Types of Cats: Breeds, Coat Patterns, and Colors Explained

There are three main ways to sort the types of cats: by breed, by coat length, and by coat pattern or color. Breeds are cats with a known family tree, like the Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Persian, and Siamese. But most pet cats in the U.S. are not a breed at all. They are mixed-breed cats, often called domestic shorthairs or domestic longhairs. Coat patterns are a separate thing. Tabby, calico, tuxedo, and colorpoint are patterns, not breeds, and you can find them on both purebred and mixed-breed cats. This guide walks through each type in plain words, with two quick tables to help you name the cat on your couch.

In this article

• What are the main types of cats?
• What is a domestic shorthair cat?
• What are the most popular cat breeds?
• What are the main cat coat patterns?
• Why are most orange cats male?
• How can you tell what type of cat you have?
• Breed or mixed breed: which cat is right for you?
• Frequently asked questions

What Are the Main Types of Cats?

When people ask about types of cats, they usually mean one of three things.

• Breed. A breed is a group of cats bred to look and act a certain way. Groups called registries keep track of them. The two big ones in the U.S. are the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA). Each lists dozens of breeds.
• Coat length. Cats can be shorthair, longhair, or somewhere in the middle. A few breeds have curly coats, and one well-known breed has almost no hair.
• Coat pattern and color. This is the look of the fur: stripes, patches, spots, or one solid color.

Here is the key idea. A cat has all three at once. A cat could be a mixed-breed shorthair with an orange tabby coat. Another could be a purebred Persian with a calico coat.

What Is a Domestic Shorthair Cat?

A domestic shorthair is a mixed-breed cat with short fur. It is not a breed. It just means "a house cat with short hair and an unknown family tree." A domestic longhair is the same idea with long fur. Some shelters also use "domestic medium hair" for cats in between.

These are the cats most people live with. Surveys of U.S. pet owners have found that about 75% to 84% of pet cats are mixed breed, based on numbers shared by HumanePro. They are also the cats you will see most often at shelters and rescues.

Domestic shorthairs come in every color and pattern. That is why two shelter cats can look nothing alike, even though both are called "DSH" on their cage cards.

What Are the Most Popular Cat Breeds?

Each year, the CFA ranks breeds by how many new cats were registered the year before. Here is its top 10 list for 2026, based on 2025 data, with a short note on each.

Source: Cat Fanciers' Association, Most Popular Breeds for 2026. Rankings are based on CFA registrations only.

The Maine Coon took the top spot for the second year in a row. Want the full story on that gentle giant? Read our Maine Coon cat guide.

Longhair breeds

Maine Coons, Ragdolls, Persians, and Siberians all have long fur. Long coats are soft and full, but they can mat. Plan on brushing a few times a week. Persians need it every day.

Shorthair breeds

British Shorthairs, American Shorthairs, Russian Blues, and Abyssinians have short coats that are easy to care for. The CFA says the British Shorthair has more hairs per square inch than any other breed. Each hair on an Abyssinian has bands of color, which gives the coat a warm glow.

Curly and hairless coats

Some breeds stand out because of their fur, or the lack of it. The Devon Rex has soft, wavy fur. The Sphynx has almost no hair at all, so it needs baths and a warm spot to nap.

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What Are the Main Cat Coat Patterns?

Coat patterns are where most of the fun names come from. Remember, these are looks, not breeds. A tabby can be a Maine Coon or a shelter cat.

Tabby

Tabby is the most common pattern. Most tabbies have a dark "M" shape on the forehead. The CFA lists four main tabby patterns:

• Mackerel: thin stripes down the sides, like a fish skeleton.
• Classic: wide swirls, often with a "bullseye" on each side.
• Spotted: stripes broken up into spots.
• Ticked: few or no stripes. Each hair has bands of color, so the coat looks flecked. The Abyssinian is the classic example.

Tuxedo and bicolor

Bicolor cats have white plus one other color. A tuxedo cat is a black-and-white bicolor that looks like it is wearing a suit, often with white paws and a white chest.

Calico and tortoiseshell

A calico has three colors: white, orange, and black (or softer versions like cream and gray). A tortoiseshell, or "tortie," has orange and black mixed together with little or no white. Nearly all calicos and torties are female. We explain why in the next section.

Colorpoint

Colorpoint cats have a light body with darker ears, face, paws, and tail. Think Siamese, Ragdoll, or Himalayan. The gene behind it makes color only where the body is cooler. That is why the "points" are at the edges.

Solid

Solid cats are one color from nose to tail, like an all-black or all-white cat. Black cats often wait longer at shelters, but the reasons are mostly myths. See our post on black cat adoption myths.

Cat Coat Patterns at a Glance

Why Are Most Orange Cats Male?

It comes down to one gene on the X chromosome. In 2025, two teams of scientists, one at Stanford and one in Japan, found the change in a gene called ARHGAP36 that turns fur orange. Their work was published in the journal Current Biology.

Here is how it works:

• Male cats have one X chromosome. If that X carries the orange gene, the cat is orange.
• Female cats have two X chromosomes. To be fully orange, both need the orange gene. That is less likely.
• If a female gets one orange X and one non-orange X, each patch of skin "switches off" one X at random. The result is a patchwork of orange and black. That is a tortie, or a calico if white is added.

So male calicos are very rare. Most of them have an extra X chromosome (XXY), and they usually cannot father kittens.

How Can You Tell What Type of Cat You Have?

Start with what you can see. Then decide how much you need to know.

1. Check the coat length. Short, medium, or long?
2. Name the pattern. Use the table above. Is it striped, patched, pointed, or solid?
3. Look for papers. A cat is only a purebred if it has registry papers. A cat that looks like a Maine Coon but has no papers is a domestic longhair, and that is perfectly fine.
4. Ask your shelter or vet. Shelter records often list coat type and color, like "DSH, brown tabby."

Cat DNA tests also exist. They can hint at breed roots and some health risks. Since most pet cats are mixed, many results will say "mostly domestic."

Breed or Mixed Breed: Which Cat Is Right for You?

Breeds can help you guess a cat's size, coat care, and energy. But every cat is its own animal. A calm Abyssinian and a busy Persian both exist.

Mixed-breed cats come in every look, and shelters have lots of them, from kittens to seniors. Not sure which age fits your home? Our guide to senior cat vs. kitten adoption can help. If you want a kitten, read about single kitten syndrome first, since some kittens do better in pairs.

Have your heart set on a breed? Many breeds have their own rescue groups. Search "[breed name] rescue" to find one near you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many types of cats are there?

It depends on how you count. The big cat registries each list dozens of breeds, and the counts change as new breeds are added. On top of that, there are many coat patterns and colors. Most pet cats are mixed breed, so they do not fit one breed at all.

Is a tabby cat a breed?

No. Tabby is a coat pattern. Many breeds and most mixed-breed cats can be tabbies. You can often spot one by the "M" mark on its forehead.

What is the most common type of cat?

The domestic shorthair. It is a mixed-breed cat with short fur, and it makes up most pet cats and shelter cats in the U.S.

Are calico cats always female?

Almost always. A calico needs two X chromosomes to show both orange and black. Male calicos are rare and usually have an extra X chromosome.

What is the most popular cat breed?

In the CFA's 2026 list, the Maine Coon was number one for the second year in a row. The Ragdoll was second and the Persian was third.

For the Cat Person Who Loves Them All

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