Сингапура мысығы: тарихы мен ерекшеліктері

Breed of cat

The Singapura is the smallest breed of cat, noted for its large eyes and ears, ticked coat, and blunt tail. 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 United States before being exported back to the US. Investigations by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) concluded that no wrongdoing had occurred and the Singapura kept its status as a natural breed.

In 1975, after working in Singapore, Tommy and Hal Meadow returned to the US with what they say were three local brown ticked cats. 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 Malay name for Singapore. 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 Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The cat was imported to the US and adopted into the breeding program. It was discovered that two of the three foundation cats carried this gene.

The Singapore Tourist and Promotion Board (STPB) proceeded with the decision to use the breed (advertised under the name Kucinta) as a tourism mascot after CFA concluded its investigation. The name Kucinta is an amalgamation of the Malay words kucing (cat) and cinta (love) and taken from the winning entry in a naming competition. Incidentally, Kucinta also means "The one I love" in Malay. Sculptures of the Singapura can be found by the Singapore River. In 2004, the Singapore Zoo hosted a temporary exhibit of Singapura cats in celebration of the nation's 39th National Day. Four Singapura cats were loaned by their owners for the event.

The Singapura is moderately stocky and muscular with a very short and fine coat. The world's smallest cat breed, a full grown female usually weighs while the male weighs The large, slightly pointed, and deep cupped ears together with the large almond shaped eyes are characteristics 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". A test is available that can determine whether a cat is affected, a carrier, or clear of the disease. Singapuras with PKD can usually live a normal life. Some breeders have shown concern regarding the lack of genetic diversity in the breed due to inbreeding caused by a small gene pool. The Singapura has one of the lowest heterozygosity values.