Cat Breeds That Stay Small

There is only one cat breed that stays relatively small as an adult: the Singapura. That is under normal conditions. However, any breeder can, through selective breeding, breed small cats or big cats or cats with certain types and colors of coat.

The popular teacup or miniature cats are not cats of a certain cat breed. They usually look like miniature chinchilla traditional Persians, however.

Breeders of purebred cats are limited to what they can do because there is a breed standard to follow. This is a document that sets out guidelines as to what the cat should look like. Behavior is also referred to occasionally.

I think that you might find that the concept of miniature cats - adult cats that look like kittens - is frowned upon my some people in the cat fancy because it is unnatural and may be unhealthy. However, not all the breeding practices of purebred cats are healthy. It could be argued that breeders of mainstream purebred cats don't have a right to be critical of miniature cat breeders. Perhaps they are not.

A female Munchkin who is a little smaller than average would have the appearance of a small cat because these are dwarf cats. They have normal sized bodies but short legs.

The biggest problem in buying a miniature cat is ensuring that the cat is fully grown. Obviously a sub-adult cat will be small and the breeder might say he is a full adult. This would be a misrepresentation but it would secure the sale.