For those who much have the very latest, no breed is more up to the minute than the Munchkin. Admires of this short legged charmer, as yet not widely recognized, are confident it has a big future. Did you know that the short legs of the Munchkin make it impossible for them to jump to escape the predators.
History
Cats with short legs are not new to science, although they have only recently been discovered by the cat fancy. In the 1944 veterinary record, Dr Williams described four generations of cats with short limbs. The cats’ movements were listed as being ferret like. Unfortunately, these cats seemed to disappear during World War II, as did the bloodlines of many purebred cats. The Munchkin appeared spontaneously in Louisiana in the 1980s. From a pregnant black female by Sandra in 1983, several colonies have now been established. These currently span multiple generations.
Description
At the present time, the Munchkin appears to come in every sort of body type, head type and coat length. The only thing these cats have in common is their extremely short legs. Since the gene pool is unlimited, there are no clear guidelines as to what type the Munchkin will ultimately resemble. Some Munchkin breeders are mating to Persians, other to Siamese and still others to Abyssinians. At present, it is not possible to present a picture of the ultimate type, apart from its distinctively short legs.
In the studies that have been conducted so far, no skeletal changes have been associated with the short legged gene and there is no evidence to suggest that these cats have any of the back problems of short legged dogs, such as the Dachshund. This is undoubtedly because the cat spine differs markedly from that of the dog in its construction and flexibility, and spinal problems are rare in cats. What the Munchkin does have in common with short legged dogs is that the front legs are bowed. This does not seem to affect its climbing ability, but its jumping ability is limited by the shortness of the hind legs.
At present, Munchkins are accepted for championship competition in only one of the USA associations, the International Cat Association. The other associations have adopted a wait and see attitude for two reasons. One is to rule out the possibility of the shortened legs causing health problems in the cats in later life. The other is that because there is such wide disparity in type as a result of outcrosses to so many other breeds, it is difficult to set a type standard. Munchkin fanciers are confident that the eventual outcome will be a happy one for both them and the breed.
Varieties
At present, the Munchkin can have any type of head, body, coat or color. The only feature identifying it as a Munchkin is its short legs.
Temperament
Since the Munchkin has so many different ancestors, its temperament will depend largely upon which cats are on its pedigree. As with any cat, the conditions under which it is raised and the amount of attention given during kittenhood are also factors in the temperament.
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