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| Miniature cat, Lilly. Photo: copyright Pocket Kittys |
As I read it the American Miniatures cat is simply a very small cat that is bred in America. So, what is the criteria? Well, this breed is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR) who provide some good guidelines.
The criteria for a cat to qualify as an American miniature cat is as follows:
- there are no restrictions on coat color and pattern or hair length
- size is the criteria which dictates whether this is a miniature cat
- the American miniature cat is about half the size of the average domestic cat. See a size comparison between purebred cat breeds and wild cats
- the weight of a mature American miniature cat should not exceed 7 lbs
- a better method to decide if a cat is an American miniature cat is by the cat's length and height. To qualify for registration with the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry a mature cat (at least 18 months of age) should be a maximum of 12 inches from the base of the neck to the base of the tail "fully stretched out" and no more than 10 inches from the "top of the shoulder blade" to the "top of the paw" and finally weigh no more than 7 lbs as stated above
- these cats are proportioned like full sized domestic cats and are therefore not dwarf cats which have shorter legs but normally proportioned bodies. See Dwarf cats and Miniature cats
- the standard for the American Miniature cat is completely open such that tailless or short tailed cats (see Manx cat for example) and polydactyl cats are accepted (see American Polydactyl cat)
- the offspring of registered parents qualify for registration
The Rare and Exotic Feline Registry advises that breeding stock or unregistered outcrosses (cats not registered with the REFR) should:
- not exceed 7 lbs in weight
- not exceed a length of 14 inches from the base of the neck to the base of the tail
- not exceed 11 inches from "shoulder blade to wrist"
- the breeder should take note that an miniature female cat may have difficulty mating with a male that is too big or if the female is too small. As a result selection for breeding should be carried out with care.
Source: Rare and Exotic Feline Registry
Picture header: published with permission of the breeder Pocket Kittys
I had a miniature once, at least size-wise. :) Her name was Baby. Oddly enough, she was actually the biggest kitten of the litter for the first couple weeks. She eventually became the runt, and just never really grew full-sized. She was too gentle and timid to really fight for the food, I guess.
ReplyDeleteShe was such a pretty little thing - s soft, smoky gray & white all over with very faint tabby markings and a few small champagne-colored spots on her left ear, hips, back feet, and nose, courtesy of her calico momma. Her fur was an odd combination of silky and scruffy, and she had a little white chin and big fluffy paws with the biggest green eyes you've ever seen. She was such a sweet kitten.
I think we (my boyfriend and I) have a miniature cat. He is 10 1/4 inches from his neck to the base of his tale and is 4 3/4 inches from his shoulder blade to the bend in his paw. His paws are not even 3/4 an inch wide and he is atleast 9 months old or older. He weighs about 2 pounds. We live on a farm and his momma, sibling, and he just showed up. The momma cat and his sibling are wild and we can't even touch them, but he is very sweet. I have done a lot of researching about him and was wondering if anyone had any other important information about him. He has no disformations and is healthy too. If anyone can help, please email me at chris_carolyn@att.net. I can send some pictures of him if needed. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI recently adopted a miniature cat while travelling through South Carolina. Its appearance is identical in every way to that of the cat described by commenter Chaotic Bliss.
ReplyDelete(Attention site moderator: can you contact Chaotic Bliss and ask if there's any chance I might actually have her cat?)
Response to last comment. This lady has a Blogger account but she wishes to keep her profile private. I can't therefore discover her contact details from her profile.
ReplyDeleteShe almost certainly has a Blogger website and it may be this one:
http://themitchell5.blogspot.com/
You can try leaving a comment on one of the posts.
This is a long shot please remember. Good luck.
Michael
I think I might have one. I dont know yet. He is bearly going to be five months. He was born with three other cats, all boys. Right now his brothers are twice his size and can jump anywhere. Lol he meows at me when he wants to get on the bed then walks under my hand so I can get him. :) Anyways he is very sweet too and has a distinct rough meow and randomly has orange on his fur. His mom is black and his dad is gray and white. He is my little mystery. :)
ReplyDeletewhere can I buy one?!!!!
ReplyDeleteI adopted a small cat that is now 2 years old that seems to fit the criteria for a miniature cat perfectly. He weighs 5lbs, is 11-12 inches from base of neck to base of tail (approximately due to the fact he was more intrested in playing with the tape measure than being measured lol) and 6-7 inches from shoulder to paw ( again more intrested in playing than being measured lol) . He is the most sweetest, loving cat that I have ever owned and also the most adoreable too! He is always at my side and my constant companion, when I leave he sits in where I sit till he hears me coming up the steps and then waits at the door for me. I would love to get him classified so I could breed him with a proper female to be able to give others the wonderful gift of having a cat like mine in their lives. Also it is so funny whenever anyone new comes over, I have two cats one normal and my little one and everyone thinks I have a new kitten lol they are amazed because my "kitten" comes out to greets them lol and everyone wants to take him home!!!,
ReplyDelete