Why aren't there 2 - 3 pound cats? They miniaturized dogs - why not cats? (kitten)
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Some cats are naturally small. My roommate's Singapore street cat probably tips the scales at 5 pounds. She's pretty much kitten sized compared to the normal-sized Siamese mix and oversized DSH also in our house.
I don't know of 2-3 lb cats, but there are some breeds that are 4-6 lbs.
The Singapura is very small, I think they average about 4lbs.
The Abyssinian is about 5-6 lbs.
I myself have a Lynxpoint Siamese that is a tiny 5 lbs . She's not a miniature anything, it's just her normal breed size (though you can find Siamese in many size ranges).
She's been very healthy and will turn 16 this year.
I really like the small size.
i believe if we begin messing w/ mother nature, by breeding cats to become small, we will begin to create more medical problems for cats.
I saw the "Munchkin" cat on Animal Planet. The cat is low to the ground, but not a small cat. That would be cute, I would love a "little cat". But they would be very expensive. So, I will just stick with my "used" models.
i personally dont like munchkins they are nt a "SMALL" cat they are simply a normal cat on shortend legs, they have ben selecitvly bred for tiny little legs and while thier fanicers and breedrs say this doent effect them negitivly i simply cannot belive that, given the disproportionate legs, i cant see why they wouldnt be as prone to back issues as dashunds are, they cant jump like normal cats either...and thye often weihg just as much as their full sized counter parts.
if you want a small cat look for a small cat or get a purebreed cat of a breed known to be smaller...
ive personally known singapura in the 3lbs range as adults
i have 2 cats who are both "geneitcally" small, both are common every day domestic cats, no fancy liniage, one if just 5lbs full grown (spayed female) the other (unspayed younger female) is 3lbs (its why were giving her a little more time before spaying) and the vets pretty sure she should max at around 4 - 4 1/2lbs...there just small cats...
theres plenty of small purebreeds too, the singapura is the worlds smallest cat, ive seen full grown females in the 3-4lbs range...
as someone whos been involved in chihuahuas my whole life i can tell you ANY animal under 3lbs is SCARY tiny and VERY delicate, why anyone would "need" or "want" (beyond the "oh its so cute" or fashion statments) is beyond me...
cats as a domestic breed are a comparituvly new thing, even today cats are still not considered a DOMESTIC animal and so breeding for specific traits is still a relitivly new practice. cats are still very closley related to thier ancesterol cousins and because of that even strict selective breeding is going to be highly restricted, youll still get very similar features in each "type" (cause there not a breed until they breed true for multiple generations)...
want a lighter weight cat, find a genetically small cat in a shelter, or look for one of the many smaller or lighter breeds, the wedgehead siamese is a light weight cat, the singapura is "tiny"
personally i do NOT support breeding ANYTHING simply for size alone...
because when you focus on making thigns smaller than normal you also accnetuate ALOT of health issues that go along with it...
as the owner of a tiny dog you should knoe that, both yorkies and poodles are sall but should NEVER be in the 3lbs rage, the fact that someone purposley bred outside of breed standard and mixed the breeds for no reason other than they could charge big bucks for it you know no health testing whent into the parents and i hope you know that puts your dog at a higher risk for a large number of not only breed specific problems, but also many issues related to the abnormally small size.
this excessive downsizing causes issues, and it would beno different in cats.
i am for RESPONSIBLE breeding...im 100% against this silly movment of "as small as possible" a chihuahua is 3-6 lbs NOMRALLY according to breed standard...why anyone would want anything smaller than a 3lb dog is beyond me...
and if you want a dog in the 3lb range buy one thats been developed over a long period to fit into that range as its breed standard...
the same goes for cats in my opinion.
no GOOD breeder would ever breed soley for a "tiny" animal...
the singapura is a naturally small breed, they still look very similar to thier feral counterparts in their home country...they have only been selectivly bred to maintain and accentuate certain features, size not raly being one of them because they are already GENTICALLY small.
ive personally known singapura in the 3lbs range as adults
i have 2 cats who are both "geneitcally" small, both are common every day domestic cats, no fancy liniage, one if just 5lbs full grown (spayed female) the other (unspayed younger female) is 3lbs (its why were giving her a little more time before spaying) and the vets pretty sure she should max at around 4 - 4 1/2lbs...there just small cats...
theres plenty of small purebreeds too, the singapura is the worlds smallest cat, ive seen full grown females in the 3-4lbs range...
as someone whos been involved in chihuahuas my whole life i can tell you ANY animal under 3lbs is SCARY tiny and VERY delicate, why anyone would "need" or "want" (beyond the "oh its so cute" or fashion statments) is beyond me...
When our Devon was 4 pounds she looked like a child's sized basketball and her belly dragged on the floor when she walked. Now she is trim, but I do not know her weight. I will check. I would be surprised if she is much over 3 pounds.
She is not delicate. She is a dragon. Just ask her. She terrifies our 170 plus pound mastiffs.
My Mom has a little tiger female, that is very petite, and I had a male cat, who was very small for a male, so, I suppose if a breeder wanted to develop a "tea cup" cat, it would take around 20 years, but with select breeding, cross breeding small cats with other small cats, a miniature cat could be produced.
If people can miniaturize dogs, which I know they can because I own a 3 pound yorkiepoo, why hasn't someone developed a tiny cat? It seems like such a no-brainer. A 2- 3 pound cat would be the perfect pet for apartment dwellers, people with arthritis and rheumatoid diseases who can't lift much, elderly people, etc.
Well, it sounds cute, but I have severe rheumatoid (both hips replaced, both knees replaced, 2 spinal fusions, wrist implants), yet through it all I've always had cats, at full cat size. They've been a great comfort to me while recovering, etc. Right now I have a Maine Coon Mix, he's about 20 pounds. Cats are independent creatures, Marshmallow pretty much takes care of himself. Its taking care of the litter box that's a physical challenge!
Well, as for Brussels sprouts, my female Siam 'Frankie' loves the things, and I have a male who devours raw broccoli. Cats. Go figger 'em.. I can't!
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. She's not a miniature anything, it's just her normal breed size (though you can find Siamese in many size ranges).
