The Munchkin is a relatively new breed of cat characterized by its very short legs,
which are caused by a naturally occurring genetic mutation.
Much controversy erupted over the breed when it was recognized by The International Cat
Association in 1995 with critics voicing concern over potential health and mobility issues.
History 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 healthy 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 Russia the cat earned the nickname "Stalingrad Kangaroo cat".
In 1983 Sandra Hochenedel, a music teacher in Louisiana, found two pregnant cats who
had been chased by a bulldog under a truck.
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, and she named the kitten Toulouse.
It is from Blackberry and Toulouse that today's Munchkin breed is descended.
Toulouse was an unneutered cat with outdoor access and after some time a population of
stray short-legged cats started to form.
Thinking that they might have a new breed, Hochenedel and LaFrance contacted Dr. Solveig
Pflueger, a show judge, chairperson of The International Cat Association's genetics committee
and advisor to the Board of Directors.
Together with Dr. David Biller, Head of Radiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas
State University, Pflueger conducted studies on the cats and determined that the short-legged
trait has an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance and that the cats did not appear to have any
spinal problems associated with those found in short-legged dog breeds such as the Corgi
and Dachshund.
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 in Madison Square Garden.
Critics predicted that the breed would develop back, hip and leg problems similar to those
that plague some Dachshunds.
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.
One veteran show judge resigned in protest, calling the breed an affront to breeders with
ethics.
The Munchkin achieved TICA Championship status in May 2003.
Apart from TICA, registries that recognize the breed includes The American Association
of Cat Enthusiasts, The United Feline Organization, the Southern Africa Cat Council, and the Waratah
National Cat Alliance in Australia.
There is controversy among breeders of pedigree cats as to what genetic mutations are abnormal
and potentially disadvantageous to the cat.
Several cat registries do not recognize the Munchkin: Fédération Internationale Féline,
which refuses to recognise what they consider a breed based on a "genetic disease", achondroplasia.
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy likewise refuses to recognise the breed, considering
this breed and others like it to be "unacceptable" because they are based on an "abnormal structure
or development".
The breed is also not recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association.
The Australian Capital Territory government consider the munchkin breed to be "malformed
animals" and the deliberate breeding of them "unacceptable" because of the "genetic health
problems associated with such breeding".
Owners and Breeders of munchkins declare them to be "a sound breed" that is "ideal" for
small homes and not particularly susceptible to health problems.
Characteristics
The Munchkin is generally described as a sweet-natured, playful, people-oriented, outgoing and intelligent
cat which responds well to being handled.
The shortness of their legs does not seem to interfere with their running and leaping
abilities.
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 6 to 9 pounds and are usually larger than female
Munchkins, which typically weigh between 4 to 8 pounds.
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
Health Although the genetic mutation causing the
short-legged trait in Munchkins has been referred to as achondroplasia, achondroplasia is typically
associated with an enlarged head as well as short legs.
This combination of features is not seen in Munchkin cats.
The condition has sometimes been referred to as hypochondroplasia or pseudoachondroplasia.
Small litter sizes when two munchkin cats are crossed indicate that embryos that are
homozygous for the munchkin gene are non-viable.
While there were early speculations that the Munchkin will develop spinal problems commonly
seen in short-legged dog breeds, in 1995 several breeders had their oldest Munchkins X-rayed
and examined for signs of joint or bone problems and found none.
However, there appears to be two conditions with increased incidence in the breed: lordosis
and pectus excavatum.
Both conditions are commonly seen in humans with pseudoachondroplasia.
These conditions can appear in other breeds and some breeders have denied that it is a
problem for the Munchkin.
Genetics The munchkin gene is autosomal dominant.
Homozygous embryos for the munchkin gene are not viable due to gene lethality, and do not
develop in the womb.
Only kittens that are heterozygous for the munchkin gene develop into viable short legged
munchkin kittens.
Because only heterozygous munchkin cats are able to pass on the gene, all litters with
at least one munchkin parent have the possibility of containing kittens with the phenotypes:
short-legged or normal-legged, with the genotypes of Mm or mm, where M is the trait for short
legs and m is the trait for long legs.
A litter with two munchkin parents, Mm x Mm, have the chance of producing these offspring:
25% MM- a nonviable kitten, 50% Mm-short-legged, 25% mm- normal.
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.
Kittens bearing two copies of the munchkin gene will not develop in the womb.
Kittens bearing one munchkin gene and one normal gene will be short-legged munchkins.
Kittens bearing two normal genes will be normal.
Mm munchkin kittens will be able to pass on the munchkin gene to their own offspring.
Normal mm kittens will not, as they do not have a copy of the munchkin gene.
Recognized derived breeds The Munchkin has been crossed with the curly-coated
LaPerm to create the Skookum, the hairless Sphynx to create the Minskin and Bambino,
with the extremely curly-coated Selkirk Rex to produce the Lambkin, the Persian breed
group which includes Himalayans and Exotic Shorthair, to create the Napoleon and crossed
with the Bengal to create the Genetta.
See also Cat body type genetic mutations
Scottish Fold, a variety of cat with a gene causing osteochondrodysplasia rather than
achondroplasia.
References