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About
the Munchkin Cat:
Munchkins
are a naturally occurring cat, with unusually
short legs that is caused by an autosomal dominant
gene.
There
have been concerns for health of a breed with such
short legs, and it was questioned if this would have a
detrimental affect on the spine as has happened with
some breeds of dogs with shorter legs, such as the
Dachshund. Dr Solveig
Pflueger, a feline geneticist who works for TICA,
conducted a 7 year study on the Munchkin, prior to
their acceptance by TICA – and not only did she find
that they were a viable stand-alone breed, she fell in
love with them and has been breeding them herself,
ever since! The
results of her findings were that ‘the
only thing that the Munchkin trait appears to affect
is the long-bone in the legs’.
They can run and jump and get into just as much
mischief as any other breed.
History
of the Munchkin Cat:
There
are a few mentions of the appearance of short legged
cats throughout time. One well known example of these
cats is from 1944 when U.K. veterinarian Dr. H. E.
Williams-Jones describes four generations of short
legged cats living in the wild in England. Included in
this description was an 8 year old female who had lead
a very healthy life. The cat's movements were similar
to a ferret, and inspite of the short legs, the cat
was otherwise normal. Unfortunately these cats
vanished during World War II.
In
1983 music teacher Sandra Hochenedel of Rayville,
Louisiana found two cats who had been cornered by a
dog hiding under a pickup truck. Both cats were
pregnant, one was black & one was grey. She gave
away the grey cat named "Blueberry" but kept
the black one, naming her
"Blackberry". Both Blueberry &
Blackberry were rather unique in the fact that they
both had short legs on a "normal" sized
body. She named these cats "Munchkins" after
the little people in the movie "The Wizard of
Oz".
Blackberry's
litter consisted of some short legged cats like her
& some normal legged cats. One kitten from this
litter was sent to a friend of Sandra called Kay
LaFrance, this boy was named Toulouse. Kay established
her own colony of Munchkins on her Monro, Louisiana
plantation. All registered Munchkins can be traced
back to Blackberry & Toulouse. There have however
been other sightings of cats with a similar appearance
throughout the world.
Appearance
of the Munchkin Cat:
Photo
by Helmi
The
Munchkin is a medium sized cat, it can come in any
coat length. No
purebred should ever be used as an outcross, and so
breeders also face the challenge of trying to achieve
consistency in type, while using domestics to
outcross. For
this reason, it is likely to take several years to
reach a population of breeding Munchkins that are
‘true to type’. Due to the large gene
pool provided by the domestics the breed enjoys very
good health.
The
predominant feature of the Munchkin is of course the
short legs. The back legs are longer than the front
legs. Other
than the short legs, the Munchkin should be
proportional. The chest should be broad & deep,
with a tapering medium length tail.
It
should be moderate to muscular in build with moderate
bone structure. Excessive bowing of the legs is
penalised.
Munchkin
Cat Temperament:
Munchkins
are sweet natured, outgoing & intelligent cats.
They are known for being confident & adventurous
cats.
Munchkins
make wonderful pets – getting along well with
children, other cats, dogs and/or pretty much anything
you care to introduce them to!
They are a bold cat, and don’t behave any
differently because of their size.
In fact, based on their behaviour, it could be
interpreted that they think they are the giants of the
cat fancy! Just
remember – dynamite comes in small packages!
And, for those who love the endearing personality and
gorgeous look of the Munchkin, but prefer longer legs
– there is the non-standard Munchkin!
These are the long-legged (non-standard)
siblings, to the short-leg (standard) Munchkins.
They are a wonderful pedigree cat and pet, at
much less the cost of their dwarf litter mates – a
welcome addition to any cat-loving home!
Munchkin
Cat Colours:
All
colours & patterns are allowed.
Special
Requirements:
Longhaired
Munchkins will require a regular groom to ensure their
coat doesn't become matted, other than that the
Munchkin doesn't have any special requirements.
Lifespan:
15
years.
Suitable
for:
They
get along well with other cats, dogs & children.
Making them a great all rounder family pet.
Special
thanks to:
Kari-Anne
of MyMunchies
Munchkins for the photos & providing
me with much of the content in this article & to
Helmi for the use of her photographs.
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