By Dr. Jan Bellows
Ask anyone their favorite age for their cat and they will tell you it was when they were a kitten. Kittens are small, adorable little animals with paws so tiny that anything they do can be considered cute. They look like babies, act like babies, and even when they are performing some regular behavior (like yawning), the look as though they are the most innocent and endearing little animals in the world.
So much so, in fact, that modern day breeders decided to shrink down their adult cats to become a size known as “teacup cats.” Teacup cats are smaller than even “miniature” cats, and can be likened to toy breeds among canines.
Cats that are Always Kittens
Teacup casts are incredibly smaller. Female cats can weight as little as 2 lbs (though average to be 3 or 4) while male cats are generally anywhere from 3 to 6 lbs. They can be almost any breed, and they look exactly like larger cats of a smaller size.
Essentially, a teacup cat is a permanent kitten – a cat that will never grow larger and will continue to appear cute and sweet for many, many years.
However, there is a warning about purchasing a teacup cat. Though they are often advertised as simply “small cats,” there are very, very few breeders of true teacup cats – cats that are born with the sole expectation that they will never grow very large. Instead, many breeders that sell teacup cats are actually selling dwarf cats (cats that have the dwarf gene that causes them to not grow very large). It is very difficult to find a true teacup cat.
Are These Cats Healthy?
In the rare instances that you can happen across a teacup cat bred by a legitimate teacup cat breeder, these cats are not prone to many health issues. Always get the following from the breeder:
• A complete health certificate with a guarantee that the cat is free of genetic diseases.
• A check up with the vet right away to make sure the cat is healthy.
This will ensure you are dealing with someone reputable, and that you are not being swindled.
Dwarf teacup cats, on the other hand, are prone to health problems. Some of these health problems include skeletal malformations, kidney health issues, and other health problems due to their dwarfed size. Should you find a dwarf kitten, you may still want to be its owner – simply prepare for these problems to occur. Also, all teacup cats run a greater risk of being injured due to their weaker bone density. Because full grown teacup cats will carry the same instincts as regular full grown cats, they may be less aware that they need to be careful of their small size, and this can cause them to injure more easily.
Do Teacup Cats Make Good Pets?
Teacup cats do have a lot of issues that need to be address. The vast majority of these cats are dwarfs that are going to be at risk for a variety of health problems, and though the actual teacup cats may be less prone to genetic disorders, they are still very small animals that were not originally bred to be as small as they are, and the risk of injury is great.
Also while these cats may always appear like kittens, they are going to have adult behaviors. They will always be aesthetically cute, but those expecting to have a perennial kitten may be disappointed. Still, they are not bad pets, their health problems are not incredible concerns, and those that truly want to enjoy a very tiny cat for many years may find great joy out of these small felines.