Which Breed Makes The Best Lap Cat?

The idea for this post comes from a visitor’s comment. The lady wanted to adapt a Maine Coon and she asked if they were lap cats. I said, “not really”. But as usual it does depend on the individual cat. That is common sense because all the cats of one breed can’t have the same personality, likes and dislikes..

However, cat breeders do like to write about their cats in terms of appearance and character. There is a lot of information on cat breed personalities. I have brought it together on one page with respect to one aspect of character: whether the cat likes to sit on a person’s lap.

The source is Legacy of the Cat by Gloria Stephens and Tetsu Yamazaki. This source points to a cat breed’s potential for being a good lap cat. The book rarely says that a certain cat breed is a good lap cat because the author can’t. The author understands that it is about individual cats. That said I have selected the breeds that are most likely to have cats that like the human lap.

If you want to go right to the conclusion, the breeds that are likely to make the best lap cats are Siamese, Balinese, Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair, Exotic Shorthair and Bombay based on my research. You will, no doubt, have alternative or additional views.

A list of cat breeds that might have a higher percentage of lap cats amongst them:

• American Curl – “craves human companionship”. Laid back.
• American Shorthair – good with kids. Gentle. Sweet temperament. Good for apartment living.
• Birman – easygoing, relaxed, tolerant, peaceful nature…
• Bombay – described as “lap fungus”. That is a good recommendation for a lap cat don’t you think? They like sleeping on and in the bed, too, apparently.
• British Shorthair – unflappable, suited to apartment life, males are particularly friendly with people.
• Burmese – likes being around people and asks for attention.
• Cornish Rex – craves attention.
• Havana – craves and must have attention.
• Korat – sweet and patient. Forms strong bond with owner.
• Manx and Cymric – faithful companion especially for single people.
• Munchkin – affectionate and extremely sweet.
• Persian and Himalayan – both like a feeling of security so might tend to migrate towards a person’s lap. Gentle cat.
• Exotic Shorthair – “affectionate lap-sitters”.
• Pixiebob – form a strong bond with human.
• Ragdoll- docile, calm, easy to handle, love human company.
• Russian Blue – prefer the security of home. Enjoy company of their owners.
• Nebelung – bond with human and are affectionate. Devoted.
• Scottish Fold – adore human companionship and have gentle characters.
• Siamese, Balinese, Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair – Love sleeping on owner’s bed and sitting on their lap. Like being close to person. Oriental SH cuddles up to you. Perfect lap cat.
• Singapura – adore human company.
• Tonkinese – always underfoot. Love to be close to human companion.
• Turkish Angora – like to share owner’s bed and pillow.

I have tended to avoid cat breeds described as “independent” and active. The Maine Coon is said to be independent minded. Although it needs to be stressed that this is a fairly hit and miss process. A good proportion of random bred cats are lap cats.

Associated: Top Cat Breeds For Seniors