Cats with long legs tend to be very elegant, with graceful and majestic auras about them. In this article, you will find information on the breeds of cats that have truly long legs, their personalities, their rarity, their life expectancies and what their care entails.
Cat with long legs include the Arabian mau cat, the Egyptian mau cat, the Bengal cat, the Turkish Angora cat and Abyssinian cat. Others are the Oriental Shorthair cat, the Chausie cat, the Savannah cat, the Serengeti cat and the wild Serval cat.
Cats with long legs tend to have the ability to jump very high and run remarkably fast. They will also tend to be highly active cats.
Typically, the cat with long legs will also be a long body cat. But there are also some cats with long legs whose bodies are not particularly long.
Most cats with long legs came about as a result of crossing wild cats with domestic cats. But there are also some that are entirely wild, like the serval cat (which some people nonetheless keep as pets).
Some cats have long legs and big bodies to match. In such cats, the long legs may not be very noticeable. But then, there are cats with long legs but smaller or medium size bodies. In the latter scenario, the long cat legs are very conspicuous.
Which Breed Of Cat Has Long Legs?
In absolute terms, the cat breed with the longest legs is the serval cat. Unfortunately, the serval cat is wild, and usually not ideal (or easy) to keep as a pet. In fact, in most places, it is illegal to keep a serval cat as a pet.
In terms of cat breeds with long legs that are ideal for keeping as pets, we have the likes of the Arabian mau cat, the Egyptian mau cat, the Abyssinian cat and the Savannah cat.
Others are Bengal cat, the Serengeti cat, the Chausie cat, the Oriental shorthair cat and the Turkish Angora cat.
From the year 2006, the record for the domestic cat with long legs has been held by the Savannah cat. It is a house cat with long legs that are very conspicuous – especially due the fact that besides having long legs, it is more or less a medium size cat.
So the combination of a medium body size with very long legs makes this cat very conspicuous. Quite often, when you come across a cat long legs meme, it may be depicting the Savannah cat’s likeness.
But the Savannah cat may not be the most ideal choice for everyone seeking a cat with long legs. Whereas it is very majestic, it is also a very high energy cat, and some people may struggle to keep up with it.
Thankfully, there are some other long legged cat breeds that are less hectic to keep up with.
Cat With Long Legs Breed Range
So wide is the variety of cat breeds with long legs that almost all preferences are catered for. To put it differently, there is a cat with long legs breed for everyone’s needs. You only need to search hard enough, to get a perfect fit for your needs.
If, for instance, you want a cat breed with long legs and big ears, you will find it – in the Arabian mau cat. Therefore this may be the best choice, if you prefer cats with long legs and big ears.
Those seeking cats with long legs and long tail will also find them – in the Oriental shorthair cat. Thus this may be your best choice, if you have a liking for cat breeds with long legs and tails.
And if you want a skinny cat with long legs, you should also be able to find it with ease – in the Turkish Angora for instance.
Further, anyone in search of a tabby cat with long legs will find it in the Chausie cat.
Even if what you prefer is an authentically wild cat with long legs, you will find it in the serval cat. This you may find in a game park tour. So that is what is available to cater for the wild cat long legs preference.
Frankly, the only preference that may prove hard to cater for here is, for instance, that of someone who wants a munchkin cat with long legs.
That is because, by definition, a munchkin cat has exceptionally short legs. Therefore a munchkin cat with long legs would be a contradiction in terms.
Otherwise the breeds of cat with very long legs are many, to cater for all legitimate preferences.
Let us now look at the respective breeds of cats with long legs.
The Arabian Mau Cat
This is one of the most ancient breeds of cats with long legs. This is a natural cat with long legs: it did not come about due to humans crossbreeding efforts or anything of that sort.
So conspicuous are the Arabian mau cats that people who encounter them often find themselves later asking, what are those tall cats called?
Now what makes the Arabian mau cat truly conspicuous is the fact that it is a medium size cat, yet it has rather long legs. Therefore it has a very majestic look.
It is the sort of cat that makes a perfect specimen for a cat with long legs meme (or cat with long legs painting).
If you are seeking a cat with long legs breed that is not fussy, then the Arabian mau cat may be very ideal. Because it is a natural breed, and not a crossbreed, it is a non-fussy, easy to maintain cat.
It helps too that grooming the Arabian mau cat is not too hard: as it doesn’t shed a great deal.
The Arabian mau is also one of those cats that, with proper care, can live for very long: up to 20 years.
The only thing you may find hard to put up with about the Arabian mau cat is its vocal nature. If it wants your attention, it can meow rather loudly.
Otherwise it is a good family cat, capable of getting along with children and other pets as well.
The Egyptian Mau Cat
This is another one of the more ancient breeds of cats with long legs.
It is a beautiful cat, with spots that are almost akin to those we find in other wild animals of the feline family.
The Egyptian mau cat is one of those cats with long hind legs. So its hind legs are noticeably longer than its front legs.
On account of its longer rear legs and other features, this is also a remarkably fast cat. In fact, it is the fastest of all domestic cats.
Its powerful build notwithstanding, this is actually a very gentle cat with long legs.
The fact that it is rather rare also makes the Egyptian mau cat very precious, if you happen to get hold of one.
The only challenge you may face is if you live in a cold climate. The Egyptian mau cat can’t withstand cold temperatures well.
The Bengal Cat
This is a large cat with long legs and a muscular body to match. Therefore it is the category of long body cat breeds that also have long legs to match.
It has the appearance of a wild cat with long legs. But its personality is not wild at all (though it is rather energetic).
The Bengal cat is one of the long legged cat breeds that are easy to find.
But because it has a big body to match its long legs, then the long legs on it are not particularly conspicuous.
If you opt for a Bengal cat, the most important thing will be to ensure that you provide it with plenty of space to jump around in.
You also need to have enough food for such a big muscular cat.
With proper care, a Bengal cat may live for between 12 and 16 years.
If you are seeking an imposing cat in all respects (tall, muscular and with leopard-like appearance), then the Bengal cat is ideal for you.
The Turkish Angora Cat
This is another one of those conspicuously long-legged cats.
That is because it has a medium body build, placed on thin/slender legs – making it very unique and noticeable.
It is also one of the few cats that may at times be solid black with remarkably long legs.
Therefore if you prefer a solid black cat with long legs, then you may find it in the Turkish Angora.
Sometimes, the Turkish Angora may also be white.
Therefore it can still be a good choice, if you prefer a solid black and white cat with long legs.
One good thing about the Turkish Angora cat is that it seems to thrive both in the summer and winter. This is due to the nature of its coat.
The nature of its coat is also such that it may require daily brushing.
Further, it is worth noting that the bone structure in this cat is fine. Therefore this is a cat you shouldn’t allow to put on weight. So you should give it just enough food, and ensure that it gets a chance to exercise regularly.
The Turkish Angora cat is also very intelligent. It is the sort of cat you can teach some tricks, if you have the time for it.
The Abyssinian Cat
If you are seeking a cat that has long legs and is also beautiful and intelligent, then you will easily find those qualities in the Abyssinian cat.
This is also an ideal cat for you if you prefer a cat with long legs and tail. This is because its tail is remarkably long.
The Abyssinian cat is one of those that sometimes come in red color – which some people find very adorable.
Because the hair on this cat is not very long, it doesn’t experience a great deal of shedding. Therefore grooming this cat should be quite easy.
This is also one of the quieter cats with long legs.
But as with almost all cats with long legs, it needs to have a great deal of space to exercise in.
Further, this is the sort of cat that will thrive if you can spare time to spend with it, rather than always leaving it all by itself.
Oriental Shorthair Cat
This is one of those cats with very conspicuously long legs.
It has a short coat, which should translate into reasonably easy grooming.
This is also a highly intelligent cat: the sort of cat you can train to do all manner of fascinating things, if you have the time for that sort of endeavor.
The only thing you may struggle with, when dealing with an oriental shorthair cat is its rather vocal nature. So this is certainly not one of the quieter cats with long legs.
Further, if you don’t like cats that jump around a great deal, then the Oriental Shorthair cat (or indeed any other long-legged cat) may not work for you.
This is the sort of cat that keeps on jumping. In fact, so much is its propensity for jumping that it often requires perches.
The Chausie Cat
This is one of the larger cats with long legs to match. Because of its larger body, the length of its legs may not be very noticeable. But if you take strict measurements, you realize that this is in fact one of the tallest cats.
History has it that this cat came about as a result of crossing the Abyssinian cats we looked at earlier with jungle cats.
Due to the fact that they have jungle cat blood in them, they are quite wild. They may therefore not be ideal for homes with young children or bird pets.
Nonetheless if you prefer a truly high energy cat that has long legs and an intimidating appearance, then the Chausie may be ideal for you.
When purchasing Chausie kittens though, you may need to fork out considerable sums of money. That is because this is one of the rarer cat breeds, hence often costly.
The Savannah Cat
This is one of the most exotic looking cats. It has tall legs, a slender body and a conspicuously long neck.
Anyone seeing a Savannah cat for the first time will typically remark that they have ‘never quite seen a cat like that before’.
It also has remarkably big ears. Therefore if what you want is a cat with long legs and big ears, the savannah cat fits the bill.
This cat has wild cat blood in it. In fact, if what you are shopping for is a somewhat wild cat with long legs and big ears, this is the perfect cat for you.
But you need to understand that due to the wild cat genes in it, this can be a rather hectic to keep up with cat.
It has lots of energy, and a strong hunting instinct.
All in all, this is a nice African cat with long legs – and very ideal for someone who prefers a cat that will always be running around.
The only problem you may encounter is due to the hunting instinct in it. On account of this instinct, this cat may put you into conflict with neighbors: if it hunts down their pet birds or poultry.
But if you are in a place where that sort of thing is unlikely, then the Savannah cat can be perfect at so many levels.
The Serengeti Cat
This is a very elegant cat, with legs whose length is exceptional. It is a cross between the Oriental shorthair cat and the Bengal cat. It seems to have taken the best of features from both.
The Serengeti cat is also very highly active, and requires lots of room to run and jump around in.
This breed, which is really still under development, has a strong hunting instinct, and may at times be irritatingly vocal.
Nonetheless for someone who wants a low maintenance cat with conspicuously long legs, the Serengeti cat may be very ideal.
The Serval Cat
This is a wild cat. But there are people who still try to keep it as a pet. It has the longest legs in the cat world, and is known to jump very high and run very fast.
So agile is this cat that it even has the capability to hunt down flying things!
In most parts of the world, it may be illegal to own a Serval cat. Even where legal restrictions don’t exist, it can be rather hard to tame. But for the record, we mention it because it has the longest legs.
The Serengeti cat mentioned earlier is being developed to serve as some sort of Serval-cat substitute.
Why Do People Love Cats With Long Legs?
There are three main reasons why people love cats with long legs.
First is the fact that these cats tend to be very elegant. They have a majestic look, which often leaves the people who encounter them in awe.
Secondly, these cats tend to be rare. They are unique – and uniqueness is something many people like in cats.
Thirdly, the cats with long legs tend to be highly active. So for people who like high-energy cats, these are usually ideal.
Are Cats Hind Legs Longer?
In most cases, we find that cats’ hind legs are longer. This helps them to run very fast. It also helps them to jump quite high. And those are important features, from an evolutionary perspective, for cats’ survival.
What Special Care Do Cats With Long Legs Need?
Most of them may need to be provided with perches and large spaces on which to jump and run around.
Further, for those with slender long legs, care needs to be taken so that they don’t become overweight. Slender long legs may not be able to support an obese cat.
What Is Cat With Long Legs Life Expectancy?
The life expectancy depends on the specific cat’s breed and the care it gets. For a Bengal cat, for instance, it can be as low as 12 years (in the 12-16 year range). On the other hand for an Arabian mau cat, it can be as high as 20 years with proper care.
Final Verdict – Cat With Long Legs
Normally, cats with long legs ooze elegance and power. Some people describe them as majestic. Most of them tend to be high energy cats, with an ability to jump far and run fast.
Examples of cat breeds with long legs include the Arabian mau cat, the Egyptian mau cat, the Bengal cat, the Serengeti cat and the Savannah cat.
Others are the Oriental Shorthair cat, the Chausie cat, the Turkish Angora cat and the Abyssinian cat. Of all cats though, the one with the longest legs is the serval cat – but it is wild.
You may purchase the cats with long legs from local breeders, cat rescue centers, online vendors or from people who just happen to have kittens that meet this description.
As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet cat a good and comfortable life!
Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️
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