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Singapura |
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TranslationFrancis Vandersteen |
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OriginThe Singapura is a cat breed probably originating in Singapore and developed in the United States. |
| The Singapura is considered the world's smallest cat breed. |
A brief historical overview |
| In 1975, after a period working in Singapore, Tommy and Hal Meadow returned to the United States with three ticked tabby cats they had discovered a year earlier on the street. These three cats, Tess, Tickle and Puss, a pair of male and female kittens from the same litter and another young female, are considered the founding cats of the “Singapura” breed, named after the traditional name of the city of Singapore, which means “city of the lion” in Malay. In 1981, a breeder visited Singapore and stumbled across a cat resembling the Singapura except for the tail: this cat was imported to the USA and included in the breeding program. Exports of Singapore cats are now controlled. In 1987, on a trip to search for cats in Singapore, American breeder Jerry Mayes discovered import papers revealing that the three founding cats had been imported to Singapore from the USA in 1974. This went relatively unnoticed until 1990, when the Singapore Tourist and Promotion Board (STPB) began a campaign to establish Singapura as the national mascot. Journalist Sandra Davie was informed of the subterfuge and published an article in The Straits Times newspaper. The Cat Fancier Association (CFA) conducts an investigation at the request of the Singapura breed club. During the investigation, Hal Meadow states that the three founding cats are the grandsons of four local cats he had brought back to the U.S. during an awkward business trip to Singapore in 1971, which contradicts Meadow's initial claim that the three cats came from Singapore. Apparently, Tommy Meadow lied in order to conceal his secret trip. CFA finds no evidence of concealment and maintains Singapura's natural breed status. Joan Miller of CFA states that “whether they bred on the streets of Singapore or in Michigan doesn't really matter”, and asserts that the fourth founding cat, the one recovered in 1981, assured Singapura's natural breed status, even though the other three founding cats were not legitimately Singapore cats. |
General appearance |
| The Singapura is a small to medium-sized, moderately stocky and muscular semi-cobby cat with a short, very fine coat. It is the world's smallest cat breed: an adult female weighs an average of 1.8 kg and a male 2.7 kg. |
Behavior / characteristics |
| Character traits are entirely individual and depend above all on the history of each cat. However, the Singapura is described by CFA as active, curious and playful. They are affectionate and eager for human contact. The Singapura does not like the cold and is well adapted to life in an apartment. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
The head is round. | |
Facial region |
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Nose |
The nose should be brick-colored with dark brown edges. | |
Eyes |
Almond-shaped, set wide apart, yellow, hazel or green. | |
Ears |
Broad at the base, slightly pointed and deep; the inside of the ear should be well furnished. | |
Body |
Tail |
| The tail is slender, slightly shorter than the length of the body, with a rounded tip. |
Limbs |
| Strong legs tapering to small, oval feet. | ||
Forequarters |
Hindquarters |
Coat |
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Coat and texture |
The coat is brown ticked tabby, meaning that each hair is alternately light and dark, typically consisting of two light and two dark stripes. Only one color is recognized by feline breeding registries: agouti sepia, described as a dark brown ticking on a warm old ivory color. The lower parts of the body, such as the chest, muzzle and chin, are lighter in color. The coat should be fine, silky and free of undercoat. | |
English (United Kingdom) 
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