The Munchkin is a breed of cat characterized by its very short legs, which are caused by a genetic mutation. Compared to many other cat breeds, it is a relatively new breed, documented since 1940s The Munchkin is considered to be the original breed of dwarf cat, the breeding of which is prohibited in several countries and states, due to concerns for the animals' welfare.

Much controversy erupted over the breed when it was recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1997 with critics voicing concerns over health and mobility issues. Many pedigree cat associations around the world have refused to recognize the Munchkin cat due to the welfare of the breed,

The name derives from writer L. Frank Baum's diminutive inhabitants of Munchkin Country, originating in the 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

History

Breed creation

Short-legged cats have been documented a number of times around the world since the 1940s. A British veterinary report in 1944 noted four generations of short-legged cats which were similar to normal cats except for the length of the legs. This line disappeared during the Second World War but other short-legged cats were spotted in Russia during 1956 and the United States in the 1970s.

In 1983, Sandra Hochenedel, a music teacher in Rayville, Louisiana, found two pregnant cats who had been chased under a truck by a dog. She kept one of the cats and named her Blackberry and half of her kittens were born short-legged. Hochenedel gave a short-legged male kitten from one of Blackberry's litters to a friend, Kay LaFrance of Monroe, Louisiana, and she named the kitten Toulouse. However, the breed would not be officially recognized at that time. Critics predicted that the breed would develop back, hip and leg problems similar to those that plague some dachshunds. For many years, the Munchkin breed was not accepted in feline competitions due to the controversial breeding.

Currently, the only registries that fully recognize the breed are TICA, the Southern Africa Cat Council, the Australian Cat Federation, the World Cat Federation, and Catz Incorporated (New Zealand). There is controversy among breeders of pedigree cats as to what genetic mutations are abnormal and potentially disadvantageous to the cat. Katie Lisnik, director of cat protection and policy at the Humane Society of the United States, has said: "Breeding animals for exaggerated physical characteristics, particularly when it compromises overall health, is irresponsible". Several cat registries do not recognize the Munchkin: Fédération Internationale Féline, which refuses to recognize what they consider a breed based on a "genetic disease", achondroplasia. The breed is also not recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association.

Welfare concern

Breeding bans

Several countries and territories have prohibited breeding with Munchkins, including the Netherlands (2014), which prohibits breeding of all animals with genetic defects, and Victoria (Australia). The Australian Capital Territory (a territory of Australia) government considers the Munchkin breed to be malformed animals and the deliberate breeding of them unacceptable because of the "genetic health problems associated with such breeding".

Munchkin cross-breeds like the bambino have also been subject to legal restrictions.

Characteristics

thumb|Munchkin kitten, 7 months old

Some sources state that the shortness of their legs does not interfere with their running and leaping abilities, while others state their ability to jump is limited by their condition.

In 2014, Lilieput, a Munchkin cat from Napa, California, was named the shortest statured living cat in the world by Guinness World Records. She stands tall.

Health

The mutation that causes the shortened legs in the Munchkin is a chondrodysplasia. The Munchkin cat has an increased incidence of lordosis and pectus excavatum (hollowed chest).

Munchkin cats are known to be at a higher risk (than other feline breeds) for severe osteoarthritis because the shorter limbs affect their activity levels and behavior. Diagnosis of osteoarthritis and the assessment of its severity for a cat may require radiography. has led to the crossbreeding of the Munchkin with other breeds, to try to establish new, derived breeds, most of which are unrecognised by any major registry. Some named experimental crossbreeds (all of them dwarf cats) include:

  • Bambino, a mostly-hairless dwarf cat, from a cross of the Munchkin and the Sphynx breeds. Recognised by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR). In 2019, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority ordered a couple to stop breeding the Bambino due to welfare concerns.
  • Dwelf, a cross between the Munchkin, Sphynx, and American Curl, with the defining traits of all three breeds: shortened legs, hairlessness, and curled ears. It is recognised by REFR.
  • Genetta, a cross between Munchkin, Bengal, and sometimes Ocicat breeds, with a spotted, striped, or marbled coat. It is recognised by REFR.
  • Minskin, a breed developed from Munchkin, Burmese, Sphynx, and Devon Rex stock, with short legs, hairlessness or a very short coat, and point coloration. It is recognised by REFR,
  • Minuet (or Napoleon), a cross between Munchkin and Persian (or sometimes Himalayan or Exotic Shorthair), with short legs and brachycephaly ("peke-face", characteristic of the latter breeds). Coat length and coloration depend on the bloodline. It is a fully recognized breed by TICA (experimentally since 2001). It is still recognized under the Napoleon name by REFR.
  • Skookum (or LaMerm), a cross between Munchkin and LaPerm, with the short legs of the former and curly coat of the latter. It is recognised by the REFR.