The Most Loyal Cat Breed In The World

Loyalty. Not necessarily something associated with cats. There are lots of dog stories out there about loyalty, including pets that kept vigil at a graveside, waiting for an owner's return on Halloween. One of the better tales of this genre is that of Greyfriars Bobby of Edinburgh, Scotland. When this dog died, age 16, he got his own monument, upon which we find these words (among others): "Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all."

So, a lesson also — to cats on how to act more like a dog? Maybe.

Part of the answer to the feline loyalty question depends on how you define "loyal." Does your cat follow you everywhere, or does it avoid you like the plague unless you've got Friskies in hand? Does it look at your newborn baby like a potential meal, or a member of the family worth protecting? With these sorts of questions in mind, let's see which cat breed might qualify for "most loyal in the world," and "least likely to pull a Benedict Arnold on you."

Turns out that there are multiple breeds that fit the bill. Chewy calls the Turkish Angora "intelligent" and "loyal," but also — a little caveat emptor here — "vocal." Meanwhile, Abyssinian cats are considered, engaging, loyal, and as a bonus, water lovers. Then there's the "lively, loyal, and devoted Sphynx cat. They aren't actually hairless; they just look that way. So maybe they need all the friends they can get — including humans. Seems like we're getting closer to dog-like behavior. 

With that in mind, there are two standouts. First, we have the Manx, which Purina says will follow you around, swim, enjoy car rides and act as a guard-cat for you and your family. The fabled Maine Coon Cat, which will grow to a dog-sized 20-ish pounds, acts similarly, but as a bonus, will also welcome other family pets into their circle. In that sense, it may take the cake.

The Manx and Maine Coon are likely to be your best bets for loyalty, but no matter the breed, there's no guarantee of any quality in any purebred animal. So give serious consideration to a rescue cat. Because loyalty goes both ways.