the singapura, reviewed

that is my verdict. now see if you can even recognise this breed →

The Singapura is often called the smallest domestic cat breed, a tiny, big-eyed, ticked sprite that has never once let its size limit its ambitions. It is curious, playful and relentlessly involved in your affairs, a small package of pure personality. It scores enormously on cuteness and loses a little on presence, because there is only so much presence a cat this size can physically hold. Here is the honest review.

what is a singapura

The Singapura is a small, elegant cat with an outsized set of eyes and ears, a warm ticked coat in a single sepia-toned colour, and a body that stays remarkably petite even in adulthood. It was developed from brown ticked cats associated with Singapore, and its diminutive size is its calling card. Do not, however, mistake small for delicate: this is a muscular, athletic little cat that climbs, leaps and investigates with total confidence.

temperament: tiny, busy, and everywhere

The Singapura has been affectionately called a pesky people cat, and it earns the description. It is intensely curious, playful and sociable, forever perched on your shoulder, supervising your work, or diving into whatever you are doing. It keeps a kitten's energy and inquisitiveness well into adulthood, adores company, and dislikes being left alone. What it lacks in bulk it more than makes up in involvement, and a household with a Singapura is never quite left in peace.

care and health, the honest part

The fine short coat is effortless, needing little more than an occasional stroke. On health the Singapura is generally a sound breed, though it comes from a small founding population, so the gene pool is limited and responsible breeders work to manage that. As a small, active cat it appreciates warmth and does best kept indoors or safely supervised, where its curiosity cannot get it into trouble. Otherwise it asks little beyond your attention, which it will in any case take whether offered or not.

is a singapura right for you

If you are enchanted by a tiny, bright, forever-young cat that wants to be part of everything, the Singapura is a joy. If you want a large, dignified, self-sufficient cat that keeps to itself, this small whirlwind will disappoint you, chiefly by refusing to leave you alone.

the chairman's verdict

Eighty. The Singapura is an enormous personality in a very small body, all eyes and mischief and devotion, forfeiting points only for the modest coat and for being, physically, quite hard to take seriously. Adorable, tireless, and never once out of your business. Charming marks.

Related reading from my desk: the Abyssinian, another ticked busybody, and the roundup of the rarest cat breeds.

Scores are the Chairman's opinion, offered in good fun. For real advice on a Singapura's health or suitability, speak to a reputable breeder, a rescue, or your vet. I am a cat with opinions, not a veterinarian.