2025 has so far been an exciting year in terms of cat breeds, as TICA has accepted 2 new breeds, which since May can also compete.

advertisement

If you ask us, although we find the world of purebred cats fascinating, our heart clearly leans toward the "simple" house cats. Of course, breeding has its own beauty and role too, but beyond a certain point, it is questionable whether there is a need to create more and more breeds just because we can. Today's article is not meant to explore this viewpoint, however, we thought it important to briefly take a stand before you get to know the new, officially recognised cat breeds.

One of the most striking characteristics of the highlander breed is their ears curving backwards / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Here are the new cat breeds accepted in 2025

1.) Highlander

We can get to know an extremely young breed in the form of the highlander, as their development only began a little more than 20 years ago, in 2004, with the aim of creating a domestic cat with the strong appearance of a "big wild animal”. The cats used to create the breed were carefully selected from the gene pool of domestic cats, so they did not come from already recognised breeds. And here the key word is not recognised, since they fundamentally developed from the experimental breeds desert lynx and jungle curl; their curved ears were inherited from the latter.

To get even closer to their ancestors, it is important to know that the desert lynx was created from several breeds, although they do not specify which ones – they only emphasise that although the cats must resemble a lynx, there was no wildcat in the population.

In contrast, the jungle curl is a hybrid breed, created by crossing the wild jungle cat, or the also hybrid chausie developed from them, with some curly-eared breed, for example the American curl. Presumably, savannahs, serengetis, and bengals were also used during the breeding.

The highlander is accepted in both long- and short-haired variants, one of their characteristics being that their rounded ears curl backwards. Another spectacular feature is their shorter tail, which must not extend beyond the hock, in a stretched-leg position. The highlander is a sporty, muscular, medium-sized breed, which is available in many colours and patterns.

They are extremely playful, active, sweet, silly animals whose essence is human company and interaction. The owner will definitely not be bored with them, and needn’t worry about incoming guests either – highlanders are curious, social, and friendly animals.

2.) Cherubim

In 2022, a proposal was submitted for the ragdoll mink and sepia colour variations to be allowed to compete in the championship class. The process culminated on 1 May 2025, as the cherubim officially became a member of the ragdoll breed group and may now be judged in competitions. So the cherubim is not a new breed in the strict sense of the word, but a colour variation of the ragdoll, which from this point onwards is considered an independent breed with its own standard.

The history of the cherubim breed began in the 1960s with the birth of the ragdoll. Ann Baker, who is known as the creator of the ragdoll, had a significant vision: she wished to create several distinct breeding lines. Although most cat lovers are familiar with the blue-eyed colourpoint (coat darker at the extremities than the rest of the body) ragdolls, Baker simultaneously developed another breed, from which the cherubim later emerged.

The cherubim is a large-bodied, semi-long-haired cat, whose body structure and head shape are identical to that of the ragdoll. What distinguishes the cherubim from the ragdoll is the wide range of colours. The cherubim is accepted in mink, sepia, and traditional colours as well – except in pure white. Their eye colour, unlike the ragdoll’s, can vary depending on coat shade – they may be blue-green, copper, green, gold, etc. This breed grows large but matures slowly – it can take up to four years to reach their full size.

advertisement

In character too, the cherubim is like the ragdoll. They are generally sweet, friendly, calm cats, who get along well with humans, children, and other pets. They do not have extreme traits either externally or internally, which is why they typically fit excellently into their owner's lifestyle and cope with changes more easily.