Small Cat Breeds: Real Sizes and Adopting One

What are the smallest cat breeds?

Fewer than most lists suggest. Only one recognised breed is reliably small at every age: the Singapura. A handful of others, chiefly the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, are small to medium, and some breeds that look small (the Burmese) are dense and heavier than they appear. The table uses the weights published by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and TICA, two pedigree registries, and the size wording of Australia's Coordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA) standards.

Weights are converted from pounds and rounded. Registries do not always agree, and individual cats sit above and below every range. The rescue column is a general guide from the rescues we aggregate, not a count; the breed pages below show the cats listed right now.

Some lists add the Abyssinian, but the CFA describes it as a medium-sized cat, so it is slim rather than small.

What are small cat breeds like to live with?

Small does not mean quiet. The small breeds are, by their registries' own descriptions, some of the busiest cats there are.

• Singapura. TICA calls it “an energy-packed dynamo” that likes high places and is “not considered a four-paws-on-the-floor cat”, and says Singapuras do best with another cat. The CFA notes there are few breeders, so you may wait for a kitten.
• Devon Rex. A pixie face, huge low-set ears and a soft, wavy coat. The CFA notes a surprising heft and muscularity under that elfin look. Our Devon Rex adopt-or-buy guide covers health testing and why the breed is not hypoallergenic.
• Cornish Rex. Long-legged, with a tightly waved coat that TICA calls low maintenance. TICA describes it as athletic, highly social, and happier with company than left alone for hours.
• Burmese. Round, compact and solid. The CFA says pick one up and you will be amazed at how much muscle and weight is packed into its relatively small frame. Our Burmese adopt-or-buy guide covers the breed's health tests and the diabetes finding from Australian research.

If you want a small cat because you live in a small space, energy matters more than kilograms. A calm, adult domestic shorthair often suits an apartment better than a Singapura or a Cornish Rex. The what cat breed am I quiz weighs energy and company needs alongside size.

Are teacup or miniature cats a real breed?

No. Look through the breed standards of the Coordinating Cat Council of Australia and you will find named breeds such as the Singapura, Devon Rex and Munchkin, but no teacup or miniature breed. Registries recognise breeds, not a size class. So a kitten advertised online as a teacup Persian, miniature Ragdoll or toy cat is not a breed you can check against a standard.

What such a kitten usually is falls into one of three groups:

• An ordinary kitten. All kittens are small. Without papers and a known date of birth, nobody can tell you how big it will be as an adult.
• A cat bred for small size. The GCCF, the main UK pedigree registry, says it is against breeding any cat whose physical structure could affect its welfare. On its unrecognised breeds list it cites “concerns about breeding for small size” for the Toybob, and lists Munchkins and other dwarf breeds as ineligible due to reported health problems.
• A small, unwell kitten. A kitten that is tiny for its age may be younger than claimed, underweight or unwell. Only a vet examination can tell you which.

Treat a teacup listing with the same care as any online pet sale. Scamwatch warns against prices that look too good to be true, unusual payment methods, and paying before you have seen the animal in person. Never pay a deposit on a kitten you have only seen in photos, and have any kitten checked by your own vet.

Is a Munchkin a small cat?

It is a short-legged cat, which is not the same thing. The Munchkin is defined by its short legs, which come from a genetic mutation. Registries are split on it. The CCCA publishes a Munchkin standard, while the GCCF lists the Munchkin, the Minuet and other dwarf breeds as ineligible for recognition due to reported health problems, and warns owners of a risk of suffering as they age. If you are drawn to a short-legged cat in rescue, ask the rescue what is known about that cat's mobility, and keep it lean.

How do you find a petite cat in rescue?

Adopt an adult. A kitten's adult size is a guess; a grown cat's size is a fact you can see. Most cats in Australian rescue are domestic shorthairs, and they range from petite to large, so there are small adult cats listed at any time even though small pedigree breeds rarely reach rescue.

1. Filter for adults. Look past the kitten listings to cats a year or older. A grown female is often smaller: the CCCA standards for the Singapura, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex and Burmese all note that males are generally larger than females, though individual cats vary.
2. Ask for the weight. Rescues and foster carers usually know it from the vet check. Ask whether the cat is small-framed or just thin.
3. Check body condition, not just size. RSPCA Pet Insurance says vets look at body condition rather than the scale alone: ribs you can feel with light pressure but not see sharply, and a waist from above. A small cat should still feel well covered.
4. Think about older cats. Senior cats are often settled, and their size is long settled too. See the senior cats listed in Sydney.
5. Watch the breed pages if you want a breed. Set an alert on the Devon Rex, Cornish Rex or Burmese pages for Sydney, since rare breeds can be adopted quickly.

A small cat still needs full-size basics. International Cat Care sizes a litter tray at one and a half times the cat's length from nose to the base of the tail, so even a small adult outgrows a kitten tray, and active small breeds need as much climbing space as any cat.

What does a small cat cost?

From a rescue, the same as any cat, with the vet work included:

Reference figures from the organisations named, not quotes. Fees vary by cat, age and promotion; check the fee on the cat's own listing. We found no published Australian breeder price for Singapura or Cornish Rex kittens, so we do not quote one. For running costs, see how much a cat costs in Australia.

Should you buy a small breed from a breeder?

Rescue is not the right fit for everyone. If you want a papered Singapura, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex or Burmese, a breeder registered with an Australian cat council is a reasonable choice. Ask which council they are registered with, ask to meet the mother, and ask for the parents' health test results. Our Devon Rex and Burmese guides list the tests for those breeds. Be wary of any seller who promises an exact adult size, or who uses the words teacup or miniature: no recognised breed carries those labels.

Find a cat near you

Each link shows the rescue cats listed in that city right now, with every listing linking through to the rescue:

• Cats for adoption in Sydney (or the indoor cats listings, if you live in an apartment)
• Cats for adoption in Melbourne (or the indoor cats listings, if you live in an apartment)
• Cats for adoption in Brisbane (or the indoor cats listings, if you live in an apartment)
• Cats for adoption in Perth (or the indoor cats listings, if you live in an apartment)
• Cats for adoption in Adelaide (or the indoor cats listings, if you live in an apartment)

Still deciding? Try the dog or cat quiz and the adoption readiness check, and read how to adopt a cat in Australia. If you are curious about the other end of the scale, our guide to the largest cat breeds covers the Maine Coon and its rivals.