The Singapura cat is the smallest cat that we know. When we see them for the first time, we are touched by its tiny size; we feel tenderness and we want to protect it, which is why it adapts to quiet people who will know how to provide it with a lot of security.
Its appearance reflects their character: calm and affectionate, it participates in family life by attaching themselves to all its members. It is a perfect pet that responds without hesitation to the attentions of its master.
The origins of the Singapura Cat
The Singapura cat comes from the island of Singapore, as its name suggests. It seems that in its country it always led a vagrant life, hiding during the day and wandering at night in search of food in the garbage of restaurants.
The inhabitants of the island despised it until foreigners began to take an interest in it. The first copies arrived in the United States in 1975, thanks to Tommy and Hal Meadows.
Appearance of the Singapura Cat
The Singapura cat’s morphology is truly unique: it appears to be the smallest domestic short-haired feline known to man. It is endowed with a fine and nervous build, supported by legs with muscular thighs which gradually become thinner towards the short and oval feet.
The tail is not very long and ends in a blunt point. The neck is short and broad; the head is rounded, with a short muzzle, a stocky nose and a rounded chin.
The ears, broad at the base, have a deep cup shape, with slightly pointed ends and are set high and erect on the head.
The eyes, almond-shaped, are very large and fairly spaced; they are highlighted by the dark edge of the eyelids and their color varies from golden green to hazelnut, passing through intense green, gold and amber.
The coat is short and adheres to the body and the coat has a fine texture with a dark ticking on an ivory background.
Coat color of the Singapura Cat
The base color should be warm ivory, tending towards yellow. The face, chin and belly are salmon; the edge of the nose, the hairs on the fingers and the pads are dark brown. The color is more intense on the back.
The preferred tone is warm and shiny, lightly shaded, with intense ticking and tiger patterns that create a strong contrast.
In general, we do not want cold, gray tones. The very short ivory fur must have at least four alternating stripes; at least two of them must be dark.
The character of the Singapura Cat
The Singapura cat has a sociable and charming character; it does not fear man, to the point of seeking its company, and it is not jealous of other animals. This little feline is very quiet and is rarely turbulent or restless.
Its gaze is attentive to the slightest movement and its two large, very mobile ears make them a very good hunter, the consequence of a difficult existence which obliged them to obtain daily fresh food: fish, rodents and birds.
Hug:
This little feline knows how to appreciate the warmth and softness provided by the cuddles of its humans. You will no doubt find them snuggled up against you during its well-deserved rest periods!
Player:
Even if it is the smallest of the cats, it is nonetheless active! It will know how to have fun creatively with whatever comes its way!
Calm:
Like many cats, it has its moments of calm through its stormy moments! It is quite normal that it needs to recover after its periods of physical and mental activity.
Intelligent:
This feline can be curious and intrigued by many situations and its curiosity can lead them to have to be creative to solve the small problems that it will have created themselves!
Fear / Suspicious of Strangers:
When exposed to many types of people as a youngster, it is generally sociable and curious with strangers. It can of course show a certain reserve at first, but it will certainly disregard its distrust with people who are gentle and calm towards them.
Independent:
This little cat knows very well how to cope with the absence of its humans during their working day. It is of course happy to meet them when they come back from work and will undoubtedly participate in family activities with pleasure!
Behavior of the Singapura Cat
Talkative:
This little cat is not particularly talkative, but it will be able to make its voice heard when needed.
Greedy / Glutton:
There are of course individual variations, but this breed is not known to be greedy.
Need for exercise:
The Singapura needs to move like all cats. You have to think about providing enough independent activities and interactive play sessions every day.
Runaway:
Because of its poor resistance to cold, this small feline is not a cat that tends to go on an adventure when the weather is not very nice.
All the same, be on your guard when the sun and the heat are there because it could well let themselves be carried away by the attraction of the good weather to take a good sunbath outside …
Compatibility of the Singapura Cat with other animals
Singapura and Dogs:
There is room for a canine friend in Singapura’s life, as long as the introductions are done gradually and in the right way, as with all other cats.
Singapura and Other Cats:
This small feline can develop feline friendships with members of its breed as well as other cat breeds with good introductory technique.
Singapura and Children:
Children, who have been taught decorum with a cat, will undoubtedly be the great friends of this little panther. They will have a good time playing together to the delight of both parties!
Singapura and the Elderly:
It will make a good life companion for a calm person who will know how to meet its needs for physical and mental activity.
Price of the Singapura Cat
On average, the purchase price for a Singapura kitten in breeding is between 1200 USD and 2200 USD, the price often varying according to the line, the breeding, the age or even the sex. For the monthly budget, it will take an average of 35 USD / month to meet the needs of your cat, by providing them with quality food and making sure to keep them in good health.
Maintenance of the Singapura Cat
Grooming:
Singapura requires very little maintenance. Weekly brushing with a rubber brush is recommended, as it facilitates the removal of dead hair.
Hair loss:
This little feline loses very little hair. It is therefore the delight of people who want to avoid having to clean too often because of their domestic felid!
Food for the Singapura Cat
There is no specific food for the breed. Your veterinary team will be able to recommend good quality food.
Caring for the Singapura Cat
The Singapura cat has no adaptation problems, even if its small size and calm character make it preferable for living in an apartment.
Grooming the coat does not require special care: thanks to the very short coat and rare undercoat, it only takes a few brush strokes to remove the dead hair and keep the coat in good condition.
From time to time, it can be given a bath: it must be dried thoroughly to avoid possible drafts and colds. The cleanliness of the eyes and ears deserves special attention, as the latter are very large and open.
Health of the Singapura Cat
Life
expectancy : Singapura’s life expectancy is between 10 and 20 years with an average around 15 years .
Resistant / Robust:
Due to its short, cropped coat, this little feline is not well protected to cope with cold temperatures. So care should be taken to keep it indoors when temperatures cool down in the fall and winter.
Tendency to gain weight:
It is not known to be greedy. On the other hand, it is always recommended to check with your veterinary team to find out the adequate food portions for your cat to prevent him from gaining weight unnecessarily.
Common Diseases:
No disease is overrepresented in this breed to date. On the other hand, Pyruvate Kinase (PKDef) deficiency can be found within the breed and screening is recommended.
Pyruvate Kinase is an enzyme. It is involved at the metabolic level in the breakdown of sugars in erythrocytes. When the cat lacks PK, the erythrocytes die and anemia occurs with the symptoms associated with it.
Singapura can one day develop the same pathologies as any other cat, such as oral pathologies.
Reproduction:
There is no marriage authorized for the Singapura breed.
Good to know
In its native region, the tourist office has made Singapura its national mascot. Since that time (as was to be expected), its export has been under very strict control.
It is also interesting to note that according to some sources this breed could be the result of a cross between two other known breeds: the Abyssinian and the Burmese. Indeed, DNA analyzes would have shown that this little cat is very similar to the Burmese genetically.
On the other hand, in 1975, these cats roamed freely in the streets of Singapore, which makes them, theoretically, the equivalent of our alley cats.
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