Singapura Cat Breed:

The Singapura breed is one of the smallest in the cat family.



It is known for its large eyes and ears, blunt tail and brown ticked coat. They come in a single color, brown or beige and are often referred to as sepia agouti or brown ticked agouti. The Singapura cat gets its name from the Malaysian name given to Singapore. They are also called the Singapore river cats or the drain cats as they were generally known to live in the city drains.



Due to their smaller sizes they give the appearance of being delicate, when in fact they are muscular and quite heavy.  Their eyes can be hazel, yellow or green in color with what looks like a mascara outline. They are known to be affectionate, mischievous, gentle and very playful. A fully grown female Singapura can weigh anywhere between 5 to 6 pounds whereas a fully grown male can weigh between 6 to 9 pounds. They have large pointed and cupped ears which is a unique characteristic of this breed.

They are generally held to be very healthy cats with hardly any health problems. Some of the health concerns that breeders have with regard to the Singapura breed is a condition that is referred to as uterine inertia. This is the inability to push the fetus out due to extremely weak muscles. This condition was noticed with the founder cat and appears to have passed down through the genes and appears in a few of the Singapura females these days. The cats which suffer from this condition need to be delivered through the Caesarean section normally. There are no other known genetic problems that exist among the Singapura breed. One concern that breeders have about them is related to the genetic diversity of these cats. This is because of inbreeding due to a small gene pool. Studies have indicated that the Singapura along with the Burmese cats have the lowest genetic diversity. This was ascertained from a sample size of 22 other breeds. The ability to outcross with other breeds is an issue that has been raised in the hope of increasing genetic diversity. Discussions are still underway.

Breeders normally make the Singapura kitten available only between twelve to sixteen weeks after all inoculations or vaccinations have been administered. This also allows the kitten’s adequate time to develop. It is generally recommended that these cats are kept indoors and are neutered or spayed. Scratching is a normal habit; hence providing them with suitable scratching posts is advisable.