Do You Own A Top 10 Most Expensive Cat Breed?
When many people think about the 10 most expensive cat breeds in the world, they do not have a good grasp of just how expensive some of these cat breeds can be.
This isn’t surprising as when people adopt cats locally for little to no money, it can be hard to imagine that some people are adopting cats for thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.
The most expensive cat breed in the world is the Ashera cat, which can go for up to $125,000. However, there are lots of other cat breeds that also come with quite the price tag, such as Savannah cats, Bengal cats, Khao Manee cats, and more. Most of these cats price varies depending on their pedigree.
Nevertheless, many cat owners, especially those who like to compete in shows, will spend quite a bit of money on getting the perfect prize-winning kitten.
In the rest of this article, we are going to look at these ten different expensive cat breeds.
Discover what makes each of these feline breeds so special, and why people are willing to fork over so much money to own one.
10 Most Expensive Cat Breeds In The World
Cats are one of the most popular pets in the United States, and they have been beloved pets throughout history as well.
Many cat owners spend over $1,000 a year taking care of their feline friends between the following expenses:
- Vet Bills
- Food
- Toys
- Other Care Expenses
People do this because of the close bonds they feel to these adorable, furry little creatures.
However, it may still come as a shock to many cat lovers just how much money some people are willing to pay for their cats.
There are some cat breeds in the world that are unbelievably expensive.
It can be hard to imagine someone spending over $100,000 on a cat, but there are people around the world who do just that.
The table below shows the 10 most expensive cat breeds in the world (source 1,2,3,4):
Cat Breed | Price ($) |
---|---|
Ashera | Up to $125,000 |
Savannah | Up to $50,000 |
Bengal | Up to $25,000 |
Khao Manee | Up to $11,000 |
Sphynx | $1,500 – $10,000 |
Persian | $1,000 – $5,000 |
Toyger | $1,500 – $3,500 |
Peterbald | Up to $2,000 |
Ragdoll | $1,500 – $2,500 |
Maine Coon Cats | $1,000 – $2,500 |
Ashera Cats
The Ashera cat is by far the most expensive cat breed on this list.
They can go for upwards of $125,000, which is significantly more expensive than many luxury cars!
The Ashera cat is a relatively new breed, first developed in the 2000s by a company called Lifestyle Pets.
They are a mix of domestic house cats, African serval, and Asian leopards.
Only a few of these cats are made in labs each year and you have to buy them directly from the labs because they are all sterile (meaning they cannot be traditionally bred).
Ashera cats are also unique in their size and look.
These short-hair cats look more like wild cats than many other breeds, and they are rather large, standing at 4-5 feet tall and weighing up to 33 pounds.
However, for the price, you will get a pet for a long time because they can live up to 25 years.
Savannah Cats
Savannah cats come in different classes, depending on their generation and how ‘wild’ they are.
They are a mix of wild African serval cats and domestic Persian cats.
The most expensive classification, F1 Savannah cats, can go for up to $50,000 depending on their gender and pedigree.
F1 cats are banned in many states throughout the US because of how wild they are.
These cats refuse to eat regular cat food, do not use litter boxes, and can react negatively to strangers.
Owning a higher-class Savannah cat is very similar to owning a wild animal. Still, many people love this breed because of how smart, playful, and active these animals are.
Lower classifications can cost less money, but will still typically go for several thousand dollars.
Earlier generations of Savannah cats are often bigger, weighing up to 25 pounds.
They also tend to live longer, with first generations living up to 20 years, while some lower generations tend to only live between 12 and 15 years (source 1).
Bengal Cats
With Bengal cats, we are getting closer to what some people would consider reasonable for a cat, though Bengal cats from certain lines can still go for as much as $25,000.
Still, most show cats in this breed go for closer to $10,000, and cats with less impressive genetics are sometimes sold for under $5,000.
Bengal cats were first bred in the 1970s as a cross between domestic shorthair cats and wild Asian leopards.
In order to be truly considered a Bengal cat, they have to be no more than four generations away from a wildcat.
Just like with many breeds on this list, the earlier the generation, the more expensive the cat.
Depending on the generation, they tend to weigh between 8 and 22 pounds, and they live between 12 and 16 years.
Because they have to be so close to their wild cat heritage, Bengal cats are banned in some places, including Hawaii and New York City (source 1).
Khao Manee Cats
It is likely that you have not heard of this cat breed before.
This is because the Khao Manee cat breed is relatively rare in the Western world, but they are an ancient breed of cat that has been considered special in Thailand for centuries.
These cats are all white and have either blue eyes, gold eyes, or sometimes one of each.
Because of how rare this shorthair cat breed is, it can cost upwards of $11,000 to get one from a reputable breeder.
Getting a Khao Manee with two different eye colors can be even more expensive since they are rarer.
These playful cats are relatively small, weighing between eight and ten pounds, and they tend to live between 10 and 12 years.
Because they are not as wild as some of the other cats on this list, they are considered much easier to care for and can even make good family pets (source 1).
Sphynx Cats
Sphynx cats are a very well-known cat breed, and they are super easy to identify because of their unique, hairless appearance.
Many Sphynx cats are relatively average in cost for a purebred cat, between one and four thousand dollars.
However, there are some Sphynx cats from prize-winning bloodlines or that have rare coloring, and those cats can get rather expensive.
The rarer cats in this breed have gone for up to $10,000, which is well over what many cat owners can afford.
These cats tend to live between 8 and 14 years, and they weigh between 6 and 12 pounds.
As far as temperament goes, these cats tend to be very friendly and energetic, and they love to spend time with their humans (source 1).
Persian Cats
Persian cats are the cats that are used to make Savannah cats, but they do go for a much lower price range than Savannah cats do.
It is possible to get a Persian cat for as low as 500 dollars, so you might be surprised to see this specific breed on this list.
However, Persian cats from specific lineages can go for $5,000+. They are not an inexpensive breed!
These long-haired cats are absolutely gorgeous.
They also make great house pets as they are very affectionate and (for the most part) very calm.
Persian cats tend to weigh between 7 and 12 pounds and live anywhere from 10 to 17 years (source 1).
Toyger Cats
No, we did not misspell tiger! These cats are called Toyger cats.
These cats are a cross between domestic shorthair house cats and Bengal cats.
They often have markings that look very similar to a tiger, which is part of what makes them so unique.
But, they are considered completely domesticated; unlike Bengal cats, therefore there are a lot fewer restrictions around owning Toygers.
This breed weighs between 7 and 15 pounds and can live between 13 and 17 years.
These cats were first developed to help bring awareness to the decline of tigers in the wild, and they have quickly become beloved by many cat owners.
At this time, there are only about 400 Toygers in existence, so they can be hard to find unless you go directly to the breeder.
Toygers considered “pet quality” tend to go for around $1,500, whereas show quality Toygers can go for 3, 4, or even 5 thousand dollars.
Peterbald Cats
Peterbald cats can be confused with Sphynx cats because many of them are bald or have very short hair.
These cats are very playful and usually get along great with children, dogs, and other cats.
They are relatively small, weighing between 8 and 10 pounds, and can live for about 12 years.
As far as cost, these cats will usually cost at least a couple of thousand dollars, but they can go for up to $5,000.
They also are considered expensive to care for as they require a very high-calorie intake.
Owners can spend upwards of $1000 on food a month to care for these animals.
Nevertheless, they make awesome pets if they are within your budget to own (source 1).
Ragdoll Cats
Ragdoll cats are adorable, little, long-haired fluff balls.
These cats come in a range of different prices.
You could get a pet-quality ragdoll kitten for under $1000, but many that come from prize-winning breeds can cost closer to $5,000.
It depends on what you are hoping to do with your Ragdoll cat.
These cats also vary a lot in size, weighing anywhere from 8 to 20 pounds, and lifespan which ranges from 9 to 15+ years.
These cats can make excellent show cats, but they can also make excellent house cats.
This can be a great breed if you live in an apartment because ragdoll cats are content to lounge around all day (source 1).
Learn more about the Ragdoll Vs Maine Coon.
Maine Coon Cats
Maine Coon cats are one of those cat breeds that we are not quite sure where or how they originated.
They are most likely from the New England area, specifically Maine, and were at one point wild cats.
One of the things that makes this cat breed so unique is the Maine Coon Cat Size.
They are one of the largest domesticated cat breeds as they can weigh up to 25 pounds and can measure over 45 inches long!
Maine Coon cats are long-haired with very gentle temperaments.
As far as price goes, they tend to go for between 1 and 2 thousand dollars, but certain Maine Coons from prize-winning bloodlines can go for upwards of $4,000 (source 1).
Conclusion
So, did these ten most expensive cat breeds in the world surprise you?
The Ashera cat tends to shock people the most because it can be hard to imagine spending over $100,000 on a cat.
Especially when you could buy several cars or put a sizeable down payment on the house for less than that!
But some people are willing to do just that to get the thrill of owning a cat that is in part a wild animal.
Just make sure you check the regulations in your area before you get one.
There are lots of other expensive cat breeds out there that did not make it on this list.
Many purebred cats can go for well over a thousand or even a few thousand dollars if they are show-quality or from prize-winning bloodlines.
Related Questions
Most Expensive 13 Million Dollar Cat
There is one cat worth far more than any of the cats on this list, and that is a stray cat that was rescued from the street.
While he does not have an expensive pedigree, the owner of this cat left her fortune worth over 13 million dollars to her pet cat and the woman she wanted to care for her cat, after her passing.
The woman who is now responsible for caring for the cat had no clue that the previous owner had that much money.