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Arguing that your cat is the cutest on the planet might not be the most convincing point, but if it’s a Norwegian Forest, you do have science on your side.
According to the Daily Mail, All About Cats used the Golden Ratio to assess which cat breeds are objectively the most beautiful. The top spot was a tie between the Norwegian Forest, Russian Blue, and Manx.
The Golden Ratio, approximately 1.618, is a centuries-old mathematical concept that defines the relationship between length and width. It has been believed that humans are particularly drawn to things that align with the Golden Ratio, whether it's part of a building or a plant. To determine which cats fit this ideal, All About Cats measured the facial proportions of 46 different breeds.
The top three breeds are all just 0.03 points shy of the Golden Ratio (rounded to 1.62 in the study). The runners-up, Ragamuffin and Siberian, fell short by only two-hundredths of a point. The competition was close: The three breeds tied for 10th place—Korat, Ocicat, and Ragdoll—were 0.14 points off the Golden Ratio.
This Ragdoll cat is undeniably charming and he’s fully aware of it. | Julia Gomina/iStock via Getty Images PlusHowever, before you assume all feline faces nearly reach mathematical perfection, take a look at the last place finishers: The Himalayan’s ratio was 58.49, an astonishing 56.87 points away from the Golden Ratio. The Peterbald was off by 18.16 points, and the Persian’s ratio missed perfection by 5.87 points.
That said, beauty is undeniably subjective—and your flat-faced Himalayan is just as adorable as your neighbor’s graceful Russian Blue. See the top 20 breeds below, and explore the full list of 46 here.
Curious about how scientifically cute your dog is? There's a list for that too.
1. Norwegian Forest // 0.03 2. Russian Blue // 0.03 3. Manx // 0.03 4. Ragamuffin // 0.05 5. Siberian // 0.05 6. American Curl // 0.06 7. Selkirk Rex // 0.07 8. Siamese // 0.07 9. Maine Coon // 0.09 10. Egyptian Mau // 0.16 11. Turkish Angora // 0.17 12. American Bobtail // 0.11 13. American Whitehair // 0.12 14. Birman // 0.12 15. Pixiebob // 0.12 16. American Shorthair // 0.13 17. Korat // 0.14 18. Ocicat // 0.14 19. Ragdoll // 0.14 20. Chartreux // 0.15
