If you're considering buying or adopting a cat and love the idea of looking after a cat that's on the smaller size, then you might want to fully consider what cat breed is suitable for you.
Most cat breeds turn out to be larger cats when they're fully grown. However, they can produce smaller kittens on occasions. It's also known that your average Moggie is smaller than most pedigree cat breeds. There are, however, a few breeds of cats that are on the smaller size. We have listed below some of the most popular smaller cat breeds.
Munchkin Cat
The Munchkin cat has a body that is slightly smaller than most cat breeds and has shorter legs, making them much shorter than the average cat. They're a modern breed, only really becoming fully established in the 1980's. The Munchkin is a playful and very active act. They love to jump and run like a normal cat, irrespective of their shorter legs. Their short legs are a result of a genetic mutation in the founder cats of this breed. This is mostly associated with the range of hereditary and inherited health issues with this breed as a whole.
Cornish Rex
The Cornish Rex is petite and very playful. Their fur is very soft and wavy, which is often referred to as down-hair in the breeding circles. Their face and ears are similar to a Siamese cat and they also share the same breed traits as the Siamese cat, which is made up of intelligence and very talkative with a strong tendency to bond with their owners.
Singapura
This breed is considered to be the smallest of breeds in the cat world. They have a delicate and petite body with big eyes and long ears. They are extremely playful and active. Beware they love to climb! They're closely related to the Abyssinian cat which was originally established in Japan.
American Curl
This breed comes in various sizes, but most of the cats tend to be on the smaller side. They're petite and appealing to look at. They have distinctive looks, which is mostly down to the curling eras that gives this breed their name. This breed needs extra care to be taken of their ears with regular cleaning to keep them healthy. They are an easy going breed and are very friendly. They love to play and they fit in well with a family with older children.
Devon Rex
This breed originates nearby to the Cornish Rex. Whilst they have lots of similarities they do have different distinctive characters. They are a petite breed with a huge personality. They have small slim bodies and very large ears. They have wavy or sometimes curly hair, with short whiskers.
Future crossbreeds
All of the cats listed in this article a recognised as formal cat breeds. There are many other types and future cat breeds that are currently at the formative, experiential stage.
The formal breeds are governed by at least one of the governing feline bodies, such as the Governing Council of Cat Fancy (GCCF) based in the UK.
For further information on other cat breeds, please visit our cat breed section.
