Munchkin cat

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.{{cite web |url=https://tica.org/munchkin-breeders?view=article&id=857:munchkin-breed&catid=79 |title=Munchkin Breed |date=August 13, 2018 |website=The International Cat Association (TICA) |access-date=May 20, 2019}}

In 1983, Sandra Hochenedel, a music teacher in Rayville, Louisiana, found two pregnant cats who had been chased under a truck by a dog.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=coXIF8WbEKEC |title=100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines |last=Stall |first=Sam |publisher=Quirk Books |date=2007 |isbn=9781594741630 |location=Philadelphia, PA |pages=20–22 |via=Google Books}} 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. It is from Blackberry and Toulouse's litter that today's Munchkin breed is descended.

The Munchkin cat was first introduced to the general public in 1991 via a national network televised cat show held by The International Cat Association (TICA) in Davis, Oklahoma.{{cite web |url=http://www.iams.com/pet-health/cat-breeds/munchkin |title=Iams Cat Breed Guide: Munchkin |last=Helgren |first=J. Anne |date=2006 |publisher=Telemark Productions |access-date=March 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318141815/http://www.iams.com/pet-health/cat-breeds/munchkin |archive-date=March 18, 2012 |url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/23/us/a-cat-fight-breaks-out-over-a-breed.html?pagewanted=1 |title=A Cat Fight Breaks Out Over a Breed |work=The New York Times |date=July 23, 1995 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=February 7, 2010}} For many years, the Munchkin breed was not accepted in feline competitions due to the controversial breeding. Solveig Pflueger, a show judge, geneticist, and chairperson of TICA's Genetics Committee was a strong advocate for the official recognition of the breed. Pflueger was also a breeder of Munchkin cats herself, having been initially sent two cats from Hochenedel. Amidst much controversy, the Munchkin was proposed as a new breed by foundation breeders Laurie Bobskill and Robert Bobskill of Massachusetts and accepted by TICA into its new breed development program in September 1994. Veteran show judge Katherine Crawford resigned in protest, calling the breed an affront to breeders with ethics.{{cite web |url=http://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds/Munchkin |title=Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds: Munchkin Cat |last=Helgren |first=J. Anne |date=1998 |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |access-date=February 7, 2010 |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522062757/https://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds/munchkin/ |url-status=dead }} The Munchkin breed achieved TICA championship status in May 2003.

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).{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldcatcongress.org/wp/cat_breed_comp_mus.php |title=Breed Comparisons - Munchkin | World Cat Congress |website=www.worldcatcongress.org}}{{cite web |title=Breed Numbers |url=https://catzinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Breed-Numbers.pdf |website=Catz Incorporated |access-date=January 19, 2024}}{{cite web |title=Munchkin Shorthair |url=http://wcf.info/WCF-EN/standard/shorthair/munchkin.html |website=World Cat Federation |access-date=January 20, 2024}} There is controversy among breeders of pedigree cats as to what genetic mutations are abnormal and potentially disadvantageous to the cat.{{cite book |title=Catwatching & Catlore |last=Morris |first=Desmond S. |publisher=Arrow Books Ltd. |date=1988 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/catwatchingcatlo0000morr/page/183 183–186] |isbn=0-09-922901-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/catwatchingcatlo0000morr/page/183}} 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".{{Cite web |url=https://www.thedodo.com/munchkin-cat-breed-2231333420.html |title=People Are Breeding Cats To Have Too-Short Legs |website=The Dodo|date=February 2017 }} 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.[https://web.archive.org/web/20071226123710/http://www.fifeweb.org/wp/lib/lib_rls_breg_2007_03.html Breeding and Registration Rules]: 2.7.3 Genetic Diseases. Fédération Internationale Feline The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy likewise refuses to recognize the breed, considering this breed and others like it to be "unacceptable" because they are based on an "abnormal structure or development".The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, [http://www.gccfcats.org/health.html The GCCF says Health Comes First] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504022515/http://www.gccfcats.org/health.html |date=May 4, 2015 }} The breed is also not recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association.Cat Fanciers' Association,[http://www.cfa.org/breeds.html CFA Breeds] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629034229/http://www.cfa.org/breeds.html |date=June 29, 2007 }}

Several{{how many|date=January 2024}} countries and territories have prohibited breeding with Munchkins, including the Netherlands (2014), which prohibits breeding of all animals with genetic defects,{{cite web|url=https://www.nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/honden-en-katten/fokken-met-uw-hond-of-kat |title=Fokken met uw hond of kat – wat mag wel en wat niet? - Honden en katten - NVWA |date=August 24, 2023 }} and Victoria (Australia).{{Cite web |last=Department of Jobs |first=Precincts and Regions |date=July 6, 2020 |title=Code of Practice for the Breeding of Animals with Heritable Defects that Cause Disease - Agriculture |url=https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/domestic-animals-act/codes-of-practice/code-of-practice-for-the-breeding-of-animals-with-heritable-defects-that-cause-disease |access-date=April 1, 2023 |website=Agriculture Victoria}} 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".Australian Capital Territory, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222247/http://www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/12983/Welfare_of_Cats_-_Code_of_Practice.pdf Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats in the ACT]

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

File:Munchkinshorthaired.jpg

Some sources state that the shortness of their legs does not interfere with their running and leaping abilities,{{cite book |last=Stroud |first=Jon |title=The DVD Book of Cats. |publisher=Green Umbrella Pubg |date=2008}} while others state their ability to jump is limited by their condition.

The Munchkin has similar characteristics to normal domestic cats, due to their frequent use as outcrosses. It is a small to medium-sized cat with a moderate body type and medium-plush coat. Male Munchkins typically weigh between {{convert|6 and 9|lb}} and are usually larger than female Munchkins, which typically weigh between {{convert|4 and 8|lb}}. The hind legs can be slightly longer than the front which creates a slight rise from the shoulder to the rump. The legs of the Munchkin may be slightly bowed, although excessive bowing is a disqualification in the show ring. Cow-hocked legs are also penalized.

The Munchkin comes in all coat colors and patterns. It also comes in a long-haired variety, which is shown in a separate Munchkin Longhair category. The short-haired variety has a medium-plush coat while the long-haired has a semi-long silky coat. TICA rules for outcrossing allows the use of any domestic cat that does not already belong to a recognized breed. Similarity to other breeds is grounds for disqualification. Non-standard Munchkins are not allowed to be shown.{{cite web |url=http://tica.org/pdf/publications/standards/mk.pdf |title=Munchkin Breed Group Standard |date=May 1, 2007 |publisher=The International Cat Association |access-date=May 30, 2016 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107011857/http://tica.org/pdf/publications/standards/mk.pdf |url-status=dead }}

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 {{convert|5.25|in}} tall.{{cite web |last1=Yune |first1=Howard |title=Tiny Napa cat stands tall in new Guinness record book |url=http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/tiny-napa-cat-stands-tall-in-new-guinness-record-book/article_caf78566-a9fa-586f-8868-b427e6ffc8c7.html |website=Napa Valley Register |date=October 3, 2014 |access-date=October 3, 2014}}

The mutation that causes the shortened legs in the Munchkin is a chondrodysplasia. The Munchkin cat has an increased incidence of lordosis{{cite book | last=Scott | first=Harry | last2=Marti | first2=Juan M | last3=Witte | first3=Philip | title=Feline Orthopaedics | publisher=CRC Press | publication-place=Boca Raton | date=August 2021 | isbn=978-1-4987-6497-1 | page=355}} and pectus excavatum (hollowed chest).{{Cite book |last1=Hubler |first1=M. |last2=Langley-Hobbs |first2=S.J. |date=2009 |chapter=Hereditary and congenital musculoskeletal diseases |title=Feline Orthopedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Disease |doi=10.1016/B978-0-7020-2986-8.00010-0 |editor1-first=P.M. |editor1-last=Montavon |editor2-first=K. |editor2-last=Voss |editor3-first=S.J. |editor3-last=Langley-Hobbs |pages=41–53 |isbn=978-0-7020-2986-8 |publisher=Saunders Ltd. |quote=There may be a familial tendency to thoracic wall deformities (pectus excavatum, unilateral thoracic wall concavity) in Bengal kittens, and chondrodystrophic Munchkin cats may also have an increased incidence of pectus excavatum and spinal lordosis.}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Genetic Welfare Problems of Companion Animals, Munchkin - Limb Deformity |url=https://www.ufaw.org.uk/cats/munchkin-limb-deformity |access-date=July 15, 2020 |website=Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)}}{{Cite book |last1=Ettinger |first1=Stephen J. |title=Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine |last2=Feldman |first2=Edward C. |last3=Bennett |first3=D. |last4=May |first4=C. |publisher=Saunders |date=1995 |isbn=978-0721667959 |edition=4 |location=Philadelphia |pages=2053 |chapter=Joint diseases of Dogs and Cats}} Diagnosis of osteoarthritis and the assessment of its severity for a cat may require radiography.

Many pedigree cat associations around the world have refused to recognize the Munchkin cat due to health concerns.

The gene causing chondrodysplasia in the Munchkin cat is caused by an autosomal dominant mutation. Only heterozygous cats are viable.

Punnett squares, in which the M represents the dominant Munchkin gene and the m represents the recessive normal gene, may be used to illustrate the chances of a particular mating resulting in a short-legged cat.

For each kitten conceived from this mating, there is a 25% chance it will fail to gestate, a 25% chance it will be normal, and a 50% chance it will be short-legged.

For each kitten conceived from this mating, there is a 0% chance it will be homozygous for the Munchkin gene, a 50% chance it will be normal non-standard (long legged) Munchkin, and a 50% chance it will be a standard (short legged) Munchkin.

The popularity of the Munchkin{{cite web |last1=Gunter |first1=Melissa |title=Grey Munchkin Cat: Facts, Origin & History (With Pictures) |url=https://www.catster.com/breeds/grey-munchkin-cat/ |website=Catster |date=November 15, 2023 |access-date=January 20, 2024}} 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).{{cite web |title=Bambino |url=https://www.rareexoticfelineregistry.com/bambino/ |website=Rare and Exotic Feline Registry|date=January 26, 2020 }} In 2019, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority ordered a couple to stop breeding the Bambino due to welfare concerns.{{Cite web |last=Broad |first=Michael |date=August 5, 2019 |title=Bambino cat breeder ordered to stop by Dutch authorities |url=https://pictures-of-cats.org/bambino-cat-breeder-ordered-to-stop-by-dutch-authorities.html |access-date=September 16, 2020 |website=Pictures of Cats (PoC)}}{{Cite web |date=August 2, 2019 |title=Couple given official warning for breeding 'sad' hairless cat |url=https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/08/couple-given-official-warning-for-breeding-sad-hairless-cat/ |access-date=September 16, 2020 |website=DutchNews.nl}}
• 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.{{cite web |title=Breed Recognition |url=https://www.rareexoticfelineregistry.com/breed-recognition/ |work=RareExoticFelineRegistry.com |date=December 31, 2019 |publisher=Rare and Exotic Feline Registry |access-date=January 20, 2024}}
• Genetta, a cross between Munchkin, Bengal, and sometimes Ocicat breeds, with a spotted, striped, or marbled coat. It is recognised by REFR.
• Kinkalow, a cross between Munchkin and American Curl, with short legs and curled ears. It is recognised by REFR.
• Lambkin (or Nanus Rex), a cross between Munchkin and Selkirk Rex, with short legs and a curly coat. It is recognised by the REFR.{{cite web |title=Lambkin |work=RareExoticFelineRegistry.com |date=February 25, 2020 |publisher=Rare and Exotic Feline Registry |url= https://www.rareexoticfelineregistry.com/lambkin/ |access-date=January 20, 2024}}
• 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, and preliminaily by The International Cat Association (TICA) since 2018.{{cite web |url= https://tica.org/resources/our-publications/breed-standards/file/264-minskin-preliminary-new-breed |title=Minskin (Preliminary New Breed) |date=July 31, 2018 |work=TICA.org |publisher=The International Cat Association |access-date=27 January 2024}}
• 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{{cite web |title=Minuet Breed |work=TICA.org |date=August 13, 2018 |publisher=The International Cat Association |url= https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds?view=article&id=855:minuet-breed&catid=79 |access-date=January 27, 2023}} (experimentally since 2001).{{cite web |title=Minuet |url= http://www.tica.org/public/breeds/mnt/intro.php |website=TICA.org |publisher=The International Cat Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912221226/http://www.tica.org/public/breeds/mnt/intro.php |access-date=January 21, 2024 |archive-date=September 12, 2015}} It is still recognized under the Napoleon name by REFR.{{cite web |title=Napoleon |work=RareExoticFelineRegistry.com |date=March 2, 2020 |publisher=Rare and Exotic Feline Registry |url= https://www.rareexoticfelineregistry.com/napoleon/ |access-date=January 27, 2024}}
• 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.

• Dwarf cat
• Selective breeding
• Squitten
• Cat body type genetic mutations
• Scottish Fold, a variety of cat with a gene causing osteochondrodysplasia rather than achondroplasia.
• Dachshund, a similar dog breed with shorter legs
• Welsh Corgi, two dog breeds with similar stature and health issues.

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