Best Cats for Apartments

Breeds that cope well with limited space, shared walls and no garden — rated 4 or 5 for apartment living.

← All cat breeds (37)

32 entries

Maine Coon — breed guide

Maine Coon

The gentle giant of the cat world — fluffy, friendly and fascinatingly dog-like.

Size
Large
Weight
9–22 lb (4–10 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
British Shorthair — breed guide

British Shorthair

Calm, round and deeply dignified — the teddy bear of the cat world.

Size
Large
Weight
9–18 lb (4–8 kg)
Lifespan
12–20 years
Ragdoll — breed guide

Ragdoll

The cat that goes limp in your arms — and steals your heart.

Size
Large
Weight
10–20 lb (4.5–9 kg)
Lifespan
12–17 years
Sphynx — breed guide

Sphynx

Naked, warm and impossible to ignore — the cat that runs on love.

Size
Large
Weight
8–15 lb (3.5–7 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
Scottish Fold — breed guide

Scottish Fold

Owl-faced and irresistibly round — the cat the internet loves.

Size
Medium
Weight
6–13 lb (2.7–6 kg)
Lifespan
11–15 years
Norwegian Forest Cat — breed guide

Norwegian Forest Cat

A Viking in a fur coat — rugged, independent and breathtakingly beautiful.

Size
Large
Weight
9–20 lb (4–9 kg)
Lifespan
14–16 years
Russian Blue — breed guide

Russian Blue

Silver-plush, quietly observant and deeply loyal to a chosen few.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–12 lb (3.2–5.4 kg)
Lifespan
15–20 years
Devon Rex — breed guide

Devon Rex

Enormous ears, curly coat and the personality of an over-caffeinated toddler.

Size
Small
Weight
5–9 lb (2.3–4.1 kg)
Lifespan
12–16 years
Birman — breed guide

Birman

Silk gloves and sapphire eyes — the gentlest of the pointed breeds.

Size
Large
Weight
7–12 lb (3–5.4 kg)
Lifespan
13–16 years
Exotic Shorthair — breed guide

Exotic Shorthair

A Persian in a wash-and-wear coat — the same round face, a fraction of the brushing.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–14 lb (3.2–6.4 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
American Shorthair — breed guide

American Shorthair

The working cat that became a family favourite — hardy, easy and built to last.

Size
Large
Weight
8–15 lb (3.6–6.8 kg)
Lifespan
15–20 years
Oriental Shorthair — breed guide

Oriental Shorthair

A Siamese in every colour — talkative, athletic and permanently involved in your business.

Size
Medium
Weight
6–11 lb (2.5–5 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
Burmese — breed guide

Burmese

A small cat with the density of a brick and the personality of a dog.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–12 lb (3.2–5.4 kg)
Lifespan
15–18 years
Tonkinese — breed guide

Tonkinese

Siamese charm without the volume — the deliberate middle ground between two great breeds.

Size
Medium
Weight
6–12 lb (2.7–5.4 kg)
Lifespan
14–18 years
Turkish Angora — breed guide

Turkish Angora

A silk-coated athlete from Anatolia — elegant, busy and considerably bossier than it looks.

Size
Medium
Weight
6–10 lb (2.5–4.5 kg)
Lifespan
12–18 years
Siberian — breed guide

Siberian

A forest cat built for Russian winters — powerful, playful and unusually dog-like.

Size
Large
Weight
10–20 lb (4.5–9 kg)
Lifespan
12–18 years
Cornish Rex — breed guide

Cornish Rex

Marcel-waved, whippet-thin and permanently in motion — a cat that never really grows up.

Size
Small
Weight
5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg)
Lifespan
12–16 years
Manx — breed guide

Manx

The tailless cat of the Isle of Man — sturdy, playful and unusually attached to its people.

Size
Medium
Weight
8–12 lb (3.5–5.5 kg)
Lifespan
12–16 years
Himalayan — breed guide

Himalayan

A Persian in Siamese colours — placid, beautiful and a genuine daily grooming commitment.

Size
Large
Weight
7–13 lb (3.2–5.9 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
Balinese — breed guide

Balinese

A longhaired Siamese with the same brain, the same voice and a plume of a tail.

Size
Medium
Weight
6–11 lb (2.5–5 kg)
Lifespan
12–20 years
Bombay — breed guide

Bombay

A patent-leather panther in miniature — warm, heavy and relentlessly sociable.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–12 lb (3.2–5.4 kg)
Lifespan
12–18 years
Selkirk Rex — breed guide

Selkirk Rex

The cat in sheep's clothing — a plush curly coat wrapped around a genuinely placid temperament.

Size
Large
Weight
7–15 lb (3.2–7 kg)
Lifespan
13–16 years
Chartreux — breed guide

Chartreux

A quiet French blue cat with a smiling face and a hunter's calm.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–15 lb (3–7 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
Egyptian Mau — breed guide

Egyptian Mau

The fastest domestic cat — naturally spotted, loyal and quietly intense.

Size
Medium
Weight
6–11 lb (2.5–5 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
Ocicat — breed guide

Ocicat

A wild-looking spotted cat with an entirely domestic, dog-like personality.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–15 lb (3–7 kg)
Lifespan
12–18 years
Somali — breed guide

Somali

A long-haired Abyssinian with a fox-like tail and endless curiosity.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–11 lb (3–5 kg)
Lifespan
12–16 years
Korat — breed guide

Korat

A silver-blue Thai cat considered a symbol of good luck.

Size
Small
Weight
6–10 lb (2.5–4.5 kg)
Lifespan
13–17 years
American Curl — breed guide

American Curl

Backward-curled ears and a playful nature that lasts a lifetime.

Size
Small
Weight
6–10 lb (2.5–4.5 kg)
Lifespan
12–16 years
LaPerm — breed guide

LaPerm

A curly-coated cat with a gentle, affectionate nature.

Size
Small
Weight
6–10 lb (2.5–4.5 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years
Toyger — breed guide

Toyger

A domestic cat bred to look like a miniature tiger.

Size
Medium
Weight
8–15 lb (3.5–7 kg)
Lifespan
10–15 years
Nebelung — breed guide

Nebelung

A long-haired blue cat — shy at first, devoted once won over.

Size
Medium
Weight
7–15 lb (3–7 kg)
Lifespan
15–18 years
Havana Brown — breed guide

Havana Brown

A rich chocolate cat with green eyes and a curious, affectionate nature.

Size
Small
Weight
6–10 lb (2.5–4.5 kg)
Lifespan
12–15 years