Singapura cat

The Singapura is the smallest recognised breed of cat: a fine-boned, short-haired animal with a ticked ivory and brown coat and strikingly large eyes and ears.

Origin

The breed was introduced to the United States in the mid-1970s by an American couple who presented their cats as street cats collected in Singapore; the name is the Malay word for the city. It later emerged that the founding cats had been taken to Singapore from the United States, which led to the suggestion that the breed was created from Abyssinian and Burmese crosses. The American registry investigated and let the breed stand. Singapore itself adopted the cat as a tourism mascot in the 1990s. Singapuras reached Britain in 1989.

Appearance

Adult females weigh about 2 kg and males around 3 kg. The body is small but stocky and muscular. The coat is very short, fine and close-lying, in a single colour called sepia agouti: each hair has bands of dark brown on an old-ivory ground, with a paler muzzle, chest and belly. The head is rounded, with a short, broad muzzle, large, deeply cupped ears and very large almond-shaped eyes of hazel, green or yellow, outlined in dark brown.

Temperament

Singapuras are lively, curious and affectionate, and stay playful throughout their lives. They seek warmth and laps, like to be up high, and want to be involved in whatever their people are doing.

Care and health

The coat needs almost no grooming. The breed is built on a very small number of founders, and its low genetic diversity is a recognised concern. Pyruvate kinase deficiency, an inherited anaemia, occurs and can be detected by DNA test. Some females have difficulty giving birth because of weak contractions.

Recognition

The Singapura is recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the international registries. It is rare in Britain, with about 20 kittens registered a year.