The Calmest Cat Breed In The World

You're either a dog person or a cat person. Or, possibly, a catwoman until the end of your days, though you probably shouldn't ask Halle Berry about that, and Anne Hathaway won't return your calls. Luckily, cat lovers are in good company. Mark Twain (yes, the author) was ridiculously fond of cats of all types, owning as many as 19 at one time, and according to Mental Floss, he once said, "If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat." Abraham Lincoln (yes, the president) also loved cats. So did Pope Benedict XVI, but he had to leave the felines behind when he was elected to lead the Catholic Church, according to NBC News. No pets in the Vatican, apparently. So much for that whole "Whose Vatican City State is it? Yours or mine?" thing.

Cats aren't the most relaxed creatures, though. Everyone has heard stories of cats that engage in a dawn-to-dusk, search-and-destroy cry for help that involves shredding furniture, draperies, or anything on a counter top. Other cats are renowned cuddle buddies, and these purring friends have an unerring instinct for affectionately latching onto any human visitor who is deathly allergic.

So, what's the calmest breed of cat?

First of all, it depends on how you define "calm." Are you talking about a "I had a terrible day at work and I hope you'll just listen while I vent"-style calm, or a Zen-like "oneness-with-everything-so-why-move?"-type calm ... or, to put it another way lazy? Which sounds kind of judgmental, so maybe it's better to just measure energy. 

While it will come as little-to-no surprise that opinions vary, there is some agreement out there regarding the chill factor of certain cat breeds. Nearly everyone seems to regard Persians as pretty darned mellow. There is the hair issue, of course (it's long, it's silky, it's everywhere) but by and large, they're known as fairly low-maintenance and low-energy. Note, the word "lazy" wasn't used here. Not once. Meanwhile, according to the Purina Company, and they aren't the only ones, Ragdoll cats are serious low-energy contenders. Ragdolls get their name from the way they "collapse limply into the arms of anyone holding them."

When assessing calm cat breeds for children, PetMD suggests such breeds as the Birman, the Ragdoll (see?), the Himalayan, the Exotic Shorthair, and the Main Coon. Some people swear by Maine Coons, in particular, but be warned: they can grow up to four feet long and weigh nearly twenty pounds. Maine Coons are not, for the record, a cross between trash pandas and felines, though Davy Crockett would've probably immediately considered the possibilities for a hat, if he'd ever seen one. 

Nonetheless, keep in mind that individual cats have their own personality traits, regardless of breed.