The Singapura, whose name is Malaysian for Singapore, originates from Singapore in South East Asia where the ticked coat pattern and dark brown color are a common local combination recognized as the original gene pool for ticked tabbies. Hal and Tommy Meadow (USAF) brought the ticked cats home with them when they returned to the U.S. in the early 1970s. In 1971, Hal, a geophysicist working in South East Asia, sent some cats home to Tommy in the US that she proceeded to breed. In 1974, Hal was transferred to Singapore and they moved there with their cats-a blue Burmese, a spayed sable Burmese and three ticked cats that were the grandchildren of the original cats Hal had sent to Tommy in 1971. In 1975 they returned to the US with 5 brown ticked cats: Pusse, Ticle, Tes, and kittens from Pusse and Ticle named George and Gladys. In 1980, Barbara Gilbertson imported another brown ticked cat, named Chiko, from the SPCA in Singapore.On their return to the US, the Meadows began a breeding program to establish the Singapura breed consulting noted British geneticist on their concerns about inbreeding. Occasionally solid brown kittens appeared in the litters and by 1985 it was clear some Singapuras carried a recessive gene for solid color. Breeders established a test-mating program to identify the cats carrying solid and eliminated them from the breeding stock-by 1988 only 7 cats had been identified and placed as pets. In 1987, an early Singapura breeder named Gerry Mayes went to Singapore to find more foundation cats and brought some back to the US that he registered with TICA. Today, the breed is still rare but has a dedicated following among breeders and pet-owners. TICA accepted the Singapura for championship competition in 1979.