singapore cat

History of origin

The Singapura cat or Singapura is the smallest breed among domestic cats – appeared and became popular all over the world thanks to enthusiasts from the United States. In the early 70s of the last century, an American geophysicist went to work in Singapore and drew attention to the cats that live on the streets of this Southeastern state. The locals did not like the mustachioed very much, and small seals had to survive and get their own food on their own.

The geophysicist, whose wife was a true cat lady, sent her three native Singapura cats of a brown ticked color as a gift. A little later, he took another cat to the USA for his girlfriend, who was breeding whiskers. These four Singaporean animals became the ancestors of a new breed of domestic cats. However, until the moment when the Singaporean breed was recognized in the 1980s by the Cat Fanciers Association and the International Cat Fanciers Association, it was still a long way off. During this time, several more native Singapura cats arrived in the United States, where breeders began to work actively to create a breed with clean lines, which they called “Singapore” or “Singapura”.

By the way, the efforts of American and then European cat breeders completely changed the attitude towards street cats in Singapore itself. They were no longer considered “garbage animals” and were very fond of, and in 1991 the government of the country declared its Singaporean cats a “living national treasure”. A monument to the Singaporean cat even appeared in the state, and their export outside the country is now strictly limited.

Breed description

Singapura cats are miniature, graceful animals with a strong muscular body. The limbs are well developed, of medium length, muscular, slightly tapering towards the bottom, ending in oval paws with soft pads, painted in pink-brown. The head is rounded, with a rounded wide muzzle and convex whisker pads. The ears are large and wide, set straight, well open and slightly tilted forward. Large almond-shaped eyes set slightly obliquely are one of the characteristic features of Singaporean cats. Eye color can be three shades: yellow, green or hazel. The tail is of medium length, tapering slightly to an oval tip. Very short coat lying close to the body, silky to the touch and shiny. Only one color of the Singapore cat is allowed – sepia agouti: on an old ivory undercoat, the outer hairs must have dark brown ticking (two stripes of dark brown on each hair, interspersed with light stripes, and the tip of the hair must always be dark brown). Eyes, nose, lips and whiskers have dark brown outlines.

Photos

Character

The Singapura cat is an affectionate and loyal friend, incredibly sociable, feeling like a full-fledged member of the family.

“If you want to lie at home on the couch so that no one touches you for several hours, then the Singapura cat is not for you,” says Natalia Zimina, head of the Singapore cattery Jouet-Couguar. – Singapuras are real companions who want and will take part in all your affairs. Whatever you do, these mustachioed friends will always be there. We opened the closet – be sure that Singapore is already inside, because she needs to inspect and examine everything. They are very curious creatures. At the same time, Singaporean cats are incredibly cute, friendly, non-aggressive animals. These are the best friends of children, sharing their fun games with pleasure.

Singapura cats do not tolerate loneliness, so it is undesirable to leave them alone in an apartment or house for a long time. Then cats get bored, yearn and worry. These are animals for large families, where they can always be given attention, or for single people who spend most of their lives at home. Singapura cats are very attached to their owners, they understand their inner state, any shades of voice and try to help in any situation to the best of their feline strength. They do not mischief, but arrange a fun running around to attract the attention of their loved ones. Ideally, they also need a four-legged friend – another Singapura, any other cat or even a dog – an accommodating character and natural friendliness will allow Singaporean cats to get along with any animals.

Care and maintenance

Singapura cats are easy to keep and do not require special care. They take excellent care of their short hair on their own, they do not need to be bathed, unless, of course, they accidentally get dirty during the game.

“If you comb the hair of a Singaporean cat with a regular natural bristle brush once a week or twice a week during shedding, you will, of course, help her get rid of dead hairs, but rather just give pleasure to the pet,” explains Natalya Zimina, head cattery of Singapore cats Jouet-Couguar. – Singapura wool does not require additional care of the owners, but these cats are pleased with any interaction with their human.

Singaporean cats do not need a special line of food either – a balanced diet with a predominance of proteins will be enough. Singapuras are very mobile and do not tend to gain weight, so there is no need to take care of a special diet either. If there are play complexes for cats in the house, especially the so-called “trees”, then Singaporeans will be happy – they love to climb and climb all kinds of elevations. But they will also be delighted with the usual set of cat toys – from mice to balls, with which Singaporean cats are ready to have fun endlessly.

Education and training

“Singapore cats have a fairly high intelligence, which allows them to understand people very well,” says Natalya Zimina, head of the Jouet-Couguar cattery of Singaporean cats. – Singapuras are easy to train, so they have no problems with the tray, in which they go very carefully, and they have no other rules of conduct. They easily understand and remember simple commands that they happily follow. They can even be taught to fetch balls like dogs.

But the curiosity of Singapura cats, alas, is beyond control – they immediately turn all small things into toys, so you need to remember that needles, small scissors, any small sharp objects can end up in the nimble paws of Singapura. Such items should not be kept on open surfaces, so as not to harm animals.

Health and disease

“Singapore cats, despite their miniature size, are a very healthy, active breed, not prone to any special genetic diseases,” says Natalia ZIMINA, head of the Jouet-Couguar cattery of Singaporean cats. – Naturally, the owners must follow the elementary rules – check the eyes, ears of the animal. But if there are no signs that something is wrong with the ears and eyes, it is better not to go into them at all, as veterinarians advise.

However, if you understand that the animal has changed its behavior, it has a fever or other signs of a painful condition, then you should immediately contact the doctors of the veterinary clinic.

“Singapore cats come from Southeast Asia, so they are very fond of warmth,” explains Natalya Zimina, head of the Jouet-Couguar cattery of Singaporean cats. – And since they have practically no undercoat, Singaporeans can easily catch a cold, for example, in a draft or a cold floor. Therefore, Singaporean cats need to be protected from hypothermia, monitor the temperature in the apartment, arrange a warm house for them, which is better placed near the battery in winter. And the warmth and care with which a person can surround a Singaporean cat, she will respond with amazing devotion and eternal love.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the content of Singaporean cats with the presenter veterinary cardiologist of the European Veterinary Center EVC Leonid Krasheninnikov.