Aegean cats are a medium-sized, muscular, semi-longhaired cat.[dubious – discuss] The coat is bicolour or tricolour with one of the colours being almost always white. White usually takes up between 1/4 to 9/10 of the body. The colour of their coat might include many other colours and patterns. Their paws are medium in size and have a round shape. Their tail can be long and "hooked". The ears have a wide base and rounded tips and are covered by hair. The eyes have an almond shape and their color can be any shade of green, blue and yellow.

Local breeders began in 2006 to attempt to establish a standardized breed from local feral cats. In 2008, a World Cat Federation (WCF) all-breeds judge visited Cyprus to work at a cat show[citation needed] and was introduced to a breeder of purebred cats developed in this trial breeding program from the Cyprus cats. Considering the cats distinct, he wrote a standard of points and named them Aphrodite Giant. The president and board members of WCF advised that these Aphrodite cats should be shown outside Cyprus to become better known within the cat fancy, but did not immediately accept the nascent breed. Subsequently, a group of interested people in Cyprus decided to form a club, which was named the Cyprus Cats National Breed Association (CyCNBA), which applied for government approval and started functioning in late 2009. CyCNBA applied to affiliate to the World Cat Federation in April 2012.

Aegean cats are noted for their affinity for water and fishing. Because the breed was allowed to develop through natural selection, rather than selective breeding, Aegean cats are free from most feline genetic diseases.

Although the Aegean has only very recently begun to be bred systematically, it has been domesticated for many centuries and thus has become adapted very well to humans. It is a social pet that tolerates living in an apartment rather well. It is intelligent, active, lively and also communicative, not hesitating to draw a person's attention.

The Aegean cat, as its name suggests, originates from the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea, where they occur as a natural landrace. Aegeans are considered one of the oldest domesticated cat breeds. They are common as feral cats in Greece and Turkey, where they are found amongst fishing ports asking for food offerings. In Greece, Aegean cats are considered a national treasure.