Best Cat Breeds for Apartments (Ranked by Data)
Most cats cope with a small home better than most dogs, but some breeds are built for it and some climb the curtains by week two. This list ranks the ones that settle.
Every breed here scores 4 or 5 on Apartment-friendly and 3 or lower on Vocalization in our editorial ratings; the list is ranked by the Apartment-friendly score, then popularity. The vocalization cap is there for the neighbors. A cat can be perfectly happy in six hundred square feet and still make the building miserable at four in the morning, which keeps the chattiest breeds off this list even when they rate well for indoor living.
The Ragdoll, Persian, British Shorthair and Russian Blue all score the maximum: calm, mostly floor-level cats that do not need a lot of vertical space. The Sphynx and Burmese are the active exceptions, happy in an apartment as long as someone is home to entertain them.
Apartment-friendly is a tendency of the breed, not a verdict on an individual cat, and it says nothing about what the apartment needs to provide. Every indoor cat still needs a scratching post, a window, a high place to sit and some daily play, and a bored cat of the calmest breed will still find something to destroy. Watch weight most closely: the placid breeds on this list are the ones that get fat in a small home.
The same calm makes these cats easy to leave for a weekend, but not for a week without company. A cat sitter who visits once or twice a day, scoops the tray and spends time with the cat is the right fit for most of them; book a meet-and-greet first, since a cat that hides from strangers needs a sitter who knows where to look.
Ragdoll
Large, relaxed companion cat famous for going limp when picked up and for trailing its people from room to room.
Large · 12–17 years
Persian
Flat-faced, long-coated lap cat with a calm, quiet manner and a coat that needs combing every day.
Medium · 12–17 years
Exotic Shorthair
The Persian in a plush short coat: same round face and easygoing nature with far less grooming.
Medium · 12–15 years
British Shorthair
Round-faced teddy-bear cat with a dense coat and a reserved, undemanding temperament.
Medium · 12–17 years
Scottish Fold
Owl-faced cat whose forward-folded ears come from a cartilage mutation; placid, quiet and fond of sitting upright.
Medium · 11–15 years
Sphynx
Nearly hairless, suede-skinned cat that runs warm, craves attention and behaves like an extroverted clown.
Medium · 10–15 years
American Shorthair
Sturdy, low-maintenance working cat descended from ships' mousers, known for an even temper and a long life.
Medium · 15–20 years
Russian Blue
Plush silver-blue cat with green eyes, reserved around strangers but devoted and playful with its own family.
Medium · 15–20 years
Birman
Silky, blue-eyed colorpoint with pure white gloves on every paw and a gentle, quietly affectionate disposition.
Medium · 12–16 years
Burmese
Compact, heavy-for-its-size cat with a satin coat and a people-focused, puppyish personality that lasts into old age.
Medium · 12–18 years
Selkirk Rex
Curly-coated, heavy-boned cat often called the sheep cat; mellow, patient and tolerant of handling.
Medium · 12–15 years
Ragamuffin
Ragdoll offshoot with a rabbit-soft coat, a full range of colors and an exceptionally docile, lap-loving temperament.
Large · 12–16 years
Bombay
Jet-black, copper-eyed cat bred to look like a miniature panther; sociable, warm-seeking and easy to live with.
Medium · 12–16 years
Chartreux
Blue-grey French cat with a smiling expression, a woolly coat and a quiet, observant, thoroughly unflappable manner.
Medium · 12–15 years
American Curl
Known for ears that curl gracefully backward, this friendly, kitten-like breed keeps a playful outlook for life.
Medium · 12–16 years
Singapura
One of the smallest breeds, a sepia-ticked, big-eyed cat with a nosy, affectionate, self-appointed-supervisor streak.
Small · 11–15 years
Havana Brown
Rare, uniformly chocolate-brown cat with green eyes and a habit of touching things with its paws to investigate.
Medium · 12–15 years
Korat
Thailand's silver-blue good-luck cat with a heart-shaped face and peridot eyes; intense, attentive and territorial.
Medium · 12–15 years
LaPerm
Curly, ringleted coat from a spontaneous farm-cat mutation; a gentle, clownish, lap-seeking breed.
Medium · 12–15 years
Burmilla
Chance Burmese and Chinchilla Persian cross with a sparkling silver coat and eyeliner-rimmed green eyes; sweet and easy.
Medium · 10–15 years
Himalayan
Persian build and coat with Siamese point coloring and blue eyes; a sweet, sedate cat that needs daily grooming.
Medium · 12–15 years
Devon Rex
Pixie-faced cat with huge ears, a wavy coat and a mischievous, monkey-like urge to ride on shoulders.
Small · 12–15 years
Cornish Rex
Greyhound-built cat in a marcelled, washboard-wave coat, forever racing, leaping and seeking warm laps.
Small · 11–15 years
Turkish Angora
Elegant, fine-boned ancient breed with a silky single coat and a lively, strong-willed, people-centred character.
Medium · 12–18 years
Manx
Tailless island cat with a rounded, rabbit-like hop and a loyal, dog-like attachment to its household.
Medium · 9–13 years
Ocicat
Wild-spotted look with no wild blood, bred from Siamese, Abyssinian and American Shorthair; outgoing and trainable.
Medium · 12–18 years
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