by Rone from Mouchois
(Klamath Falls, OR, USA)
Melvin Enjoying Yogurt - a still from the video below
I just wanted to update you on how Melvin was doing!
Melvin is now fully grown at 6 pounds (and overweight). As soon as the soft spot on his head closes, he will be going on a diet to reach the vet's recommended weight at 4 pounds.
Due to many many visits with the veterinarian, we have found MANY of the problems associated with small cat breeds like this. Mainly primordial dwarfs.
Some of Melvin's health problems include:
*Severe growth retardation, causing bone mass to be a bit softer than normal and also causing the muscles to depreciate if not kept very well supplemented.
*Neurological problems including blindness in one eye, seizures, and "twitches". Thankfully we've gotten the seizures down through close monitoring.
*Heart murmur and enlarged heart. His heart grows at a normal rate, causing it to be a bit larger than the rest of him. At this point we aren't sure if that will cause a shorter lifespan or not. It hasn't caused any real problems, yet.
*Bowed legs and malformed jaw.
*His nails also grow a lot faster than normal. Without daily trimming, he usually gets very uncomfortable.
*No reproductive organs. They just never grew. Neither did his adult teeth. He still has his baby set. This is causing some major breathe problems.
Besides all of those problems, he is happy and healthy. We just keep an eye on him and so far he is like every other cat, just a bit more expensive and a bit smaller!
He sees the vet regularly and has become quite the local celebrity.
I recommend to all of those looking for a teacup of their own to MAKE SURE to have the vet check the kitten out FIRST THING. This means ALL checks of the heart and bones. Also a quick check of the neurological system is a must.
This is my YouTube Channel where you can see lots more of little Melvin.
My email is:
mouchois at catlover.com
Substitute at for @ (it is written this way because some "bots" steal emails and use them for illegal purposes)
If you have any more questions! I'm more than happy to pass on any information!
Rone from Mouchois
Teacup Cat Health to Teacup cats
Hi..Rone from Mouchois..I have changed the title as the posting focuses on health. I thank you for that as it is a "reality check". I gave a link to your YouTube channel and embedded the video. Melvin deserves to be a bit of a star...Michael
Can i post his picture?
Thank you for all the information. Actually i live in the KSA, but i’ll move to USA and i would love to have a kitten thats why i want to know everything about them from now.
Actually i used to have a shirazi kitten, i just had it for 2 weeks, i loved him so much but the problem was in my place, i live with my husband’s family and they dont like cats, so it was a bad idea to have a kitten that time. I bought him with really cheap price because i bought him from my cousin. I think they have the same personality of the persians and the same look. He was playful, love my small family members ( husband & son ), walk after me where ever i go
Hi Shairy, Doll face Persians are still purebred cats and almost all purebred cats are more prone to health problems compared to random bred cats because they are inbred to varying degrees. This makes genetic diseases come out as they are carried on recessive genes that are normally hidden.
I’ll do a page on the Shirazi kittens today. I don’t think I have information about these cats on PoC. If that is the case I need to rectify that. Thanks for bringing up the subject.
Update: Here is a page on Shirazi cats. I don’t think you should adopt one even if you can find one. I believe you live in the USA. It would be easier to find a top class trad Persian breeder but make sure health is prioritized. Good luck.
Thank you Michael for your reply. Your comment will help me a lot to take my decision.
Why does Doll face persians can have health problems if they are traditional?
Can you tell me any information about the Shirazi kittens, if you know this kind? They look like the persians very much.
Hi Shairy thanks for the comment. I would definitely chose a nice regular and healthy traditional Persian if you like that sort of cat and these are lovely purebred cats. Exotic Shorthairs are always flat faced (the shorthaired equivalent of the flat faced Persian) so don’t choose that cat breed.
Anyway teacup cats are rare and it is hard to find good breeders plus the health problems etc. And they are expensive.
If you like the Persian (a very popular cat) the traditional is best in my opinion. As you know the flat faced Persian has health problems and in my opinion is a mistake.
Yeri is gorgeous and so is Faolán. Both these cats are Dutch! I guess you live in the USA but choose a breeder wisely. Even the traditional doll face Persian can have health problems. Check out the breeder carefully. There are probably Yahoo Groups for Persian cat lovers which may help.
If I was buying a purebred cat I’d be struggling to make sure my cat was guaranteed to be as healthy as possible. I don’t think you can be absolutely sure.
Good luck.
Michael (Admin)
Hi… Please people give me you opinion, i want to buy a kitten, and i found the teacup persians are very cute especially their size. Then i read about their health problems so i think i’ll change my mind to have an exotic shorthair or doll face persian kitten, what do think? Should i go for the teacup persians or they other two? And there is also the shirazi kittens…. Please please help me and give me your openion