The smallest cat breeds that hardly grow throughout their lives

Munchkin: 1.8 – 4 kg

Munchkin
Representatives of this breed are the dachshunds of the cat world: they have very short legs. Munchkins were not specially bred; the first representative was found by accident, and it was a natural mutation. In the 40s, the short-legged cat gave birth to the same dachshund-like kittens, which were completely healthy, then the breed gained a foothold and began to gain popularity. At the moment , these cats are considered the shortest , the minimum height was recorded as 13.34 cm. An adult cat can weigh between 2.7-4 kg, a cat - 1.8-3.6 kg.

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Khiid steps on his heels

In San Diego there lives a kitten who, thanks to his tiny size, may win the title of "Smallest Cat" from Mr. Pibbles. He has an ordinary breed, but his height at 3 months is a record 8 cm. The fluffy miracle weighs only 1 kg.

When the baby reaches adulthood, he may also be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Skookum: 1.8 – 4 kg

Skookum
Representatives of the Skookum breed, which is a derivative of the Munchkins, can have approximately the same weight indicators. When crossing munchkins and laperms, cats appeared that were equally short in stature and short legs, and received long hair that grew in lush waves. The calm, affectionate creature wins hearts, which makes the breed more and more popular.

Lembkin

Lembkin translates to "lamb" in English and is the word that best describes this breed. Miniature cats with curly hair, like a sheep's, will not leave anyone indifferent.

In addition to their fur, lambkins are distinguished by short legs, like munchkins. They weigh no more than 3-4 kg, and their color is not strictly defined. This breed cannot be called established; not all kittens from the litter still inherit the desired characteristics, and scientists continue to work on selection.

Singapore cat: 2-3 kg

Singapore cat
The Singapore cat breed has a rather sad past: they began to be bred from stray animals found on the streets of the city-state of Singapore.
But thanks to their unique characteristics, current representatives of Singaporean cats can claim the best place in the house, because along with their small size they are distinguished by intelligence, devotion, and love for their owner. True, Singapore has not yet become widespread.

Munchkin

Information about strange short-legged cats appeared back in the 19th century. Scientists were able to study individual individuals, and it turned out that the legs, 2-3 times shorter than usual, are the result of a natural mutation. Studies have shown that such a structure does not pose any danger to the animal and does not lead to dangerous diseases, therefore, since 1994, the development of the breed has taken place under the supervision of TICA.

Munchkins can have either short or long hair. When they look around, they do not stand up on their hind legs, but sit on their butts, while amusingly lowering their paws along their body. They can sit like this for quite a long time.

Munchkins became the founders of a whole branch of new species of cats, the results of crossing with this breed. Each has its own name, but collectively they are called dwarves - from the English "gnome".

Dwelf: 1.8-3 kg

Dwelf An
even more miniature creature appeared when attempting to crossbreed munchkins with curls and sphinxes. A distinctive feature of the Dwelf breed is not only their small height and weight, but also their completely bare skin. This is one of the miniature hairless cats . Representatives of the breed are sociable and friendly, and the lack of hair makes them an excellent choice for allergy sufferers and lovers of cleanliness.

Skookum

Photo: Instagram/alfiemunchie

These cats were bred artificially in the United States of America. Their creator wanted to breed not only the smallest cat in the world, but also the curliest one. Translated from Indian, the name of the breed translates as “strong, brave.” Their distinctive feature is their wavy and long coat. On average, the weight of an adult reaches 3.6 kilograms.

Minskin: 1.8 – 2.7 kg

Minskin
Another miniature hairless breed that was bred in the States. The gene pool is based on two breeds: Canadian Sphynxes and Munchkins. Representatives of the Minskins are distinguished by a well-built body and small height - their height does not exceed 19 cm . The miniature size is compensated by the endless curiosity, sociability and tenderness of these creatures.

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Bambino

Photo: Instagram/_baby_stark

This breed appeared by chance. The name is translated from Italian as “child”. And not surprisingly, these animals look like kittens throughout their lives. They have an elongated body and short legs. These are very sociable and friendly pets that become attached to the owner. The weight of an adult does not exceed 4 kilograms.

The smallest cat breed

Skif-Tai-Don (Skif-Toy-Bob)
The smallest cat breed is Skif-Tai-Don (Skif-Toy-Bob): 900 grams - 2.5 kg. If you would like to have a cat that will forever remain like a kitten 3-4 months old, then you should pay attention to this breed. Scythians are the smallest domestic cats , but at the same time their muscles are strong, they have a beautiful, harmonious physique. Their tail is rounded, maybe even spiral-shaped, and the hind legs are longer than the front ones. The breed was developed in the 1980s in Rostov-on-Don. Standards for the new breed were established in 1994. Today there are two Skif nurseries operating in Russia; you can buy them in Yekaterinburg or Moscow.

Thus, the smallest cats can weigh less than a kilogram. They will forever remain kittens, delighting the heart of their owner. However, the fashion for small cats today is not as relevant as for “pocket” dogs, for example, and therefore representatives of most dwarf breeds remain rare.

American Curl

Photo: Instagram/volgastyle_cattery

This cat breed has an unusual ear shape. Although, when the baby is born, his ears are straight, after a week they begin to curl. Hence the name of the breed, from the English “curl” - curly. Outwardly, such ears give the animals an expression of eternal surprise. The American Curl loves attention and children. An adult cat weighs no more than 4.5 kilograms and is one of the most expensive breeds.

Mr. Peebles, included in the Guinness Book of Records

It is difficult to say what the name of the breed to which Mr. Pibbles belongs is. The similarity with an ordinary tabby cat is off the scale, however, the record holder distinguished himself from all his tailed relatives. An adult cat weighing 1.3 kg and a body length of 15 cm lives in America, Illinois.

Unfortunately, the cat had to go through a lot of tests; the first owner considered him a “mistake of nature” and eventually decided to place him in good hands. The new “mother” found the baby herself; the veterinarian Donna, who visited the house of M. Pibbles, suspected the owner of improperly keeping the cat. The doctor suggested that the owner give the cat back, and he happily agreed. After placing the baby in the clinic and providing enhanced nutrition, a few months later Donna and her colleagues were convinced that the cat was not going to grow.

Veterinarians were unable to establish the true causes of growth arrest and leaned toward a gene mutation. However, the children and grandchildren of the mini-cat turned out to be standard-sized pets and refuted the doctors’ version. Who knows, perhaps the heirs of M. Pibbles will surprise the world and become the founders of a new tabby mini-breed of cats.

What is felinology

Felinology refers to a branch of science that studies cats and their anatomical features. Its task is to look after new breeds whose representatives may exhibit physical and mental problems, and to prevent their spread.

Dwarf cat

Minskin

The Minskin is a miniature cat, whose distinctive features are short legs, silky skin and short, dense hair on certain parts of the body. The development of the breed began in 1998, when breeders took munchkins as a basis and crossed them with other breeds to obtain the desired coat.

Despite the fact that the new cat species has been officially registered, work to consolidate the characteristics of the experimental breed is still underway. The cats turned out to be very agile and fast, despite their short legs. They cannot jump high, but thanks to their agility they can climb to the desired height in other ways.

These are mostly healthy cats that love an active lifestyle, are very affectionate and need constant human attention.

Origin of dwarf cats

Archaeologists believe that the cat, as a pet, has lived with humans under the same roof for almost ten centuries. In a tomb found in Cyprus dating back to 7500 BC, a cat skeleton lies next to a human skeleton. Rock paintings and frescoes also speak of the close proximity of cats in prehistoric times.

Dwarf cats, like most new species in zoology, were discovered completely by accident. It all started with ordinary kittens who, for no apparent reason, “did not want” to grow to normal size.

Many long-time cat lovers recall the huge uproar in magazines and television programs that was caused in 2004 by an adult cat standing upright on its hind legs in a regular water glass.

There are kittens of such large breeds as the Maine Coon, which within a year turn from a small fluffy ball that easily fits in the palm of your hand into a huge adult cat weighing up to 10 kilograms.

And there are miniature breeds, which, despite their age, in appearance and size can hardly be distinguished from small kittens.

Currently, there are 3 hypotheses about the origin of dwarf breeds of domestic cats.

First option

Quite rarely (on average, one case per 100 thousand) in the genetic apparatus, due to random events, a gene mutation occurs, and the kitten stops growing. If this random mutation turns out to be stable, will be inherited, and the animal turns out to be viable, a new breed of dwarf cats will arise.

Second option

The emergence of a new breed of cats is the result of targeted selection by felinologists and nursery workers to develop a new breed. By crossing between cats and cats that stopped growing at an early age, they transfer the “wrong” gene, which determines the cessation of growth, into a dominant state.

Third option

The emergence of a new breed occurs as a result of exposure to the germ cells of cats with radioactive radiation, lasers and chemicals. Geneticists change the sequence of genes in the DNA chain that control the rate of growth and development. If successful, the modified genes are inherited and kittens are born, which stop growing some time after birth.

Napoleon

Napoleons are small fluffy cats with kind round eyes. They were bred in the 70s of the 20th century by an American breeder. One day he saw a photograph of a munchkin in a magazine and decided that he also wanted to breed a new breed that would resemble munchkins and Persians at the same time.

The selection work took years and was constantly on the verge of failure. The fact is that the offspring were sick, the males were not capable of normal reproduction, and the whole event cost a lot of money. Once the breeder even castrated all the cats.

Then other breeders got involved, crossed females with smooth-haired individuals, and the result was absolutely extraordinary animals. Small, with thick silky hair and round eyes, on short legs, they took all the best from their ancestors. Including the cost: the price of Napoleons is quite high.

Record baby

The smallest cat. An adult baby named Mr. Peebles received this title and world fame in 2004.

An unusual kitten was born in Illinois, America, on the farm of a man who did not really like him. One day, a farmer had the opportunity to get rid of a kitten, and he suggested that veterinarian Donna Sussman take him in. Since then, the little cat has settled in the veterinary clinic, where he has become everyone’s favorite.

At the age of two years, being quite old, the baby cat had a body length of 15 cm (not including the tail) and a weight of 1.3 kg. Doctors, worried about Mr. Peebles's stunted growth, conducted a study and found that genetic changes were to blame, and the little mustachioed patient was healthy and feeling great.

Kinkaloe

Kinkaloo is a small fluffy cat with curved ears, like those of Dwelfs. Not surprising, because they come from the same breed - American Curls. Representatives of the second breed, munchkins and kinkalows, inherited short legs and a good-natured disposition.

Kinkaloo is recognized as an experimental breed; a lot of breeding work is carried out so that the offspring consistently inherit the desired traits, and the cats themselves remain very rare and cost a lot of money.

Singapore

For the first time outside the country, such yard cats became known in the USA, and this happened only in the 20th century. The Americans liked the exotic appearance of these cats so much that they decided to breed them. Singapuras weigh only 2-3 kg, they have a small muscular body, convex chest and rounded legs.

But the main feature of the breed is its color. It's called sepia agouti and it looks like brown stripes on the ivory base color.

It is the color that judges pay the most attention to at shows, and its description in the passport takes up the most space. In Singapore, these cats are recognized as a national treasure.