History of the breed
The origin story begins in England in 1930, when the first 4 generations of kittens were born. However, during World War II the new breed was lost.
The next mention of a Munchkin cat appeared in 1983. In the state of Louisiana, American resident Sandra found and began caring for the last representative of the munchkins at that time.
Sandra's cat, named Brambleclaw, gave a new beginning to the emergence of a species that was little known at that time. Soon the cats that had been forgotten became some of the most popular members of the family.
The species received official recognition in 1985 in the USA, where munchkins were introduced and registered as a revived breed.
In 1991, the Munchkin breed was officially announced in the Tica show.
The breed, called the Munchkin, got its name in honor of the small people of the same name from Frank Baum's book "The Land of Oz."
Minskin
Imagine what will happen as a result of mating a Sphynx, a Devon Rex, a Burmese and a Munchkin? The creature is strange, but beautiful, it is called a minskin.
The breed appeared in 1998 in America. The father of the breed, acting under the direction of geneticist Solveig Pfluger, Paul McSorley. The first standard cat obtained as a result of such crossing was born in the summer of 2000. And five years later, there were 50 individuals of this breed in the world.
Character
Tender, affectionate, perky - this is how you can describe the Minskins. Representatives of the breed are big fans of jumping, but they have problems with running. Cats are a little lazy, because of this they prefer to bask in their master’s arms and purr, but movement is the least important thing.
Health
Problems with the spine come first. Given the breed's dislike for movement, cats quickly gain weight. Excess weight puts additional stress on the musculoskeletal system and internal organs. This leads to a reduction in life expectancy by 3-5 years.
Description of the breed
The Munchkin is a breed of cat with short legs, pronounced Munchkin cat in English. The main characteristics of the individuals are squat, with very short straight legs and a long body, which distinguishes them from ordinary cats.
Representatives of the species have a wedge-shaped head, which is directly proportional to the body. In males, the head is more developed, which shows their superiority over females.
In addition to the structure of the head, the peculiarity of cats is the heaviness of the body. Males of the Munchkin cat breed differ from females in weight by 1-2 kilograms, reaching up to 4 kg, in contrast to the opposite sex, which has up to 3.5 kg. These pets can live up to 13 years, and in rare cases, up to 20.
Long-haired representatives have shiny fur with developed undercoat, which is present most of all on the legs, neck and tail. Shorthairs have a “plush” coat.
How to choose a kitten
Munchkin kittens are usually ready to come to a new home after they reach two months, by this age they eat independently and are able to live without their mother.
Since the Munchkin breed is still very young, there are not very many nurseries specializing in breeding Munchkins.
This means that there is practically no chance of buying a purebred animal. The cost of a kitten is quite high, especially if you purchase a short-legged pet.
The fact is that in each litter only half of the kittens are born with short legs.
Kittens with long legs are no different from their littermates, and also receive documents and can participate in matings with short-legged individuals.
Munchkins are not jealous, affectionate and love to sleep with their owners.
The kitten should not have:
- Curvature of paws;
- A twisted or broken tail;
- Dull, tousled fur;
- Discharge from the eyes;
- diarrhea or vomiting;
- Large, swollen belly.
The colors of munchkins, as well as the length of the coat, are not important, since within the breed there is a huge variety of colors and two types of coat: short and long.
You should not buy a very small kitten, since according to the standard they should not be dwarfs, with a very small chest volume.
Munchkin is a breed that attracts with its appearance
The Munchkin standard does not allow cats that show any signs of disobedience or aggression to be bred; this must be taken into account when choosing a kitten.
Kittens that are too shy and unsociable should not be adopted.
You can read about how to correctly determine the age of a kitten here:
Appearance
The Munchkin and Dachshund breeds have the same genetic anomaly, which is well expressed in the structure of the body, expressed in direct proportion to the tail and body and the length of the paws.
Cats with short legs also differ:
- medium nose with a slightly noticeable deflection;
- strong neck;
- slightly visible forearms at the base of the forelimbs;
- a shaggy fluffy tail with a rounded tip - the difference between the long-haired individuals of this species;
- the eyes are shaped like a large walnut.
The eye color of these cats is rich, even in color and can easily differ from the color of the animal.
Progenitors of short-legged
A teacher from Louisiana in 1983 discovered an amazing pregnant cat named Brambleclaw. Among the newborn kittens was the founder of the breed - Toulouse. 1994 was the date these cats were included in the registry to register their species. There are breeders who don’t like this shortness of legs. And since 2003, munchkins have been successfully participating in exhibitions and winning the title of champions. Due to its low prevalence, the price for a kitten with a pedigree in Russia is 30-35 thousand rubles.
Breeding munchkins is accompanied by important features:
- - kittens are not necessarily born with short legs,
- - if a kitten inherits both dominant traits of short legs, it dies in the embryonic stage.
A rare but increasingly popular breed of cat with short legs, the Genetta, is similar to a wild dwarf. The crossbreeding involved a Bengal cat, a Munchkin cat and a Savannah cat. There is a strong resemblance to genets - predatory mammals from the civet family. For their size, Genetts are confident and intelligent, playful and active.
Munchkin fold
Representatives of this breed differ in ear set from the existing standard, but cannot be recognized as a separate species. This is due to the presence of a risk of gene mutation and, as a result, health problems.
The Fold Munchkin or, as breeders call it, Folmax, is similar in appearance to the Scottish Fold cat due to genetic abnormalities in the skeleton and ear structure.
Interesting! The long-haired, fluffy Munchkin with very short legs, despite genetic abnormalities, has become popular among experienced breeders seeking to obtain a variety of options when crossing this species with other individuals of the family.
Habits and disposition
Breeders of short-legged pets note their friendly nature. Cats are incredibly playful, and an anomaly with paws is not a hindrance to racing and fun. Loyalty to the owner is like that of a dog. Cats, like true companions, follow their human step by step.
It is believed that people with a gloomy and negative character are not recommended to have such pets, since munchkins persistently demand attention, call for play, and can pester the owner for several hours in a row. To withstand such persistence, you need to have angelic patience and truly love your pet.
Munchkins cannot be called “couch cushions”; they are quite active, but if the situation requires they can show patience and humility. For example, when it comes to small children. Cats of this color are ideal for families with children. They allow you to play with them, carry them, cuddle them, and will never offend their little owners. But if they go too far and create a threat to health and life, then the munchkin will have to defend himself and let out his claws.
Cats are not shy, they are moderately curious. The reaction to a new person in the house is not fear, but a desire to get to know each other as soon as possible. The pet will definitely come up to take a good look at the stranger and offer its back for stroking. The same reaction to the new premises. Munchkin is an inquisitive explorer who will explore a new space step by step, looking into every corner, even the one that seems impossible to penetrate.
Due to their sociability, pets do not tolerate loneliness well. They can get used to daily separation from their owner, but when they meet, they will definitely sit on his lap and purr peacefully for at least an hour. After a couple of years of living with the owner, the animal gets so used to him that he follows him like a dog. They are sometimes called dachshund cats. During the warm season, you can see pets being walked on a leash, and they are happy to explore the area.
Care
Cats are very clean, and the munchkin is even more so. From infancy, they quickly get used to the tray and do not allow incidents. They always eat carefully, without splashing or scattering food.
Cats' fur is thick and dense; it must be combed with a special brush and washed twice a year. The washing procedure should be carried out in spring and autumn, be sure to use a special shampoo. Pets are extremely aggressive when it comes to washing, they break out and scratch. You should prepare in advance, stock up on a hat and other accessories that are sold in pet stores.
There should be several scratching posts in the house where a munchkin lives. Exclusively for the safety of wallpaper and property, because cats are very active.
Nutrition
The pet can be fed with store-bought food or what the owner prepares for him himself. If the second food option is chosen, then you need to choose quality products. For example, fatty pork is absolutely not suitable. Beef and veal must be thoroughly boiled, and all bones must be removed from poultry meat.
A cat's diet should contain up to 60% meat, the remaining 40% should be filled with vegetables. Vegetables are given to the cat raw and boiled. Food should not be salted, sweetened, or improved in taste with seasonings. The volume of fatty ingredients must be reduced to a minimum, since munchkins are prone to obesity.
Prohibited Products
– lamb, all cereals, all legumes, fatty meat. Also, dishes from the owner's table are not suitable for feeding cats. It can be difficult to refuse a pet who funny stands upright, folding his short legs on his chest, and begs for a tasty morsel. But you should understand that such food is harmful to your pet. In addition to obesity, it can cause problems with the digestive system, liver, and heart. Experienced breeders warn beginners who get cats of any breed about the importance of proper nutrition for their pets.
If your pet eats artificial, store-bought food, then it is important to choose premium products. They contain a balanced amount of vitamins, minerals and other substances necessary for cat health.
Health munchkin
Representatives of the suit are awarded by nature with good health and strong immunity, apparently as compensation for the mutation. However, it is the gene for short legs that causes inconvenience to cats in the form of spinal lordosis disease. Over the course of a pet's life, the muscles in the chest weaken and gradually atrophy completely. Because of this problem, the cat has difficulty moving and has problems with the respiratory and cardiac systems.
To maintain health, it is important to vaccinate your cat periodically. Owners often walk their pets outside, where they can be exposed to many viruses and bacteria. Traditionally, vaccinations are given once a year.
If your pet is sick, you should not self-medicate. This rule applies to any living creature. Only a doctor can examine and prescribe proper treatment.
When choosing a munchkin cat as a pet, you need to soberly evaluate its characteristics. She has a friendly character, is relatively unpretentious in nutrition, and has a strong immune system. However, the cat requires special care due to its anomaly; sooner or later it will develop health problems that cannot be ignored. The well-being and longevity of a cat are entirely in the hands of the owner. Is he ready to take on such responsibility? Munchkins are very smart, loyal, they are sincerely grateful to their owner for his care and attention.
Character traits
The short-legged Munchkin cat has a friendly disposition and always finds a common language with other pets: the cat’s dogs will not see her as a rival.
The pet respects its owners and easily adapts to the mood. Strangers also quickly establish contact with the kitten after seeing its feline charm and kindness.
Walking around the room, they stomp their feet like hedgehogs, which also lifts the mood. The cheerful, playful, easy-going nature of the munchkin will not leave anyone indifferent.
These cats are curious and friendly, love to play and easily tolerate the “squeezing” of children, do not show aggression towards other pets, but can catch smaller animals: birds and rodents.
The presented description of the breed shows that understated Munchkin cats can easily make friends not only with an adult owner, but also with a child.
Pros and cons of munchkins
Unfortunately, each breed can have both advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Friendly and active.
- They respond well to training.
- Not very picky about food.
- They do not require special care and love to be brushed.
- Quite strong immunity.
- Cute appearance.
Munchkins are active, love to go for walks, are trainable and very cute.
Minuses:
- Munchkins love to carry things.
- Susceptible to bone disease.
- Prone to obesity, as a result, worsening lordosis.
Nutrition
The short-legged Munchkin needs only a healthy and proper diet. It is advisable to include in his diet:
- meat - most of the diet should be from this product;
- vegetables, fish, eggs and cereals should be given 1-2 times a week.
All products must be selected carefully and ensure that the prepared food is low-fat. Due to the fact that your pet loves to eat, it is necessary to follow a feeding schedule, taking into account how active it is and in what physical shape. If the cat is fat, you need to slow down the pace of feeding and ask a specialist for advice on proper care of the animal.
Kinkaloe
Curled ears are a distinctive feature of the breed
One of the rarest breeds. In Russia, only one nursery is engaged in breeding these cats.
Kinkalows are the result of mating a Munchkin and an American Curl. The cats come from America; the first litter was born in 1996.
Character
Fast, slightly fussy and very active animals. There are practically no representatives of the breed in Russia, and talking with the owners of existing Kinkalows is a big problem. According to reviews of these cats, the animals are eternal “energizers”, like adult kittens. But one should not think that representatives of the breed retain childish behavior into old age, like Lambkins. Kinkaloos love to move and play, but inside the small, short cat lies real seriousness. Representatives of the breed categorically do not accept familiarity.
Health
Although Kinkalows are an experimental breed, their representatives are in good health. But problems caused by an unnaturally long spine cannot be ruled out.
Peculiarities
The main feature of the kinkalow is its ears. Small in size, curved, not at all like classic cat ears.
Health
Representatives of this breed are in good health, but despite their excellent physical condition, they are plagued by back problems: lordosis, a disease expressed in the deflection of the spine due to weak muscles.
In addition to changing the position of the spine, this disease affects the heart and lungs - death is possible. To keep your cat healthy, you need to take it to the veterinarian and get the necessary vaccinations to prevent diseases.
It is possible to crossbreed only long-haired and short-haired representatives of the species in order to exclude deaths during the birth of kittens, as well as the transmission of life-threatening diseases.
Lambkin (lambkin)
The lamb cat looks menacing, but she's a cutie!
The lamb cat, so named for its unusual, curly coat. The breed comes from the USA, is quite rare and expensive.
To obtain Lambkins, a short-legged Munchkin and a curly-haired Selkirk Rex were crossed. The result of the experiment was a dwarf, curly lambkin.
Character
Lembkins are awesome! Cats that remain kittens forever. Games, noisy romp and chases - they're all there. Don't feed Lambkin meat - let him run around the house.
Despite their increased activity, “lambs” love to spend time in the company of their owner. Representatives of the breed are affectionate and gentle creatures, and their devotion to their owner is limitless.
Health
Alas, not everything is going smoothly with Lambkins’ health.
The main problem is the spine. Unnaturally stretched, it puts pressure on the internal organs. At least, this is the opinion among lovers of this breed.
Peculiarities
Perhaps the most important feature is the eternal disposition of the kitten. The second point is the unusual, curly coat. The third feature is a tendency to train. Lambkins can fetch a ball, for example. A little patience and effort on the part of the owner, and the trained cat is ready.
Kitten in the house
In order for a munchkin kitten to appear in a family, you need to think about where you can buy a pet. When choosing a place of purchase, you should pay attention to nurseries and what breeders of this breed will offer, since Munchkin kittens in such places of sale will already be litter box trained and with the necessary vaccinations.
If you are not satisfied with the prices of breeders or kennels, you can use other places, such as exhibitions or online advertisements, but remember that there is a risk of buying a false munchkin.
A munchkin costs from 3 to 20 thousand rubles. The cost mainly depends on the color and age of the individual.
Summarizing all of the above, we point out that when the choice of pets is made, it must be conscious and made with maximum responsibility.
Breeding
The main principle of munchkin breeding is updating the gene pool. When crossing 2 short-legged individuals, the dominant gene is inherited from both parents, and this leads to the death of the offspring.
For normal reproduction of offspring, an animal with standard paws (of any breed) and a munchkin are required. In such a union, both short-legged and standard kittens are born. In the future, they are also carriers of the gene for short legs and can continue their genus.
Minuet
Proud and beautiful cats
The first kittens were born in 2000. Minuet is the result of crossing Persian cats with Munchkins.
Interestingly, when created, the breed was called “Napoleon”. But in 2015, it was renamed minuet, considering the previous name offensive to the French.
Character
Minuets are phlegmatic, proud cats. Sometimes, a desire to communicate, run around and have fun awakens in them, but this rarely happens. Napoleons are independent and independent cats. Despite their phlegmatic nature, they love to jump and climb to heights.
Health
Despite the love of jumping, it is worth limiting this method of cat movement. Otherwise, problems with the spine cannot be avoided.
Peculiarities
Napoleon cats have a hard time getting along with their own kind. As for children and dogs, representatives of the breed treat them favorably. Only children need to be explained that pets need to be handled with care.
Chinese Cat Tank
In China, tanks are insanely expensive
A Chinese invention in felinology, called the “tank”. In fact, cute animals have nothing in common with a tank going forward and only forward.
The Chinese cat appeared as a result of crossing Minuets and British Shorthair cats. They first heard about tanks in 2008, and 6 years later cats gained incredible popularity in their homeland.
Character
Tanks, despite their name, are active and friendly creatures. Like most cats resulting from crossing munchkins with someone else, Chinese tanks have an enviable curiosity and a desire to climb. Therefore, owners of short-legged cats should not be surprised to find their pets on a high cabinet or on the refrigerator.
Genet
The most unusual short-legged cat
One day, Shannon Kiley—that’s the name of the breeder of rare and unusual cats—decided to conduct an experiment. The woman often and a lot communicated with people, most of whom complained about the impossibility of having a rare animal at home. For some reason, most people were inclined to keep genets at home. Genetta is a wild, predatory animal, at the same time similar to a cat, ferret and dog.
Mrs. Kylie decided to breed a breed that would combine the beauty of a wild genet and the character of a domestic cat. As a result, after crossing a Bengal cat, a Savannah cat and a Munchkin, pets appeared that were called “Genetta”. The first litter was received in 2006.
Character
A sort of cat-dog. Representatives of the breed are easy to train, love to run, are extremely curious and poke their noses everywhere they can. The most favorite game is to bring the ball to the owner.
Genettas are friendly towards other animals, so they can easily coexist peacefully next to a dog or be the second cat in the house.
Health
Genettes are believed to have good health. But, since the breed is experimental, many features have not yet been studied.
Peculiarities
These cats are extremely sociable and absolutely do not like to be alone. If a genet's owners leave her alone for a long time, the cat's character begins to deteriorate. From a tame and affectionate pet, a genet can turn into an evil creature.
