Teacup kittens are the smallest newborn kittens in the world, and some would argue that they are also by far the cutest. That is not to say that all miniature or minutely sized kittens are in fact a teacup kitten. There are a few things to watch for to ensure that you are not taken advantage of by a shady breeder or other pet vendor.
First, they are vastly smaller than normal sized cats, far more than a “runt” would normally be. A fully grown male cat would normally weight somewhere in the vicinity of twelve to seventeen pounds, while a fully grown male teacup cat would only weight about three to seven pounds. Less reputable sellers might try to convince you that any small cat is classified as a teacup kitten, but that is just not the case.
Teacup kittens are not actually a breed of their own, but more a classification of a particular subgroup of each breed that has been bred over time to be exceedingly small. That said, there are a few particular combinations of breeds that are more common than others, and more likely to be found on the open market.
MiniPer Teacup Kittens
MiniPer kittens are pretty much exactly what they sound like. They are miniature Persian kittens that have been bred over time to have all the correct proportions that a normal sized Persian cat would have.
MiniPaw
MiniPaw kittens are very similar to MiniPers, but with one major difference – rather than being primordial dwarves and being all in the correct proportion, they are a hybrid animal and thus have a few minor physical deformities, the most common of which is the development of short legs.
Napoleon
Napoleon kittens are among the newest types of teacup kittens. They have the large eyes and long, luxurious coats common to Persians, but are otherwise very similar to munchkin kittens.
Lambkin
Lambkin kittens are among the most popular groups of teacup kittens available. They have short, curly hair that is very reminiscent of lamb’s wool.
The primary draw to teacup kittens is their very small size and adorable nature, which many people simply cannot resist. However, being much smaller than normal kittens, extra care must be taken to ensure their continued good health.
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