are quite energetic, athletic, and active, while others are more calm and pedantic.
Cats with big ears often have a rather wild appearance that confirms their descent from big or feral cats.
Advice from Murmeo! Cats, of course, are great at grooming. However, periodically checking their ears for cleanliness is still necessary for their health.
Be sure to check for excessive wax, dirt, and unusual odors in their ears. If they are heavily soiled, it is recommended that they be cleaned.
Now let’s get straight to our list of breeds of cats with big ears!
1.Abyssinian cat
It is one of the oldest cat breeds, but its origins are unclear.
Their ancestors probably lived along the Indian Ocean as well as in Southeast Asia. They may have originated in Ethiopia, which was once part of Abyssinia, the Ethiopian Empire.
Modern Abyssinian cats are smart, playful, and very active. And they love to be the center of attention.
The Abyssinian’s ears are spread apart as if they were listening to something all the time.
Interesting fact: despite their large ears that seem to pick up every sound, they will ignore you if they are busy doing something of their own.
Also, these cats are very fond of sweets. Our cats love condensed milk cookies. However, we should remember that such delicious treats are included in the list of products forbidden for cats.
We can talk about Abyssinian cats endlessly since we ourselves are the owners of “two of those geeks” with long ears.
By the way, according to one study, the Abyssinian breed is considered one of the bravest and most active breeds.
2.Balinese cat
The Balinese cat is a long-haired domestic cat breed with Siamese coloring and sapphire-blue eyes.
The Cat Fanciers Federation (CFA) recognized the breed in 1961.
In fact, the Balinese are often referred to as purebred long-haired Siamese.
They are believed to have originated as a natural mutation of the Siamese breed. The only real differences between Balinese cats and Siamese cats are their long hair and fluffy tail.
They were originally known as long-haired Siamese cats, but breeders thought that was too wordy and later shortened the name to the Balinese cat.
Flexible and muscular, the silky coat of this breed is tightly fitted to their body.
These cats are usually affectionate, playful, and chatty. They love to spend time with their families, and they get along well with children and other pets.
According to one analysis, the Balinese cat is considered one of the most sociable breeds with people.
And of course, Balinese cats have such big ears!
3.Bambino
The Bambino is a distinctive representative of the breed of cat with long ears.
It is a breed that was created as a cross between the Sphynx and the Munchkin.
It was registered by TICA in 2005 as an experimental breed.
The very name of the breed in Italian means “kid” and hints at the mischievous temperament of Bambino.
Bambino cats have short legs and large floppy ears.
They are usually bald, but not always, and have also inherited overly large ears from their Egyptian Sphynx parents.
Bambino cats are a muscular breed with a medium skeleton. Their coat varies from almost hairless to peachy and fluffy.
Although they appear to be bald, bambinos are still mostly covered with fine, short down. By the way, bambinos also belong to the breeds of cats with short paws.
4.Devon Rex
The Devon Rex is a breed of intelligent, big-eared, short-haired cats that originated in England in the late 1950s.
They are known for their slender body, wavy hair, and large ears.
The Devon Rex’s eyes come in different shades of color and variations thereof.
Their huge ears give them an “elfish” look and mischievous expression.
This breed is very social and fun, somewhere similar to dogs.
With a small build and an energetic personality, this cat looks and acts like a kitten for most of its life.
The Devon Rex’s fur is soft and wavy, which seems to ripple when you pet it.
5.Donskoy cat
The Don cat, also known as the Don Sphynx, is a bald cat breed of Russian origin.
The breed originated in 1987 with the discovery of a hairless cat in Rostov-on-Don by cat breeder Elena Kovaleva.
At about four months of age, the cat began to lose its hair. Later Varvara (cat’s name) mated with a local cat and produced a litter of kittens; these kittens are the founders of this breed.
They resemble Sphynx cats in appearance but are not actually related, and their hairlessness is caused by a dominant gene mutation rather than a recessive Sphynx mutation.
They are muscular medium-sized cats with wrinkled skin and long webbed toes.
Don Sphynxes are often thought of as cats that behave like dogs, as they are very loyal and attached to their owners.
Since one of their distinguishing characteristics is their ears – we have put these cats on our list of breeds with big ears.
6.Egyptian Mau
Egyptian Mau is small to medium-sized short-haired cats.
The Mau is one of the few domestic cat breeds with natural spots.
It is considered a rather ancient breed – in the “Book of the Dead” Ra, the sun god, is depicted as a spotted, striped cat similar to the Egyptian Mau (1100 B.C.).
Egyptian Mau has wide ears that curve slightly forward, which gives the cat a wary expression.
They are great at climbing and jumping, but the most impressive thing about their athleticism is their running speed. They are one of the fastest domestic cat breeds, capable of speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.
Interactive games are also important for them to occupy their minds and bodies.
These cats are rare, hard to find, and have a life expectancy of 15-18 years. By the way, the Egyptian Mau is in the TOP 15 breeds of cats that live longer than others.
7.Sphynx Cat
In 1966 in Toronto, Canada, a domestic cat gave birth to a naked kitten.
This, as it turned out, was a natural mutation. The result was the Sphynx – as we now know it.
Sphynxes are most widely known for their fur – or rather, their lack of it! By the way, this breed is on the list of hypoallergenic cat breeds.
By the way, naked cats usually have big ears, and the Sphynx is no exception.
Sphynx cats stand out for their wrinkled skin and prominent facial features. Many of these bald cats actually have fluffy fluff covering part or all of their body.
But what really draws attention is their huge ears and eyes compared to the rest of their head.
They are generally friendly and cuddly cats and have been known to entertain us with their clownish antics.
8.Cornish Rex
And so, another representative of cat breeds with long ears.
The Cornish Rex is a breed of domestic cats belonging to the short-haired group.
The main distinguishing feature of their appearance is the coat. It has no hairs, and the undercoat is curled in a dense wave, reminiscent of the structure of astrakhan.
Cornish Rex has unique fur among cat breeds. Their fur is short, soft, and silky, wavy along the body, and consists almost exclusively of undercoat.
The Cornish Rex is suitable for people who like to have their lives run by active, inquisitive, gazelle-like cats.
For the Cornish Rex, everything is play and it’s hard to ignore them when they’re in a sociable mood, which is most of the time.
These cats are skilled climbers, jumpers, and sprinters with surprisingly nimble paws.
9.Oriental Shorthair
Both short-haired and long-haired Oriental cats have characteristically long ears and are closely related to Siamese cats.
They are sociable, playful, and often talkative cats with characteristics similar to their Siamese relatives.
Like Siamese, Oriental cats have almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large ears, and an elongated, thin, and muscular body.
The main difference is their fur, which can be of different colors and patterns.
The genetic roots of the Oriental are in Thailand, and the breed has since become one of the most popular among members of The Cat Fanciers’ Association – CFA.
This cheerful breed is quite athletic and playful. Orientals tend to get very attached to their families.
10.Peterbald
The Peterbald breed was bred in 1994 in St. Petersburg as a result of an experimental mating of a Don Sphynx and an Oriental cat.
The skin of naked cats behaves similarly to that of humans: it sweats when it is hot and tans in summer under the rays of the sun.
“Rubber” (naked) kittens are very sensitive to irradiation, drying out, and mechanical damage, and need protection (lubrication with baby oil can do the trick).
They are playful cats that love attention and are usually affectionate with their owners. These felines have a high metabolism and may need more food than our usual cats with fur.
11.Savannah cat
The Savannah cat is something between domestic cats and wild African servals.
And the Savannah cat’s large, high ears are an integral part of the breed’s overall wild appearance.
This breed began breeding in the United States in 2001. Breeders sought to create a large-sized domestic cat with an exotic wild color but with the malleable character of a domestic cat, adapted for comfortable housing in the home.
Still, savannahs have remained somewhat wild in behavior.
These cats tend to love their families and often require attention. They are also very intelligent and energetic.
Savannahs are known for being able to open doors and cabinets themselves. So be careful when hiding their food ๐!
12.Siamese
This is one of the famous cat breeds of the Siamese-Oriental group.
The Siamese cat has a very distinctive appearance, the distinguishing features of which are its thin, long, trumpet-shaped flexible body and long wedge-shaped head.
Siamese cats are believed to be descended from the sacred temple cats of Siam, now called Thailand.
They originated in the United States in 1878 when the American president received a Siamese as a gift from the American consul in Bangkok.
The Siamese cat is one of the most recognizable breeds of Asian cats.
They are long, slender, and elegant cats with smooth coats, which are usually a mixture of chocolate, cream, and black colors.
Siamese cats are quite intelligent and very affectionate with their owners.
With such long and slender legs, body, and tail, it’s no wonder their ears seem even bigger than they really are!
13.Ukrainian Levkoy
It is a breed of naked lop-eared cat.
Work on the creation of the breed began in 2000. The first registered by ICFA RUI breeding committee cat of the breed named “Levkoy Primero” was born on January 21, 2004.
The breed is not recognized by large international organizations of cat lovers and breeders – it is recognized only by Ukrainian and Russian clubs.
These cats are unique in many ways.
In addition to large and very large ears, they are usually bent inward like some dogs.
The Ukrainian levkoy is usually bald, with a long and muscular body.
They have soft, supple skin that wrinkles greatly, large round eyes, and an angular head.
All of these characteristics make the breed look more like dogs than cats, and their sociable and playful nature further emphasizes these traits.
14.Chausie
The tall and wide ears of the Chausie are planted at a slight angle outward.
This is a new breed of cat with big ears, which was registered in 1995 in the registry of TICA.
Chausie was bred by crossing the Abyssinian breed with the Wild Reed Cat. Breeders wanted a new breed that would retain the appearance of the wild cat but would have the character of a domestic cat.
Chausie kittens look a lot like lion cubs – they have large breasts and high set big round ears.
They are intelligent, active, and playful cats who remain curious about their surroundings all their lives.
In addition to big ears, the Chausie is also one of the top 10 largest cat breeds.
15.Javanese
This is an artificial breed, bred in the U.S. as a result of crossing Balinese cats with short-haired colorpoints.
The resulting Javanese kittens look like Siamese cats, but their fur is longer and they have different colors.
The Javanese cat has a long, silky coat of different colors (unlike the real native domestic Javanese cats, which have short coat).
Members of this breed are very agile, intelligent, and hardy cats.
They have the same vocalization feature as their Siamese ancestors and are also known for their playfulness, intelligence, and tenderness.
And of course, their big ears will not leave anyone indifferent.
Top 15 Cat Breeds with Big Ears – Infographics
We hope you enjoyed our list of breeds of cats with big ears.
More interesting facts about cat ears you can also read on our portal!
Choose any friend and not an obligatory big-eared cat. But do not forget that we are responsible for those we tamed. All pas!
And don’t forget to share our article – it will be a great incentive to create only the best materials for you.
