Singapura (cat)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Singapura | |
|---|---|
 Adult male neuter Singapura, with distinct banding on inside legs.
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| Alternative names | |
| Drain Cat Kucinta |
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| Country of origin | |
| Recorded as Singapore | |
| Breed standard | |
| CFA | : standard |
| TICA | : standard |
| AACE | : standard |
| ACFA | : standard |
The Singapura is a cat breed with a contentious history. Reportedly established from three "drain cats" imported from Singapore in the 1970s, it was later revealed that the cats were originally sent to Singapore from the US before they were exported back to the US. Investigations by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) concluded no wrongdoing and the Singapura kept its status as a natural breed.
One of the smallest breeds of cats, the Singapura is noted for its large eyes and ears, brown ticked coat and shortened and blunt tail. In the UK, a pet-quality Singapura can cost £3-400 (US$6-800 USD) while a show specimen can cost upwards of £600.[1]
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[edit] History
[edit] Foundation
In 1975, after a working stint in Singapore, Tommy and Hal Meadow returned to the US with what they say were three local brown-ticked cats.[2] These three cats, a pair of male and female kittens from the same litter and another young female, were the foundation used to establish the Singapura. The breed takes its name from the traditional name for Singapore (Singapura, which means lion city in Malay). In 1981, a breeder visited Singapore and chanced upon a cat fitting the profile of the Singapura (with the exception of the tail) in the local SPCA.[2] The cat was imported to the US and adopted into the breeding program.
The Singapura was accepted for registration by the CFA in 1982 and granted championship status in 1988. In between this period, breeders found that the occasional litter would have a solid colored kitten, caused by the recessive gene for solid color. In a desire for the Singapura to breed true, many breeders chose to do test matings to pinpoint and remove from their breeding programs individuals with the recessive gene.[3] It was discovered that two of the three foundation cats carried this gene.[4]
[edit] Controversy
In 1990, suspicion arose as to the true origin of the Singapura when checks done by the Singapore Tourist and Promotion Board (now Singapore Tourism Board) revealed that the three foundation cats, registered as Abyssinians in import certificates,[4] together with two Burmese were taken into Singapore from the US in 1974 before being exported back to the US. As the Meadows had been breeders of Abyssinian, Burmese, and Siamese,[2] some have speculated that the Singapura is a Burmese/Abyssinian cross and it has even been described as such by CFA Judges.[3] The resemblance of some Burmese/Abyssinian cross to the Singapura, as well as the Singapura's small litter size, which is uncommon in natural breeds, added more doubts to the Meadows' story.[5]
The CFA investigated the incident at the request of a Singapura breed club. In the investigation, Hal Meadow told the investigation board that the three cats were grandchildren of four local cats he sent back to the US during a previous supposedly sensitive business trip to Singapore in 1971,[2] contradicting the Meadows' earlier claim of the foundation cats' origin. Apparently Tommy Meadow lied about it to conceal the secret trip.[5] The CFA found no wrongdoing and kept the Singapura's status as a natural breed. CFA's Joan Miller said that "Whether they mated on the streets of Singapore or whether they mated in Michigan, it doesn't really matter. In addition, there is at least one documented cat that is behind many Singapura pedigrees and it was picked up at the pound. Even with none of the cats the Meadows brought in we still have a legitimate cat from Singapore behind our Singapuras."[2]
Recent studies in 2007 based on feline DNA showed that there is very little genetic differences between the Singapura and Burmese,[6] adding support to the claim that the Singapura is not a natural breed.
[edit] Singapuras in Singapore
The Singapore Tourist and Promotion Board(STPB) proceeded with the decision to use the cat (advertised under the name Kucinta) as a tourism mascot after CFA concluded its investigation. The name Kucinta is an amalgamation of the malay words Kuching (cat) and cinta (love) and taken from the winning entry in a naming competition. Sculptures of the Singapura can be found by the Singapore River. While brown cats with ticked coats can occasionally be seen, few if any resembles the Singapura, with the majority of cats being bobtailed tabbies, tortoiseshells or bicolor, and the move by the STPB is seen by locals to be an advertising move based on the popularity of the breed among tourists at that time.[7]
[edit] Description
[edit] Appearance
The Singapura is a moderately stocky and muscular small to medium-sized cat, with a very short and fine coat. A full grown female usually weighs 5-6 pounds while the male weighs 6-8 pounds. The large, slightly pointed and deep cupped ears together with the large almond shaped eyes are a characteristic of the breed. The tail is slender, slightly shorter than the length of the body and has a blunt tip.
The breed's coat pattern is that of a ticked tabby. That is, individual hair strands have alternating sections of dark and light color, typically two dark bands separated by two light bands, with a dark color at the tip. The underside, including the chest muzzle and chin takes the color of the light bands. The Singapura is recognized by cat registries in only one color, the sepia agouti, described as "dark brown ticking on a warm old ivory ground color".
[edit] Temperament
The Singapura is described by the CFA as active, curious and playful. They are affectionate and desire human interaction. They have a tendency to perch on high places, to allow them a better view of their surrounding.
[edit] Health
Of concern to breeders is the condition known as uterine inertia, an inability to expel the fetus due to weak muscles. This condition was present in one of the foundation cat and appears on some Singapura females today.[3] Individuals with uterine inertia would require delivery by Caesarean section.
There are no other known genetic health problems in the Singapura although breeders have shown concern regarding the genetic diversity of the breed due to inbreeding caused by a small gene pool.[3] Researches who did the DNA study above found that the Singapura(along with the Burmese) have the least genetic diversity among the 22 breeds studied. The possibility of outcrossing with another breed to increase the genetic diversity had been raised among CFA breeders, but not many were receptive to the idea, preferring to use Singapuras from around the world that are not so closely related to the CFA line.
[edit] References
- ^ Bundles of joy North Devon Gazzete, March 29, 2006
- ^ a b c d e Cathie McHenry, Breed article Cat Fanciers' Association
- ^ a b c d Nicki Ruetz, Singapura breed article Cat Fanciers' Association
- ^ a b Hal Meadow Breed history
- ^ a b Annalisa Dass, Singapura Cat Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board
- ^ Rob Stein, Using DNA to track the origins of cats: Study confirms they were domesticated in Fertile Crescent Washington Post, March 23, 2008
- ^ Sarah Hartwell Kucinta - The Love Cat of Singapore messybeast.com
[edit] External links
- Breed history as told by original Singapura importer - Tommy Meadow
- Cat Fanciers' Association
- Singapura breed profile
- Singapura breed article by Cathie McHenry
- Singapura breed article by Nicki Ruetz
- Singapura Cat at Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board
- Kucinta - The Love Cat of Singapore - and the Bobtails of Malaysia at messybeast.com
