The Singapura Cat is a captivating breed known for its alert, healthy, and muscular physique, complemented by noticeably large eyes and ears that are in proportion to its head. This breed is designed to give the illusion of refined, delicate coloring, making it a truly unique companion. This article delves into the detailed breed standard of the Singapura cat, covering its physical characteristics and specific colorations.
General Appearance
The Singapura is a small to medium-sized cat with a stocky, muscular body that appears square when standing. Its mid-section is firm and not overly tucked. The neck of the Singapura tends to be short and thick, contributing to its robust appearance. The legs are heavy and muscled near the body, tapering to small, short, oval feet. Its tail is typically short, not reaching the shoulder when laid along the torso, and is slender but not whippy, with a blunt tip.
Head
The head of the Singapura is characterized by a rounded skull, both from front to back and side to side, with a noticeable width at the outer eye. This width narrows to a definite whisker break, leading to a medium-short, broad muzzle with a blunt nose. In profile, the skull is rounded, with a slight curve well below eye level. A straight line runs from the nose to the chin, which is well-developed.
Ears
Singapura cats possess large ears that are slightly pointed and wide open at the base, with a deep cup. They are medium in set, and the outer lines of the ears extend upward at an angle slightly wider than parallel. Small ears are considered a serious fault in this breed.
Eyes
The eyes are a prominent feature of the Singapura, being large and almond-shaped. They are held wide open but exhibit a distinct slant. The eyes are neither protruding nor recessed and are set no less than an eye width apart. Permitted eye colors are hazel, green, or yellow, with no other colors allowed. Brilliance in the eyes is preferred. Small eyes are a serious fault.
Coat
The coat of the Singapura is fine, very short, and has a silky texture that lies very close to the body. A springy coat is considered a fault.
Color and Markings: Sepia Agouti
The Singapura is exclusively recognized in the Sepia Agouti color. This coloration features dark brown ticking on a warm, old ivory ground color. Each hair strand should display at least two bands of dark ticking, separated by lighter bands. The area closest to the skin is light, with a dark tip. The tail has a dark tip, with the color extending back towards the body on the upper side. A spine line is not considered a fault.
The muzzle, chin, chest, and underside should be the color of unbleached muslin. Some barring is acceptable on the inner front legs and the back knee only. Allowance is made for undeveloped ticking in kittens. The hair between the toes should be dark brown.
Facial Markings
Desirable facial markings include dark lines extending from the brows and the outside corner of the eyes. Dark lines should also extend downward alongside the nose bridge from the inner corner of the eyes (often referred to as “cheetah lines”), and cheekbone shading is also desirable. Eyeliner, lips, whisker apertures, and the noseliner should all be dark brown.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads
The nose leather of a Singapura cat should be pale to dark salmon. The paw pads are typically rosy brown. Salmon tones on the ears and nose bridge are not considered faults.
Penalties and Disqualifications
Certain characteristics are penalized, including coldness or gray tones in the coat, gray undercoat next to the skin, barring on the outer front legs, necklaces, non-visible tail faults, and lack of a nose liner.
Disqualifications include white spotting, barring on the tail, unticked tops of the head, unbroken necklaces or leg bracelets, very small eyes or ears, visible tail faults, and blue eyes. Any color other than the specified sepia agouti is also grounds for disqualification.
The Singapura breed has no allowable outcross breeds. The CFA show standard assigns color class numbers for Sepia as 2700 and 2701.
