General description of munchkin, history of origin, appearance and characteristic manifestations, health and illness, care and breeding of the breed, price at purchase. As the writer Ernest Hemingway once said: “Once you have a cat, it’s impossible to stop.” Especially if this cat is a cute little munchkin. Representatives of this breed are cute, slightly undersized cats. They look like little dachshund cats. Short legs? No - very short legs. At first this is surprising, even pitying, but soon the conflicting first impressions give way to admiration. Let's take a closer look at one of the cutest cat breeds - the Munchkin.
The origin of the breed name
Most often, cat breeds get their name in honor of the geographical region in which they first appeared, but there is a cat breed in the world named after fairy-tale characters - this is the Munchkin breed. In the novel by Lyman Frank Baum "The Wizard of Oz", and then in the film adaptations of this literary work, there was such a cheerful people - the Munchkins (translated from English - "those who chew"). They were small in stature, almost dwarfs, perhaps that is why very short-legged cats were named after them.
History of the Munchkin breed
The first mentions of funny short-legged cats appeared around the thirties of the nineteenth century and soon began to spread to all corners of the globe. The Munchkin breed is native to America.
According to the standard, representatives of this species should be with short legs. The ancestor of the breed is considered to be a short-legged kitty named Blackberry (Blackberry), which was found in 1983, in the state of Louisiana. Some of the kittens from her offspring were born with the same short legs.
In the United States of America, munchkins became extremely popular after the appearance in 1995 of a photo of this cute creature on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. As an independent breed, these cats were officially recognized in 1991, and they were presented at the exhibition only in 2003. These cute animals were brought to Russia in 2001.
Munchkin's appearance and breed standards
Munchkin are squat dwarf cats. Their distinctive feature is short legs, the result of a spontaneous process of natural dominant mutation. Despite the length of the legs, the spine retained the shape and flexibility typical of cats with normal leg length.
- The physique of cats. The body shape is quite elongated and graceful. Average length (about 16-18 centimeters). The body musculature is well developed. The chest is round. There is a slight rise from the withers to the croup, as the hindquarters are longer than the forelegs. The thighs are straight. The growth of standard individuals is from 14 to 16 centimeters. Weight from 2 to 4 kilograms.
- Munchkin's neck - of medium length, thickened, muscular.
- Extremities. The most prominent feature of the representatives of this breed is the unusually short limbs, which are two or even three times shorter than that of ordinary cats. These short-legged feet come in three sizes: standard, short and rug hagger. Rag Hagger is the shortest leg length of a munchkin of three possible. There are also representatives of the breed with the usual length of the legs, although breeders call this very length non-standard. But it should be noted that the long-legged munchkins are no less beautiful than those defined by the standard. The forelegs are slightly shorter than the hind ones, with the same thickness along the entire length. The breed standard allows a slight curvature of the forelegs to the inside. The legs of the cat are strong and look slightly massive. The shape of the legs is compact, rounded, even more graceful in females than in males.
- Tail. Thickened, whip-like. When moving, the tail set is vertical.
- Head. Medium in size, in proportion to the body, wide, wedge-shaped, with smooth contours. The forehead is flat with a smooth transition to the nose. The nose is of medium length (slight deflection is allowed). Munchkin's cheekbones are high. The chin is wide, not very pronounced. The nape is rounded.
- Ears. Medium in size, in proportion to the size of the head, wide at the base, with rounded tips, set rather high.
- Eyes. Round or almond-shaped, expressive, rather large in size. Set wide apart. Eye color has nothing to do with coat color. Saturated uniform eye colors (blue, honey-brown, grassy green) are preferable, heterochromia is acceptable (eyes of different colors). More often, heterochromia is common in cats with a white coat.
Munchkins can be both silky long-haired and velvety short-haired. The wool of the solid (equally colored representatives) is less dense. By the standard, the munchkin is considered a semi-longhaired cat.
Two types of wool texture are possible:
- semi-plush - elastic and shiny;
- smooth, silky, with a moderate, medium undercoat - such a cat will have fluffy limbs and a tail, and tassels on the ears are also allowed.
Absolutely all colors are allowed for munchkins, there are no restrictions, all sorts of combinations of colors of the main shade and patterns on the wool can vary. It should be noted that for this breed, chocolate and marble are very rare colors. Moreover, marble colors are highly prized by breeders.
Characteristic features of the behavior of cats with short legs
In connection with a certain feature of the anatomical structure of the legs, Munchkins cause a wide variety of associations in people: someone compares them to dachshunds, due to the fact that they have a long body on short legs; some - with ferrets, because of the manner of moving gracefully and smoothly. People are often fond of this breed, as it is not only cute in appearance, but also has a soft and pleasant character.
Munchkins are wonderful pets, very good, affectionate and contact, love to play, run and jump, get along with dogs and other pets. They are calm and very sociable, spontaneous like children and are not at all rancorous. Munchkin is not a touchy cat. Therefore, when you do not have time for him, he will calmly leave to go about his business, and when you free yourself and call him to please with your attention, he will be happy to return to soak up the pens.
These purrs are very active, cheerful and mobile, and they are also fearless climbers who are able to climb to such a height that you cannot expect from them. Yes, it is not easy for short cats to jump onto sofas and armchairs, unlike normal cats, but they are surprisingly easy to cope with this daunting task.
And it is also very interesting to watch them at the moments when they stand on their hind legs and pensively peer at one point, cutely hanging their front legs on their chest. This behavior is not typical for other cats, but, one way or another, it is not clear why the munchkins do it. Maybe they are praying, or maybe they are meditating …
What else you need to know about munchkins is that their paws do not hurt and do not bring them any inconvenience, except that they give them a slightly funny extraordinary look and make them want to take them on the handles. By the way, do not hold back, these animals are only "for", they are focused on a person from nose to tip of tail. They are easily transported and are not particularly afraid of strangers or unfamiliar animals. Therefore, if you like to travel, these "short-legs" will easily and with pleasure make you a cheerful company.
Munchkin's health and illness
The average life span of Munchkin cats is 14 years. But, with normal care and constant care, they live up to 20 years and even longer.
The small growth of the munchkin can cause problems, from the point of view that you should now walk around the apartment carefully, so as not to hurt and crush your petite friend. So dear owner, please watch your step and be careful!
Representatives of this breed are surprisingly healthy cats, with strong immunity and no special predispositions. The only thing is that this breed of cats can have a genetic disease - lordosis of the spine. As a rule, this is a sprain in the thoracic region, which causes problems with internal organs, heart or lungs.
Obesity and genetics are the culprits of this problem, so it is worthwhile to properly select this animal, not to overfeed it and adhere to the recommended norms in the animal's diet, and it is also very important to play active games with it, not only allowing it to lie on the couch.
Munchkin care
- Wool. The coat of the Munchkin cat does not require special care. It is easy enough to look after her. Short-haired seals should be brushed once a week, long-haired seals three to four times in the same period. Also, you should avoid tangling in the coat. The tangles must be carefully straightened. It is better to bathe this cat as needed, but at least once every two to three months. When bathing your pet, you need to be careful not to get water in its ears, because this can cause serious problems and cause a long and expensive treatment for your short-legged friend.
- Eyes, ears, claws. Traditionally, you need to keep your eyes and ears clean. The ears of the animal are cleaned with a cotton swab with or without special disinfectants. The eyes of the fluffy are wiped with cotton discs towards the inner edge. The claws can be cut or left as they are, at the request of the owner. It is best to teach the animal to a special claw from a young age.
- Feeding. A munchkin cat is an achondroplasic cat or a dachshund cat, so in life it can expect various problems with the spine or paws, although less serious than in short dogs (such as a dachshund or a welsh corgi, for example), since a feline the spine is more flexible.
In order to avoid problems with the spine, it is necessary that the animal has a good muscle corset, and this requires protein. Cat's protein is obtained from the diet, in fact, so the owner should be especially careful about the menu of his animal. So, if the cat is on a natural diet, it is worth focusing on the fact that eighty percent of its menu should be pure protein (preferably of animal origin).
If you do not know how to monitor such a percentage in the nutrition of your cat, then you need to consult a veterinarian and include premium dry food in your pet's menu, or even better super-premium food, which will definitely contain all the necessary nutrients. substances.
It should also be added that due to the growth of your pet, his bowl and tray should be with low sides. This also applies to other accessories that you will purchase at pet stores for your sweet mustachioed friend.
Breeding features of the Munchkin breed
The Munchkin cat is not an artificial breed. He was born as a result of a spontaneous process of natural mutation. The birth of individuals of this breed is due to the presence in their genotype of the dominant gene for achondroplasia. This gene is similar to the gene responsible for the short stature of dachshunds, bassets and welsh corgi. If at least one of the parents has this gene, then there will certainly be several short-legged kittens among the newborn kittens.
Although the Munchkin feline is quite healthy, breeding this breed is a risky business. If you knit animals of this species with each other, a fourth of the offspring born from such a mating dies. Responsible breeders expand the gene pool to avoid death or serious illness.
The expansion of the gene pool consists in crossing a purebred short-legged Munchkin with a non-standard (long-legged) or other cat breeds, the features of which they want to see in newborn kittens. But, in order for a part of the litter to be short-footed, it is necessary that one of the parents be standard. There are simply no other options. Also, the percentage of the number of standard kittens to the number of non-standard kittens in a litter is still unknown.
Munchkin kittens
If you want to have this funny cat, remember this: by finding a conscientious breeder, you will get a healthy cat. Many people who decide to have a kitten want to take a baby that has barely reached one month of age. Breeders have to explain for a long time that the kitten first needs to be raised and vaccinated a little, so that it is adapted to the environment and is ready to communicate.
It is also important for a kitten to eat mother's milk in the first three months of its life and is near her. At this time of life, the kitten is not interested in the society of people, he is only interested in his relatives: mom, brothers and sisters. Early separation from family will surely cause stress, and this, to varying degrees, can affect the future behavior and character of an already adult cat.
So, if you decide to take a kitten - wait for the due date, and if you have not yet decided on the choice of the breed, then here you should think carefully about which cats will suit you personally. By nature, temperament, disposition. The munchkins, for example, have a decent character. And in general, this is a wonderful cat for a family, for communicating with children, she is very affectionate, sociable. These seals are not big, but, as they say, "small, but daring."
Have you decided to have a Munchkin kitten? Then you need to consider the following:
- these seals are usually healthy, provided they are bred in good faith, but have a genetic tendency towards ridge disease;
- the length of their paws does not affect the playfulness and well-being of the animal;
- they do not require special care;
- suitable for most families;
- love to communicate with people and are not afraid of moving.
Prices when buying a kitten munchkin
A fully vaccinated, thoroughbred Munchkin kitten will cost between $ 300 and $ 500. What does thoroughbred mean? This is a kitten that fully meets all the requirements of the standard of appearance. Well, females are always sold for a little more than males.
Also, the price of a kitten is affected not only by its growth and become, but also by the rarity of its color. The cost of a kitten is most influenced by the length of the legs. The shorter the limbs, the more expensive your future pet will be. Long-legged (and therefore non-standard) munchkins are less valued, because they are not so original in appearance, but they also have a lot of fans. The length of the coat, as well as its density, is not particularly reflected in the price of kittens.
In popular catteries, especially in big cities, kittens will cost significantly more. Sometimes breeders increase the price of cats from the litter of parent cats with a large number of awards and prizes at shows, because these awards are a confirmation of their pedigree. The offspring of such parents are considered more elite and expensive.
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