Kucinta

The Singapura breed, also known as Kucinta, is the smallest breed of cat, distinguished by its large eyes and ears, ticked coat, and blunt tail.

Derived from the Malay words “kucing” (cat) and “cinta” (love), the name “Kucinta” was chosen as the winning entry in a naming competition organised by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (now the Singapore Tourism Board) to name the breed for its tourism mascot.

Posters featuring Kucinta photographed at familiar local sights promoted Singapore as a tourist destination. Merchandise such as 24-carat token replicas of Kucinta were sold alongside Merlion memorabilia. Bronze statues depicting Kucinta and kittens were also installed along the Singapore River in 1991. Three remain today.

Despite being called the Singapura, the breed is likely neither a local nor natural breed and hardly found in the wild. Its origin and status as a natural breed became a minor controversy shortly after Kucinta became a tourism mascot.

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