After Persians arrived in the US in the early 1900s, the Maine Coon lost popularity so badly that it was nearly written off by the mid-1900s. Dedicated breed clubs revived it, and it's now the most popular pedigreed cat in the CFA rankings.
Ragdolls come in four coat patterns: colorpoint, mitted, bicolor, and van.
The Cat Fanciers' Association granted the Ragdoll full championship status in 2000, and within about two decades it had climbed to become one of the most popular breeds in the world.
The Persian was the most popular pedigreed cat in the CFA rankings for decades before other breeds, starting with the Exotic, finally knocked it off the top spot in the 2010s.
A Himalayan is essentially a Persian with Siamese-style pointed coloring and blue eyes. In the CFA it's classified as a color division of the Persian rather than a separate breed.
The Persian was one of the original breeds recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association when it was founded in 1906.
The Cat Fanciers' Association officially recognized the Exotic in 1967.
In the mid-2010s, the Exotic ended the Persian's decades-long run as the most popular pedigreed cat in the CFA rankings, so the breed literally overtook its own parent breed.
The Devon Rex has been the most popular shorthaired breed in the Cat Fanciers' Association rankings for five years running.
The Cat Fanciers' Association recognized the Devon Rex in 1983.
The American Shorthair was originally called the Domestic Shorthair and was renamed in 1966 to set the pedigreed breed apart from ordinary mixed-breed cats.
The American Shorthair was among the first breeds recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association when it was founded in 1906.
The American Shorthair made a comeback onto the Cat Fanciers' Association's top 10 list of most popular breeds for 2026 after renewed interest in the classic breed.
The Cat Fanciers' Association accepted the Sphynx for championship competition in 2002.