Munchkin cat facts

Image Credits: Pixabay

Munchkin cats are adorable and mostly seen in the company of celebrities. The short-legged cats are intelligent and have a congenial nature. This breed has some unique attributes which result from a long torso and short legs. These cats are associated with fun. Most cat lovers see them as adorable and companionable cat breed, disregarding the many breeding controversies which surround this cat breed.

First two cats

Blackberry was the name of the first Munchkin cat in modern times. Sandra Hochenedel, a school teacher in Louisiana, United States, saved a stray pregnant cat from a pit bull. She named the stray Blackberry. The cat gave birth, and a male kitten with short legs popped out. Sandra gifted the kitten to her friend Kay LaFrance who named him Toulouse. It is believed that all Munchkins are descended from these two cats- Toulouse and Blackberry. The name Munchkin is derived from the fictional tale of The Land of Oz.

No physical problems

Munchkin cats are free from all spinal abnormalities. Their short legs have no negative impact on their health. The sole problem is their inability to jump as high as their regular legged feline counterparts. As an owner, expect to pick up your Munchkin cat and plop it down on the sofa or on the bed or even in the car seat. Munchkins are perfectly healthy cats. The legs of these cats come in three lengths. The first category is the "standard" one where the concerned animal lacks the heterozygous gene that results in shorter legs. These legs are similar to leg lengths in other cat breeds. Those cats having the heterozygous gene has moderately short legs. They are classified as "super short" cats. The third categories are the "rug-huggers." These Munchkin cats have the shortest legs. The cats have autosomal dominant genes, and such a genetic factor shows up in the shorter legs. This gene results in the long leg bones of the grow shorter legs. Breeders do not mate two cats both with shorter legs as they consider it dangerous to do so. Different breeds of cats are mated with the Munchkins to keep short-legged kittens healthy.

Do not be surprised to see Munchkins sitting upright, similar to rabbits and prairie dogs. They relax on hind legs, with their backsides in a prairie dog-like posture pausing a little to scope out their surroundings. The Munchkin breed was first introduced to the more full world in 1991 during the International Cat Association. The judges were not accepting and curious as the lay people. Only in 1995 was Munchkins accepted as a component of New Breed Development Program. There continues to be breeders who continue to lodge complaints against the Munchkin breed.