How gorgeous are cats with big ears? Big-eyed cats tug on our heartstrings as we are hardwired to feel affectionate towards creatures with large eyes – and the same appears to hold true when it comes to big ear cat breeds.
Cat ears can be extremely cute as they are often very soft on the outside and have some fur on the inside (which isn’t so attractive in human beings).
Larger ears often performed an important function for cats in the wild as it allowed them to listen out for danger as well as for prey. So you will notice that some of these big-eared cat breeds have a slightly wilder look about them.
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15 Big Ear Cat Breeds
1. Abyssinian Cats
Your Abyssinian cat may well become your best friend. This high energy cats are always on and ready for fun. What they love most is being close to their owner so they will tend to be in whichever room that you are in.
This breed has a relatively small face which means its large almond-shaped eyes and ears stand out even more.
This friendly cat breed is also known for its intelligence and its love of a good climb so be sure to give it a garden or a cat tower for playing. But most of all the Abyssinian loves its human family.
This sociable cat likes company so if you have a busy lifestyle it might be an idea to get another cat or pet to keep it company when you’re not there.
2. Cornish Rex Cat Breed
The Cornish Rex cat has a head shaped liked a triangle. As a result, its eyes and ears are prominent and large. The eyes of the Cornish Rex cat tend to be golden in colour although that can vary.
The Cornish Rex cat breed has no hair apart from some down. Their coat is very fine and can sometimes get a bit of a curl. The lack of fur can emphasise those big eyes and ears even more.
This cat breed is often compared to greyhound dogs due to their sleek appearance and they like a long, lolling run. This is a very adventurous breed that loves to explore and will keep its playful demeanor long after its kitten days are finished.
3. Devon Rex Cats
The mischievous Devon Rex cat, also known as the pixie cat, is a loving and loyal feline breed. They make the ideal companions and welcome family and friends’ attention, as well as being great with kids and other pets.
This cat breed emerged in England during the late 1950s and is similar to the nearby Cornish Rex cat breed. Their large, oval-shaped eyes compete with their large ears for attention.
These felines are intelligent, active, and require regular stimulation. Devon Rex cats are jumpers, and their favorite place is at head level, so perches and cat trees should be provided.
The moderately active cat enjoys learning and playing fetch, so interactive toys will also help keep him occupied while you’re out earning money.
This indoor cat breed has slender bodies with long legs, large eyes, and high cheekbones. They shouldn’t be brushed as their fur is prone to breakage; instead, rub the Devon Rex cat gently with a cloth to keep them well-groomed, weekly.
4. Siamese Cats
Siamese cats are one of the most adored and famous cat breeds. They are intelligent, talkative, and lovely natured felines, making ideal family pets.
These cats have unique short coats, with a light-colored body and silky smooth fur. Their face, paws, and tails are darker than the rest of their bodies. While they are great indoor cats, they seek companionship from their owners, including sitting on laps and snuggling in bed.
Their sleek short coats also highlight there proportionately large ears.
Siamese cats are often labeled as “dog-like” because they enjoy following their humans around and enjoy playtime, like fetch, so stock up on active cat toys. Although they are loving cats, this breed should not be left alone at home for extended periods.
5. Spyhnx Cats
The Sphynx, one of the most recognizable cat breeds, is famous for its bald body. These medium-sized cats have a striking appearance with hairless, wrinkled skin and large ears.
It is also known for the somewhat intense gaze which emits for its large eyes. As another breed with minimal hair those large eyes and ears stand out even more on the Sphynx cat.
Though Sphynx cats appear to look bald, they may be covered in a small amount of peach fuzz, giving them that velvety texture. However, they do require moderate grooming to care for their hairless bodies as they do not have fur to absorb natural oils their body produces.
What the Sphynx cat breed lacks in fur, they make up for in their personality. These hairless kitties are sociable, energetic, and love to play. The curious kitties are mischievous and are fond of teaser toys and puzzle toys to challenge them.
6. Savannah
One of the most expensive cat breeds, the Savannah is a fabulous mix of a genuinely wild cat (cerval) and a domestic cat. This gives them very stylish cheetah markings on their coats and even on their proportionately large ears.
This magnificent kitty is also exceptionally large and ranks as the world’s tallest cat breed – definitely supermodel territory.
Savannahs are so costly due to their breeding. It takes luck – and often a number of years – to mate a serval and a domesticated cat.
They bond with only a few people and are known to be very loyal. They’re very inquisitive and have an impressive ability to jump – even onto fridges and high walls.
They have quite a strong hunting instinct, so if you keep birds or fish, your Savannah cat will likely eye and ear on them daily.
Because of this hunting instinct, it’s important to look at your country and city’s ownership laws before you decide to invest in this feline. Some areas have restrictive laws because these large cats can threaten native species.
7. Balinese Cats
The Balinese cat breed began as a mutation of the Siamese cat breed. They are very similar to the Siamese cat breed but have a longer coat and they rarely weigh more than 5kgs.
This is a stylish and sleek breed with the same deep blue eyes of the Siamese – add in their gorgeous silky long coat and this is one good looking cat breed. Their sleek silky coats also highlight their proportionately large ears.
Balinese cats are known to be intelligent, friendly and playful. They can also be quite vocal and rather demanding – part of that intelligence, these kitties know what they want!
This is also a breed that likes attention and shouldn’t be left alone for long periods. So if you are after an independent and introverted type of kitty this isn’t the breed for you.
8. Javanese Cats
Developed from a mix of Siamese, Balinese and Colorpoint breeds, the Javanese is a blue-eyed cat breed. Whilst they can appear delicate, they are actually quite muscular and love to jump and climb.
This intelligent cat breed love to learn tricks and new skills. They love to help out and enjoy following and often supervising their favourite humans.
Javanese cats will also play fetch and even walk on a lead. Or if they are kept indoors you may well find them visiting you when you sleep, relax on the couch or really are anywhere in the house.
9. Singapura Cats
Singapura cats have captivating little spirits, ready to steal your heart away. These lovely felines are a playful, cheeky, and friendly cat breed. You’ll often find them under a duvet cover or lying in the sunshine.
The Singapura is one of the smallest cat breeds, which means its almond shaped eyes and larger ears really pop. Singapura cats tend to look like they constantly have their eyes open as wide as possible.
With a similar temperament to the Burmese cat, they are full of mischief, are affectionate, and extremely inquisitive. Singapura cats enjoy chasing balls down the hall or tap dancing on keyboards.
These fun-loving cats love people and get along easily with other pets in the house – making them ideal for the indoors.
10. Egyptian Mau
Just look at this gorgeous and exotic breed! They’re egyptian – home of all things cat – have a fantastic uncommon spot pattern that begs to be on a catwalk and they are the fastest of all housecats. It has a medium-sized but muscular build, with longer hind legs and magnificent ears.
Egyptian Mau cats prefer heat and are quite sensitive to temperature. So if you live somewhere very cold, keep this in mind.
With a balanced temperament and a preference for activity, it’s best to have a large garden for your Mau cat. They’re very loyal and cheerful, and love snuggles. Smart enough to turn on the faucet, Egyptian Mau cats also love playing with water.
11. Peterbald Cat Breed
The Peterbald cat is a strange little fellow. With hairless, grey-silver skin, a slanted face, and large pointy ears, this Russian cat breed has certainly earned its place on this list.
Created from experimental breeding, this cat first popped its head out in 1994, at St. Petersburg. This is why it’s named Peterbald (I’m sure you can guess where the bald part comes from). And one of the main reasons that this is quite a rare cat breed.
Originally a cross between a hairless Donskoy and an Oriental Shorthair, these cats quickly grew in popularity in their home country.
Since Peterbald cats don’t have any fur to keep them warm, they need to be kept indoors during the cooler seasons, as they might otherwise get too chilly.
They require a little bit more cat care than other breeds because they need to be bathed weekly in order to keep their coats from getting oily and attracting dirt.
These cats have wonderfully affectionate personalities and are often found shadowing their loved ones. Peterbald cats love attention and are very active cats in general, as well as being very loyal and loving. Their personalities are regularly likened to that of canines.
So if you haven’t decided whether you’re more of a cat or a dog person, the Peterbald is a great choice of cat companion and it is unlikely that you’ll find many other examples of this cool cat breed in your neighborhood!
12. Oriental Longhair Cats
This interesting, elegant feline is closely related to the Oriental Shorthair cat, but it has a long, silky, healthy coat. Which suits its long, tubular body particularly well. You can find this breed of cat in an impressive range of coat colors, ranging from self-colored to tortoiseshell and even to shaded.
Their faces are similar to their close relative, the Siamese cat. But their almond-shaped-eyes and thinner faces combined with their large ears make them quite odd-looking but still beautiful.
The Oriental Longhair cat is an intelligent, curious breed. They are very talkative and like quite a lot of attention. You’ll likely find that they’ll be trailing you wherever you go in the house, so be prepared to be loved.
They also suit children and other animals well, if they are introduced to them nicely. They like their space to be respected, which is a classic cat trait, but they are very playful and fun-loving. They also learn well, so they’re a particularly trainable cat breed.
13. Ocicat
This playful cat breed loves attention. The Ocicat resembles a wild cat but is very playful and loving. They are a medium to large cat breed with a smooth coat. Their markings are distributed across their bodies – and each hair on their coat contains more than one colour.
The Ocicat breed was created by crossing Siamese and Abyssinian cats together and then later breeding with an American domestic short hair. This is what has given them their large ears. The breed was registered in 1966.
Ocicats love to play and will see most items in your home as potential toys. They are also friendly cats who like to welcome strangers. They don’t like being alone and do get bored easily so a sibling is often a good idea.
They are high energy and highly intelligent so need lots of stimuli. They don’t have any special exercise needs and unlike many other cat breeds they like water so watch out if you’re having a bath.
14. Snowshoe Cat Breed
Named for their gorgeous white paws, the Snowshoe breed features blue eyes and large ears. The Snowshoe breed has siamese ancestry, the source of its gorgeous blue eyes.
This breed is born all white and develops dark features as it ages. Snowshoe cats tend have to have a rounder and fuller face and body than its Siamese ancestors.
This kind and intelligent cat will be keen to gain your attention. Interestingly she tends to attach herself to just one cat parent – will it be you?
15. Chausie
This hybrid breed emerged from a mix of wild and domestic cats and is often referred to as the miniature cougar cat. Their tall, wide ears are set at an outward angle and this is a key part of their distinctive appearance.
Whilst they may look like a cougar, their temperament is very different. This is a very affectionate and playful breed that likes lots of attention.
Amanda created and owns The Discerning Cat. A lifelong cat lover she is the proud parent of two Siberian cats, Alexei and Vladimir. She is passionate about understanding cats and different cat breeds.