The Singapura Cat: Singapore's Forgotten Local Cat Breed

It isn't uncommon to spot different stray Cats while walking along the streets and sights of Singapore. Look a little closer next time and you'd even notice these petite Cats with short coats that were not exactly solid, not striped, nor patchy or spotted— There's a high chance you may have already met a Singapura Cat☺

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The Singapura Cat

 The Singapura is fondly dubbed as Kucinta and also Pura. They were first known to be street cats in Singapore who loved making appearances in gutters— until Cat fanciers Hal and Tommy Meadow from America fell in love with them upon a fateful trip to Singapore in the 1970’s. Drawn to their tiny size and unique features, Hal and Tommy eventually adopted three from none other than SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). It was then when the origin of the Singapura Cat was put to question by other Cat fanciers, with claims that the breed was brought in from United States of America.

Fun Fact #1      The name Kucinta was chosen as the winner of STB's mascot naming competition, derived from the words Kuching and Cinta, which translates to mean Cat, and Love respectively.

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And although the origins are still a wee-bit shrouded in mystery, the CFA (Cat Fancier’s Association) eventually recognised the Singapura Cat as an official breed in 1988, from sunny Singapore. Singapura Cats soon gained a lot of attention and popularity amongst locals and tourists. Later in 1991, STB (Singapore Tourism Board) decided on this particular breed as their official mascot.

Fun Fact #2      Did you know, 15 Singapura Cat sculptures were made to be placed at different locations along the Singapore River initially? These sculptures were unfortunately subjected to vandalism and theft. Currently, there are 3 Singapura Cat Sculptures— featuring a Mother Cat watching her two kittens play. 

Have you seen them?☺

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Appearance Of A Singapura

Size — Singapuras are the smallest of all domestic cat breeds in the world. Their tiny, muscular bodies weighs from 2 to 3 kgs (Female) and 3 to 4 kgs (Males). when fully grown. In comparison to an adult Maine Coon Cat, the Singapura Cat may well look like kittens.

View related:
Maine Coon Cats: The Giant Domestic Cat Breed With A Gentle Heart

Features — Pure-bred Singapuras sport a long slender tail with a dark coloured tip. Ears are deep, large and slightly pointed, coupled with large almond shaped eyes.

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Colour & Coat — The short, smooth coat of a Singapura is only registered in one shade, Sepia Agouti. This is a mixture of hairs alternated between a dark and light brown, giving the overall coat a warm ivory base, patterned with dark tickling hairs.

Grooming A Singapura Cat

With their short, smooth coat with little to no shedding requires only weekly brushing. Since Cats are naturally fastidious with hygiene, they are excellent self-groomers— occasional baths should maintain a healthy and clean, coat. Trim their nails whenever necessary, and clean their eyes and ears with Vet-approved cleansers and a cotton ball. If you are unsure how to perform these tasks, approach a trusted Veterinarian or Groomer for professional advice and service.

Personality Of A Singapura Cat

Like their never-changing petite size during adulthood, the playful and mischievous nature of a Singapura remains even reaching adulthood. Their activeness comes along with the love of being on high ground, but they are versatile enough to be the perfect lap Cat! On top of that, it has been said that the Singapura is a Cat breed that enjoys being taught tricks, and are very people-oriented.

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While they absolutely love playing and chasing things around the house, you can count on a Singapura to be the gentle friend that is there for you, especially when you are going through a rough patch. Affectionate and sociable, they thrive with attention and company from their owners, children and other pets as well. The Singapura Cat makes a great house pet, not only are they child-like, they are sensitive companions at heart. Not to mention sociable as well. But we would conclude that if you have a busy schedule, this cat would require other forms of company, like children or even other house pets. With proper care and much love, the average lifespan of a Singapura is 13 to 15 years.

Adopting A Singapura

If you chance upon a stray Singapura Cat that you would absolutely love to adopt, please be sure to bring it to a vet for an overall checkup, not to mention register them. Otherwise you could always check out the Local Shelters for options. Though the Singapura Cat is not considered extremely rare locally, it is still renowned for their unique agouti coats in many other countries. Why not adopt a national treasure and bring home hours of fun and companionship all packed into a tiny cat?



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