The five most expensive cat breeds in the world

The amount of money it costs to buy a cat can vary from completely free up to several thousand pounds, and many different factors influence the overall monetary price of buying a cat. Pedigree cats are more expensive than moggies, good examples of the breed more money again, and show winners and their related bloodline are right at the top of the pile for any given breed.

However, even across the range of pedigree cat breeds there is a significant amount of variation in terms of what is considered to be the “going rate” for different types of cat breeds, and some breeds come in with their top end sale prices being significantly higher than others. Generally this is due to a combination of factors, such as the demand versus supply for the cats in question, the rarity of the breed, and how complicated or difficult it is to produce cats that are a good example of the breed.

Here is our list of the top five most expensive cat breeds over all.

1. The Ashera

The Ashera cat can rarely be seen offered for sale for less than £12,000, and good examples of the breed can change hands for over £60,000! Understandably, the Ashera cat is extremely rare and unusual, but there is a catch with the Ashera- they may be regarded as something along the lines of “the emperor’s new clothes,” in that the Ashera is not actually a breed in its own right at all. The cat that we know as the Ashera is in fact simply a Savannah cat, a rare and unusual breed in its own right, but not quite in the £60,000 region!

The Ashera cat “breed” was “created” as something of a marketing gimmick by a firm called Lifestyle Pets, and marketed to the incredibly rich who were keen to own an exclusive and highly sought-after pet. However, DNA testing soon revealed the Ashera to simply be a line of Savannah cats!

2. The Savannah

In at number two, but ultimately the number one genuine cat breed on the list is the Savannah cat, the true face of the Ashera! Savannah cats can change hands for up to £25,000, depending on the strain of Savannah cat involved. The Savannah is produced from the cross breeding of a domestic cat with a wild African Serval. Savannah cats that are close to the 50:50 domestic-Serval split, such as first and second generation crosses are highly sought after, very unusual and very expensive. Savannah cats further removed from the wild side of their ancestry by later generational crosses come in lower down the price scale, and generations more than five steps removed from the Serval side can sometimes be bought for under £1,000.

3. The Bengal

The Bengal cat breed is another hybrid with a wild ancestor, being the Asian leopard cat in this case. Top quality Bengal cats with prized markings can change hands for up to £10,000 at the top end of the scale. While the Bengal cat is not one of the most common cat breeds you will see within the UK, there are nevertheless a significant number of them around. The highest priced Bengals generally come in at the top end of the price scale thanks to their appearance and markings, rather than due to an innate rarity or close relation to their wild relatives.

4. The Peterbald

The hairless Peterbald cat is a very young breed, with the first examples of the Peterbald seen in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1994, which was achieved from the crossing of a Sphynx cat and a Russian Shorthair cat. The highly appealing, very friendly and sociable Peterbald not only looks unusual, but makes for a great companion cat that really enjoys the company of people. The Peterbald’s high price tag comes about due to the rarity of the breed and the small number of Peterbald cats within the UK, and to buy one (if you can find one offered for sale!) will set you back up to £7,000.

5. The Persian

The Persian is one of the most popular pedigree cat breeds kept within the UK, and there is no shortage of Persian cats around! Prices for pedigree Persian cats can vary greatly, ranging from under £1,000 up to £6,000 or more at the top end of the scale. The most highly prized Persian cats are the ones that are considered to be the absolute pinnacle of the breed standard, with an absolutely textbook appearance, colour and temperament.

Just as the sale price of the Persian cat can vary widely, so can the perceived show quality of the cat. So while Persians at the top end of the scale may cost more than the average second hand car, if you are not overly fussed about the show quality of your cat, buying a companion Persian won’t break the bank.