Everyone knows it's nigh-on impossible to catch a cat when it runs away. They are way faster and more agile than us mere humans. What are the fastest cat breeds, and which ones are speedier than all the rest?

With lean, powerful legs, our feline friends can run faster than any human on Earth.

Every cat owner knows the struggle. After all, if you want to catch a cat and give it a bath, you're going to need to corner or surprise it, not go on the chase.

In this cat guide, TAG24 will take a look at the top ten fastest cat breeds in the world. What makes cats so fast, and which domestic felines are particularly speedy?

Don't you just love a speedy kitty? They're impressive and remarkably good at catching the creepy crawlers and tiny critters moving across your floorboards. Some cats have a stronger hunting instinct than others, though, and the fastest among them will always be the more effective.

So, what cat breeds are the fastest? Let's take a look at our favorite speedy kitties, who are fast as lightning and have a variety of other interesting traits to boot.

Short and squat with distinctive bobbed tails, Manx cats might not be expected to have the kind of speed they possess in those tiny legs. Nevertheless, they are quick kitties, indeed. Manx cats became popular as domesticated cats originally due to their incredible skill as hunters and were used to deal with rodent problems in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Nowadays, Manx cats are generally just adorable little fellows that enjoy a good pet and sharing vocal and rather strong opinions with their owners. They are some of the fastest cats, on account of their history, but it's unlikely your Manx is going to reach the speeds of its ancestors.

Similar to the Abyssinian cat, which is featured later in this list, the Somali is a truly fluffy fellow that hides a rather impressive characteristic: its legs can really take it places. With a rich and fascinating history, the Somali gets its name from the country of Somalia.

Funnily enough, though Somalis were actually bred by Americans, who continued to modify a subsection of the Abyssinian cat population which featured longer and fluffier fur. Due to their closeness to other extremely strong and agile breeds, Somalis have been known for their speediness.

Many say Bengals are like miniature tigers, but in reality, they're miniature leopards. Incredibly fast and great at hunting, Bengals are literally a cross between Asian leopards and the Egyptian Mau. With a strong bite, impressive whiskers, and an absolutely gorgeous coat (that comes in a number of colors), they are some of the most beautiful kitties in the world.

They are wild, unpredictable, and fantastic hunters. Bengals appreciate playing and exploring, and will often bring back prey to be admired by their adoring owners. One thing that is certainly worth noting is the Bengal is often referred to by another name – the Cashmere cat.

Originating from Thailand, formerly known as Siam (from which they take their name), Siamese cats are strong and capable domestic kitties that run faster than most other cats. Known for their distinctive face fur, which is darker than the rest of their body, Siamese's feature a colorpoint coat and stunning blue eyes.

Siamese show how different cat fur patterns and types can play a serious role in their aesthetic. While sweet and playful things, there's something a little more serious and a lot more regal about the Siamese. They certainly seem like they're sophisticated kitties for sophisticated people.

Following on from the Siamese, it almost seems natural to now talk about the Oriental. They are extremely close to the formerly-mentioned breed, but lack the fluffiness, cuteness, and charisma. Instead, Oriental cats are like mean lean running machines, incredibly athletic in their getup and incredibly fast on their feet.

If the Siamese were for sophisticated people, the Oriental would be for all of you gym junkies out there. Seriously, looking at these strange beasties, you would not be surprised that they're fast and powerful on their feet. If any cat has the hunkiness and muscular mounds of a pit bull, it would be the Oriental.

So we have already talked about the Somali, but what about the Abyssinian? For starters, if the Somali is named after Somalia, where does this kitty's name come from? Well, these beautiful kitties are named after Ethiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia. Funnily enough, while Ethiopia was thought to be their country of origin for a long time, this is far from the truth.

It is generally accepted nowadays that the Abyssinian, often lovingly referred to as Abys, likely came from Southeast Asia and India. They are thought to have come to Ethiopia via trade routes that went through Calcutta. History aside, Abyssinians are equally as good at hunting as the Somali, and are also remarkably fast, strong, and agile.

The sphynx is such an ancient cat breed that it had a statue dedicated to it in ancient Egypt. They are strong, wiry cats, with extremely short fur that makes them look naked and wrinkles galore. With piercing eyes, sharp claws, and oddly-shaped ears, you can see the power of their muscles in full display – making it no surprise that sphynx cats are incredible runners.

Some of the fastest kitties in the world, the sphynx is so strong and agile that it is sometimes considered an athlete among cats. Seriously, you wouldn't want your average domestic shorthair to get into a scrap with one of these beasts – it'd have its backside handed to it in a brown paper bag.

The ocicat is often overlooked and, in general, widely unknown – even despite its American origin story. A descendant of Siamese and Abyssinian ancestors, these gorgeous cats follow a similar tradition. They were originally bred by Virginia Daly in Berkley, Michigan, when trying to breed an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese back in the 1960s. The result was a gorgeous-spotted kitty, and she never looked back.

With almond-shaped eyes and a stunning coat, there's a lot to be impressed by when it comes to an ocicat's physical appearance and bodily characteristics. They resemble wild cats, though not having any in their gene pool, and are as athletic as you'd expect. Ocicats are some of the fastest cats around, and will outrun most other breeds when put to the test.

A hybrid of a serval and a domestic kitty, the savannah cat is much larger than other cats, resembles a cheetah, and has the speed to match. Bred in the 1980s, the breed was originally made by crossing a male serval with a female Siamese. Judee Frank, the breeder in question, called the resulting kitty Savannah, and the name stuck through the succeeding generations.

They are scary cats, and incredibly strong. Wild-eyed and muscular, with sharp teeth and huge, powerful ears, there's nothing quite like a savannah. These cats are not for the faint of heart, and are certainly not for first-time cat owners, but they're worth every penny and every second.

The Egyptian mau might be smaller than something like the savannah, but they are widely considered the fastest cats in the entire world. An extremely rare group of kitties, history points to an Egyptian origin with close relatives that include the Maine Coon and the Turkish Angora. What's the catch? There are only 200 registered right now.

They are incredibly friendly, remarkably playful, and great hunters, and have entire groups dedicated to reviving them as a species. The Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization worked to organize adoptions for many years, trying to increase education about these kitties across Egypt and increase the overall population – sadly, they had to close their doors in 2017.

Cats are famous for having reaction times that can get as low as twenty milliseconds (for context, a average human's reaction time is about 250 milliseconds), making them incredibly difficult to catch and physically outsmart. As a result, it's no surprise that cats are also remarkably fast at running, often capable of reaching a whopping 30 miles per hour.

Do you know what that means? It means that your average house cat could easily outrun even Usain Bolt!