Round Faced Cats: Breeds, Facts, Care and More

Dogs come in all sorts of different breeds, but to many people, a cat is a cat is a cat. We cat lovers, though, we know there are as many different breeds of feline as there are canine; they're just often similar in general appearance, so the way to tell them apart is more difficult.

Obviously, some stand out. No one would mistake a sphynx or a devon rex as anything but a distinct breed. Some, though, are a little more difficult to distinguish.

One group of cats is known as the round-faced cats. There are a bunch of breeds that fall into this category, and there's not much relation between them other than their face shape, but that iconic face shape is so adorable it's hard to look away.

So, what are round-faced cats, what should you know about them, and is there anything to watch for before adopting one?

What Are Round-Faced Cats?

Round-faced cats are just cats with generally round faces. Compare, for example, a Himalayan cat with that flat, circular face and huge, vibrant eyes, with something like a Devon Rex, which has a narrower, more triangular face.

Some round-faced breeds have other distinctive features as well, like folded ears, flat noses, or prominent whiskers. Others are more like broad-faced domestic shorthairs, cats that just have rounder faces than the average cat but are otherwise perfectly cat-shaped.

Round-faced cats also come in different degrees. Some are very round and very flat, while others are just a little rounder and a little flatter than normal. This varies by breed, and even by pedigree and genetics.

What Breeds are Considered Round-Faced Cats?

Quite a few breeds are considered round-faced cats, though for some, there's some contention, and different examples of the breed can fall on either side of the line. Since there's no genetic test for round-facedness, nor are there really official definitions of what makes a cat round-faced beyond their appearance, it's all about the parent and those whose opinions matter.

Here's my list of the cats generally considered to be round-faced cats.

• American Shorthairs. While we often use "American shorthair" or "domestic shorthair" as a catch-all for any generic cat, there's a specific breed called the American Shorthair, which tends to have a flatter and rounder face, slightly shorter legs, and a range of distinctive coats. They're often independent but loving, and while they might not like being picked up or bothered, they'll always want to spend time nearby.

• Bombays. Bombays are a specific kind of breed of black cats with round faces and bright golden eyes. They're very loving but also very dominating, and like to be the head of the household as much as possible. They're among the most panther-like of our small cats.

• British Shorthairs. The overseas counterpart to the American Shorthair, these are some of the chubbiest-looking cats you'll ever see. They aren't fat, they're just big-boned; they have found faces, round and fluffy paws, and even rounded ears. They look like pillows in the shape of cats!

• Burmese. The Burmese cat is a distinctive cat with usually brown-tinged coats and darker faces, and is one of the longest-lived cats you can get. They're also very loyal, but prone to separation anxiety, so they can be quite needy compared to your average cat.

• Exotic Shorthairs. This is a rare cat that was accidentally created as a hybrid between American Shorthairs and Persians. They have a lot of Persian qualities to them, including the distinctive jowl-like appearance, so they're essentially a short-haired version of the Persian.

• Himalayans. One of the archetypical round-faced cats, these have distinctive flat faces with upturned noses, the walrus-like nose folds, and the slightly open mouth that often gives you that adorable tiny blep we all love to see. That flat face comes at a cost, however; they're brachycephalic, like the pugs of the cat world.

• Munchkins. The munchkin cat is sort of like the dachshund of the cat world. They were bred to be energetic, playful, and loving, and have short legs that give them a perpetually crouched-looking appearance.

• Persians. Persians are one of the oldest cat breeds, with roots that go at least as far back as the 1600s. They've carried their noble and fluffy heritage throughout the centuries with the power of being extremely adorable. They love being cuddlebugs, and while their long fur does get everywhere, the perpetually adorable look in their round faces makes up for it.

• Scottish Folds. These are a unique breed with ears that fold over and lay flat against the head, giving them an even rounder face and a look that feels almost sad, though they're never actually as sad as they look. They're calm, gentle, and extremely sweet cats across the board.

• Selkirk Rexes. The Rex line of breeds are generally all characterized with two things: eyebrow folds that make them look like they're scowling pretty much all the time, and a fur coat that is likely to carry the gene that makes them curly. Selkirks have broader faces than the more angular Devons up above, and make for a round and fuzzy ball of curls when they carry the gene.

• Singapuras. The Singapura is a small breed of cat – the females only weigh around four pounds – with round faces and large eyes. They're high-energy and extremely extroverted, but they're easily startled and do best when they have very attentive parents.

There are also a few crossbreeds of round-faced cats that are, themselves, also round-faced cats.

• Burmillas. These are a relatively new breed, and are a hybrid between the Burmese breed and the noble Persian. They're still rare in the USA, but they're growing more popular, especially as a way to develop a shorter-haired Persian without the health issues the Exotic Shorthairs often have.

• Lambkins. These are a relatively new breed (that some people dislike because they're kind of a designer breed), made by crossing the Munchkin with the Selkirk rex. This gives you a round-faced munchkin cat with the wavy or curly coat of a rex.

And, of course, some breeds are considered round-faced by some groups, but not by others. The breeds that straddle the line include:

• Chartreux. These calm and playful cats have thick, short fur and are usually a deep gray color with bright orange eyes and faces that almost seem like they're smiling. They aren't necessarily as round-faced as others and have a longer snout than some, so they sometimes look more like their counterparts, Russian Blues.

There are also a lot of indeterminate breeds or rare breeds with low populations that aren't necessarily recorded as specific breeds.

Fun fact: round faces aren't limited to just domesticated cats! The Manul, also known as the Pallas's Cat, is a housecat-sized wildcat with a very round face. Sand cats are also very round-faced and extremely small – they're the smallest wildcat! A few other wild cats are also very round-faced, like the Chinese Mountain Cat, the Flat-Headed Cat from Thailand, and the Chilean Kodkod.

Of course, you can't adopt any of these, so if you want to see any of their wide, adorable faces, you'll have to see if your local zoo has any to visit.

The Connection Between Face and Neutering

Some cats will have very round faces, but they aren't one of the round-faced breeds. What's happening if that's the case?

Generally, it's one of two things.

The first is that the cat could have some genetics from a round-faced breed somewhere in their history. A lot of cats out there aren't purebred at all, but have a mixture of different breeds, and if they happen to have some round-faced cat in them, it can be expressed in their face shape. You can think of it like a mutt that looks a lot like a pitbull but isn't, or something along those lines.

The other is that there's a connection between face shape in male cats and whether or not they're intact.

In male cats, testosterone does a lot of different things that we don't see very often, since it's generally expected that you'll be neutering your cats when you get them. Intact male cats, called tomcats, express this through larger and jowlier cheeks. It's considered a secondary sexual characteristic, kind of like facial hair in humans. The skin and muscle around their cheeks thicken and stand out, giving them a broader and rounder facial appearance.

Why does this happen? It's not really clear. It might be some element of protection in fights between other cats, or it might just be some oddity of how their bodies handle testosterone. Either way, when a male cat is neutered, they produce less testosterone, and their cheeks don't thicken up the same way.

So, a cat that isn't one of the round-faced breeds can still have a round face, especially if they're male and have been intact for a long time. Even if you neuter them when you adopt them, it can take years for that thickening to reverse. Fortunately, it's more or less cosmetic, so it's not something you need to worry about in a kitty you're adopting.

Do Round-Faced Cats Have Particular Issues?

Unfortunately, the answer to this might be yes.

Up above, I described Himalayans as "the pugs of the cat world." They aren't quite that bad – pugs also have issues with protruding eyes and more extreme facial scrunching – but they're some of the worst the cat world has to offer.

The cat breeds officially known as brachycephalic cats are Persians, Himalayans, Burmese, British Shorthairs, and Exotic Shorthairs. Some other breeds are also on the list, depending on who you're asking.

You might notice all of those are round-faced cats. That's because the rounder a cat's face is, the flatter it tends to be.

Unfortunately, brachycephalic airway syndrome is a problem for any animal, including cats. It can make it harder for them to breathe, leave them with a narrower windpipe or a longer soft palate, malformed sinuses, and other issues. They might find it harder to breathe or will breathe through the mouth like a dog, they'll be noisy when they breathe, they snore and pant easily, and they get tired more easily.

Brachycephalic cats are also more prone to respiratory infections and airway diseases, since it's easier for crud to get caught in malformed airways.

Other than the airways, flatter-faced cats also might have issues with:

• Eyes, which, like pugs, might protrude from the face and might not completely shut when they close their eyes. This can lead to excess eye discharge, dry eye disease, or damage to the eyes from dust and debris.

• Teeth, which might be misaligned or even, in extreme cases, completely malformed. Dental problems range from "keep an eye on it" to "needs surgery to remove their teeth and let them close their jaws."

• Skin, which is often looser and has folds in it, especially in some breeds. As with any animal that has wrinkly skin, you need to keep an eye on it for irritation and infection.

All of this comes in degrees. Some round-faced cats have longer and healthier snouts, while some have snouts that are worse than average.

Do Round-Faced Cats Need Special Care?

Some do, yes! While some round-faced cats aren't really very brachycephalic, others are, and will need special attention to their unique issues.

It's difficult to generalize this; it all comes down to the specific cat and their face and head shape. Just make sure to talk to your vet about what you might experience and what to watch for when you bring your kitty in for their check-ups.

You will also want to keep certain circumstances in mind as special concerns. Warm weather can be dangerous for cats with scrunched faces, and if you ever need to fly with your cat, you probably need special precautions.

None of this will stop a round-faced cat from being an energetic and happy bundle of fuzzy joy, though! Everything you want out of a cat is going to be there; you just might have to clean their eyes and ears or listen to their snores a little more often than with a normal-faced cat.

Do you have any additional questions about round-faced cats that I didn't cover? If so, be sure to let me know in the comments section!