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History of the
Singapura:
The Singapura
cat takes it's name from the Malaysian name for Singapore.
The Singapura was brought to America in the 1970's. Also
known as 'drain cats' because they were reputed to inhabit
the city drains, they are also known as the Singapore River
Cat.
In 1971, Hal
Meadow, a
geophysicist
working in
Singapore, noticed three unusual looking brown-ticked cats.
Some boat crew. He sent these cats back to his friend
Tommy (they weren't married at this time) in America
aboard a company ship. Later, a fourth brown
ticked cat was also shipped back to America. These cats were
sent without export or import papers. Tommy who had an
interest in genetics bred with these ticked cats. Apparently
at the time she had no interest in starting a new breed, and
therefore kept no paperwork. Then in 1974
the now married Hal & Tommy were transferred to Singapore &
they brought along five of their cats, two Burmese &
three grandchildren of the original cats shipped over from
Singapore in 1971. These grandchildren were named Ticle, Tes & Pusse. They declared the Burmese as such
to quarantine, not knowing what to declare the other three
cats as, Tommy declared them to be Abyssinians as they
looked like Brown Abyssinians to her.
The Meadows
continued to breed with these cats. Ticle & Pusse
had two kittens named George & Gladys. These cats were
recognised by the Singapura Cat Club provisionally as
Singapuras. Following the fall of Saigon in July 1975 the
Meadows returned to America, bringing back Ticle, Tes, Pusse,
George & Gladys. They then set about obtaining official
recognition for the breed & in
1981 presented the Singapuras to the American CFA as a
natural breed, in 1988 they were were accepted for
championship status with the American CFA.
In
1980, another American cat breeder, visiting a SPCA shelter
in Singapore, discovered a cat named Chico, with the same
colouring and ticked coat of the Singapura. She was sent to
a breeder by the name of Barbara Gilbertson in Washington,
where she was a great asset to the limited gene pool.
There has been
some controversy surrounding the breed's origins. An American Singapura breeder by the name of Gerry Mayes
visited Singapore in 1987 to look for street cats fitting
this description. He spoke to
locals who didn't know anything about local cats fitting the
description of the Singapura. Mr Mayes returned to America
with several cats from Singapore but he also had some
interesting information in regards to the original cats
imported by the Meadows in 1974. The original story told by
the Meadows was that they discovered Ticle, Tes & Pus in
Singapore in 1974, however papers indicated that Ticle, Tes
& Pus had in fact been brought into Singapore by the Meadows
in 1974. As import records showed that the Meadows imported
two Burmese & three Abyssinians it was suggested that there
was no such 'local' cat in Singapore but the Singapura was
in fact a Burmese x Abyssinian hybrid.
Another
version is that the discrepancy was discovered when the
Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) decided to adopt
the Singapura as a mascot. While performing background
checks on the breed, the discrepancies with the paperwork
were discovered. In fact the Singapura was locally given the
name 'Kucinta', meaning 'love cat' as a result of this campaign.
Tommy Meadows
was asked to explain the discrepancy to the CFA on 9th &
10th February, 1990. Tommy explained the reason for
the discrepancy was because Hal had been in Singapore in
1971 on a sensitive trip. Records proved that Hal had in
fact been in Singapore in 1971. The CFA accepted Tommy's
explanation & the breed is still recognised as a 'natural'
breed.
The purpose of
this article isn't to speculate how the breed came about, if
it originated from the streets of Singapore or was a
'man-made' breed originating from America, it is just to tell
the story of the breed, as has been told by others.
Appearance of
the Singapura:
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Dainty
and elegant, the Singapura has changed very little
over the years.
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People are usually drawn
to the Singapuras angelic face, large expressive eyes,
big ears and their ‘butter wouldn’t melt in the mouth’
demeanor.
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Singapuras are a small to medium
sized cat. Their size gives them a delicate
appearance, though they are muscular and feel heavier
than they look.
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The
Singapura is affectionate, good natured, gentle &
extremely playful.
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They
have no inherent health problems & are generally a very
robust cat.
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The only other markings the
Singapura have on their body is barring on the inner
front legs and back knees and the remnants of the tabby m
on their forehead.
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The Singapura has a
moderately stocky and muscular build. The head is rounded.
The ears are large and the eyes are huge, almond shaped
and can be green, hazel or yellow. Their nose, which is
salmon toned and eyes are accentuated by dark eyeliner
like outlines. The tail is slightly shorter than the
body, slender with a black blunt tip. They have a close
lying, satiny, ticked coat of sepia brown. This is the
only accepted colour. This means that the individual
hairs on the cat have alternating bands of sepia brown and
the warm ivory ground colour. This gives the appearance
of fine sand. Their muzzle, chin, chest and underside are
all a warm ivory colour.
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They have no inherent health
problems and are generally a very robust cat.
Personality of
the Singapura Cat:
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The Singapura
has an enchanting personality. They are truly captivating
little sprites that steal your heart. These beautifully
proportioned and graceful creatures have the ability to
charm and take hold of your heart and soul.
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They have a
love of warmth and will often be found under your doona
cover, hogging a heater or lying in the sunshine.
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They love to
be up high, laps and shoulders are great as are the tops
of cupboards, doors and fridges.
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It is also amazing the places they can
squeeze their little bodies. I have found one curled up
asleep in an empty two litre
ice-cream container and another in the sleeve of a
jumper.
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The only thing better than one Singapura is
two or three or… more. Once you have owned a
Singa you’ll
never be without one.
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Singapuras
are gentle, non-destructive yet very playful cats.
However give them a toy, dangling from string or thin
elastic and it will be chewed off in seconds flat, the
toy, will then be whizzed away somewhere else to be played
with.
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Singapuras
are cheeky, lively, extremely curious, full of mischief,
affectionate, intelligent, inquisitive, fun loving cats,
which actively seek out human company.
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They are non
confrontational and will rarely enter into a dispute or
quarrel.
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The females
tend to be the more dominant sex while the males are a
little more easy going. I am lucky, as my stud boys do
not spray; therefore they live inside and are always
curled up together or with the other resident cats.
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The females
are wonderful mothers, (two to four kittens are an average
sized litter.) often nursing their kittens well past the
weaning times of other breeds.
Suitable for:
The Singapura
is a great family pet, it gets along well with children & is
an outgoing breed which thrives on companionship. If you are
away from home for long periods then it it recommended your
Singapura has a feline companion. Be it another Singapura or
another breed.
Any special
requirements?
No, their coat
is very short & a weekly groom is all that is required.
They are suited for indoor life. Provide plenty of toys, as
well as your attention. Scratching posts for sharpening
claws and climbing are a must, the taller the better.
Special
thanks to:
Kim of
Shakitra Burmese & Singapuras for providing me with
information for this profile, supplying the three gorgeous
photos above & for bringing our beautiful Levi into our
life.
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