Singapore cat Also known as the Kucinta (a combination of the Malay ‘kucing’, meaning ‘cat’, and ‘cinta’, meaning ‘love’), Singapura cat, Singapore drain cat or Singapore River cat. The cat has been described as having a rounded head with a broad, straight blunt nose and well- defined chin. Its ears are large, deeply cupped, set at a slight angle and taper from a wide base to a slightly pointed tip. The cat’s large, almond- shaped eyes may be hazel, green or yellow. The Singapore cat weighs 2– 4 kg, enjoys a life span of 9– 15 years, and typically has litters of about five kittens.

In 1991, the cat was adopted by the Singapore Tourism Board as a tourism icon. It was initially believed to be indigenous to Singapore, and thought to inhabit the drains and alleys in the vicinity of the Singapore River. However, a controversy arose when The Straits Times reported that the cat had first been brought to Singapore from the United States by Tommy Meadow in 1974, who claimed that she had bred the cats in Singapore from three indigenous stray cats. She later revealed that the cats had been smuggled into the US from Singapore by her husband and bred before she arrived in Singapore. Other sources have alleged that the cat is a cross between Burmese and Abyssinian breeds. A sculpture of a family of Singapore cats is located on the banks of the Singapore River, near Cavenagh Bridge.

Photo credit: Singapore Tourism Board