The smallest cats in the world

Mice and rats, which carried dangerous diseases and in a short time could destroy huge grain reserves in the barn, brought many problems to people throughout the ages. Fleeing from the invasion of rodents, people sheltered their natural enemy at home - a wild cat. Where and when a person first let a wild cat into his house is still a very big mystery for scientists.

Archaeologists believe that a cat, like a pet, has lived with a person under the same roof for almost ten centuries. In a tomb found in Cyprus dating from 7500 BC, a feline skeleton lies next to a human skeleton. The close proximity of a cat in prehistoric times is also indicated by rock paintings and frescoes.

Dwarf cats, like most new species in zoology, were discovered completely by accident. It all started with ordinary kittens who, for no apparent reason, "did not want" to grow to their normal size.

Many experienced cat lovers remember the big buzz in magazines and television programs, which was caused in 2004 by an adult cat standing full-length on its hind legs in a regular glass of water.

There are kittens of such large breeds as the Maine Coon, which, within a year, from a small fluffy lump that fits freely in the palm of your hand, turn into a huge adult cat weighing up to 10 kilograms.

And there are miniature breeds, which, despite their age in appearance and size, are almost indistinguishable from small kittens.

Currently, there are 3 hypotheses for the origin of dwarf breeds of domestic cats.

Rarely enough (on average, one case per 100 thousand) in the genetic apparatus, due to random events, gene mutation occurs, and the kitten stops growing. If this random mutation turns out to be stable, it will be inherited, and the animal turns out to be viable, a new breed of dwarf cats will arise.

The emergence of a new breed of cats is the result of targeted selection by felinologists and cattery workers to develop a new breed. By crossing between cats and cats that stopped growing at an early age, they transfer the "wrong" gene that determines the cessation of growth into a dominant state.

The emergence of a new breed occurs as a result of exposure to the germ cells of cats with radioactive radiation, laser and chemicals. Geneticists change the sequence of genes in the DNA strand that control the rate of growth and development. If successful, the modified genes are inherited, kittens are born, which, some time after birth, stop growing.

Small purrs, due to their small stature and some features of the anatomical structure of the body, have moments which require increased attention from the owners:

• paws and pads of cats in winter should be protected from the cold;
• you cannot play with a midget cat when it is at a high altitude (more than 50 centimeters), in case of an accidental fall, it will not have time to take the correct position in flight for a soft landing (grouping with its paws down) and can severely injure its paws or spine;
• in accordance with the recommendations of the veterinarian, vitamins and green grass can be given to the cat in winter and spring;
• while walking with a purr on the street, you should very carefully observe the environment, traffic and dogs, since short paws will not allow the purr to quickly escape from danger.

Dwarf cats, when kept in captivity, require a lot of attention from their owners for a number of reasons:

• due to the structural features of the spine in dwarf cats, in the absence of care, heart and lung diseases may develop over time;
• the diet of pets must be balanced, otherwise rickets and destructive changes in the musculoskeletal system may develop;
• dwarf cats can climb into places where it will be very difficult to get them (a gap under the bathroom, narrow gaps between standing furniture);
• dwarf cats reach sexual maturity somewhat later than usual (as a rule, by 1.5-2 years);
• It is advisable to cover the floor in the apartment with a thick carpet, since due to the structural features of the skeleton (short legs and a smoothed bend of the spine), if the cat falls to the floor, it can get a serious injury to the spine or a fracture of the paw;
• to maintain health, it is advisable for dwarf baleen pets to regularly give a complex of vitamins recommended by a veterinarian, as well as fresh herbs (a balanced intake of trace elements and vitamins into the body of a purring pet helps to strengthen the bones of the skeleton, prolong life, and reduces the likelihood of developing cancerous tumors);
• for winter walks on the street, you need to buy in the store or sew on your own a warm coat that completely covers the body and paws; it is not recommended to walk the mustachioed pet without warm clothes so that it does not freeze the pads on the limbs.

Surely every person at least once in his life had to meet with Lilliputian people. Adult men and women with this genetic disorder are similar in height and size to 10-year-olds.

Similar genetic metamorphoses are found among man's mustachioed companions. The names of the breeds of miniature cats are well known to felinologists, owners of cat catteries and owners with whom a furry companion lives under the same roof:

• toy bob dwarf cats;
• dwarf cats munchkin;
• dwarf cats minskin;
• dwarf cats of Singapore;
• dwarf cats Napoleon;
• dwarf rusty cat;
• dwarf African black-footed cat;
• dwarf sand cat;
• dwarf cat bambino.

The breed of the world's smallest short-haired dwarf animals, outwardly reminiscent of a Thai cat. Bred in Rostov-on-Don by artificial selection from a Thai cat in 1983-1994. The eyes of this breed are resistant to glare from daylight. Adult males and females weigh from 0.9 to 2.5 kilograms, in appearance and weight they correspond to a 4-month-old kitten of an ordinary cat.

They have a calm disposition, do not show aggression towards a person, they are easy to learn and amenable to training. They like to sit upright on a short tail. Kittens of this breed are capable of making sounds similar to the barking of a dog. A cropped tail and a large, rounded head create an impression of strength and confidence.

The breed arose by natural selection. The first Lilliputian kitten of this breed with short curved legs was discovered in Louisiana in 1983 (USA). This new breed of cats received official recognition only in 1991. Munchkin cats are distinguished by a dense muscular body, elongated hind legs, and a strong skeleton.

The tail proportional to the body length is held vertically upward when running by cats and cats of the Munchkin breed. The short legs have a slight curvature towards the inner side. The weight of Munchkin cats is in the range from 3 to 4 kilograms, the weight of cats is from 2 to 3.6 kilograms.

Miniature cats without hair. In appearance they are similar to sphinxes, however, much smaller than them. A new breed arose by the method of artificial selection at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries in the United States.

Smart and bold minskins understand a person perfectly. You can take them with you to your dacha, on vacation at sea or on a business trip. They easily adapt to new conditions, get along in the same room with dogs, parrots, rabbits and hamsters.

The first cat was found on the street in Singapore in the mid-70s. She made a great impression on the specialists, who immediately began the procedure for registering a new breed. In the shape of the head and ears, the cat found in Singapore closely resembled the Thai breed. When clarifying the pedigree of a cat from Singapore, her "genetic twins" were found in America.

This breed was bred by crossing a Munchkin and a Persian cat. According to genetic characteristics, Napoleon is a dwarf Persian. The breed was bred in 1995 by American Joe Smith. The new breed was registered by The International Cat Association (TICA, USA). In Russia, breeding work with the Napoleon breed is carried out by the Assolux Association and its partners.

The word "bambino" in translation from Italian means "baby". The creators of the breed initially wanted to breed a hairy kitten, which remains small all the time, with good health and a kind character. The breed arose as a result of repeated mating of the Munchkin and the Canadian Sphynx. The breed was bred by an Italian breeder.

Dwarf cats also exist in the wild:

• rusty lives in India and Sri Lanka, the weight of an adult of this breed does not exceed 1.5 kilograms;
• African blackfoot, this wild cat from the Red Book lives on the African continent, at the age of 1 year it reaches a weight of 1 kilogram;
• dune, a small cat with paws covered with thick fur, lives in the desert, eats birds, spiders, rodents and snakes, moves along sand dunes at speeds up to 40 km / h, attracts representatives of the opposite sex with loud cries similar to the barking of a dog.

The smallest cat from the Guinness Book of Records is a cat named Tinker Toy. This Himalayan cat lived with the Forbes family in the United States. He weighed 680 grams with a body length of 18 centimeters and a height of 7 centimeters.

In 2004, the Guinness Book of Records made an entry about the smallest cat in the world. An adult cat named Mr. Peebles, at 2 years old, corresponds in size and weight to the developmental level of a two-month-old kitten (1300 grams with a body length of 15 centimeters). The genetic anomaly, due to which the cat stopped growing, has no effect on its health.

Next in terms of weight and size is the Kinkalow Miniature Pussy Breed, which is a cross between the American Curl and the Munchkin. A small purring ball of wool of this breed weighs from 1.3 to 3.1 kilograms.

For the smallest cats in the world, see the next video.