Munchkin: description of the breed of cats, types and content

Munchkin cats have a pronounced difference from their relatives - short legs. Due to this feature, animals are often compared to a dachshund. Dwarf cats are considered a fairly young breed of cats, so it has not yet become widespread in Russia.

Unlike many breeds of the feline family, the munchkins were not bred by selection. They are not much different from other breeds. The characteristic difference between animals is short legs. This type of cat became known in Europe about 100 years ago. Short-footed pets with an unusual genome aroused great interest in humans. It was common to find news about cats with short paws on the front pages of newspapers.

But interest in animals quickly faded, and the breed was not patented. The reason for this was the Second World War. During this period, there was a sharp decline in the number of short-haired cats.

But animals with a similar mutation continued to be born, the breeders could not help but pay attention to this phenomenon. Experts began to cross dwarf cats with other breeds that had the usual length of the limbs. The experiments have had amazing results. After this crossing, most kittens were born with short legs.

Due to the peculiarities of breeding munchkins, they have a varied appearance. It can often be seen that animals are the dwarf counterpart of a particular cat breed. Therefore, when crossing, it is enough that only one parent has this feature.The offspring is highly likely to be born with the same mutation.

As a result of the increase in the number of representatives of short-legged cats, the breed gained its recognition. The munchkins were officially introduced to the general public in America. It happened in New York, the event dates back to 1991. Short-toed felines were recognized by the International Cat Association a few years later, in 1995. These animals were brought to Russia only at the beginning of the 19th century, so they are not yet popular enough on the domestic market.

These exotic animals often evoke positive emotions in people who see them for the first time. Their short legs give a lot of originality to the appearance of cats. This length of the limbs does not interfere with the normal functioning of the animals. Today there are no definite breed standards, but the main criteria for the appearance of munchkins have already been determined.

• The head of a short-legged cat is of medium size, its silhouette resembles a wedge. Despite the peculiarities of this breed, the head and torso are proportional in relation to each other.
• The animal's nose is medium in size, has a slight deflection.
• The ears are set rather high and wide, rounded towards the tips. The wool on them is fluffy.
• The large eyes are set wide at a certain angle to the ears. The color is usually saturated and monotonous, it does not depend on the shade of the coat.
• The massive neck of the animal is of medium length.
• The body of the Munchkins is proportional, not counting the limbs. The front legs are slightly shorter than the hind legs. The skeleton of animals cannot be called lightweight, but it is not heavy either. The muscles of cats are well developed. The length of the tail is equal to the length of the body, in the process of movement it always has a vertical position.
• The paws of dwarf cats are considered their most important feature. They are shorter than other cats, but they are straight. Some representatives have a slight curvature. This mainly applies to the front limbs.
• Males can weigh up to 4 kilograms.
• Females usually weigh 3 kilograms.
• There are no specific criteria for the hair of cats. Long-haired representatives are distinguished by the presence of a thick collar and a silky coating. Due to the high level of density, the cat's fur can protect him from various damages. The short-haired munchkins have a thick and shiny coat.
• The color of dwarf cats can be varied: red, black, white.

Like many pets, munchkins have personality traits. It is worth noting that these cats are not suitable for keeping on the street, since their short limbs do not give them the opportunity to hunt. The rest of the kittens are not inferior to their relatives. They delight their owners from the very first minutes of being in the house. All things located on small hills will not be touched by the pet. Therefore, the owners should not worry about the integrity of the interior items.

However, this feature does not prevent the animal from being energetic. Pets run very well, but they do not know how to jump high. Kittens are often called kangaroo because of their inherent posture. Animals can sit on their hind legs, while the tail serves as a support. The forelimbs are not involved in this process in any way and simply hang down.

Small items are best kept away from munchkins. Pets love to drag them away and hide them from the eyes of the household.

These cats are considered very friendly, they quickly get used to people and are not afraid of guests in the house. The dwarf cat will become the best friend for its owner. For all their activity, pets are considered to be quite calm and calm. They have a strong psyche and are not prone to stress.Moderate mobility compared to many long-legged members of the species. Munchkins are very kind animals, they love to play with children and do not show aggression towards them. The intelligence of cats is very well developed, these pets will have time everywhere, they definitely need to learn everything.

Usually such cats are brought up by people who like animals that are exotic and original in their appearance and character. These pets can easily relieve boredom in your home.

The lifespan of munchkins largely depends on proper care for them. On average, they live 12 to 16 years. This indicator is much lower than that of other representatives of the species. But with proper maintenance of the pet, it becomes possible to extend its life up to 20 years.

In order to recognize diseases in time and know about genetic abnormalities, if any, Munchkin should make an appointment with a veterinarian. Such trips should be arranged twice a year.

The key to good animal health is a proper diet and an active lifestyle. For this, it is advisable to provide the pet with the required number of toys. Then he will have where to spend his energy. Outdoor walks can also prolong your pet's life. Although the munchkins are couch potatoes, they do not mind spending some time with their owner in the fresh air. A pleasant microclimate should also be created in the apartment. To do this, it is necessary to regularly carry out wet cleaning and ventilate the rooms.

If you adhere to the proposed rules, you can significantly extend the life of your pet.

At the first stages of breeding, short-legged felines were crossed with various breeds. Therefore, the appearance of animals is quite varied.

According to the deviation from the standard, a separate species is distinguished - the lop-eared munchkin. It differs in the structure of the ears. The appearance of such a munchkin is very similar to the Scottish cat breed. This is due to an abnormality at the genetic level, which is associated with the structure of the ears and skeleton. As a separate species, such cats cannot exist, since due to such a mutation, health problems can arise in the offspring of lop-eared cats.

According to the length of the coat, such types are distinguished.

• Long-haired munchkin. These fluffy representatives of dwarf cats have a semi-long dense coat. Its structure is silky. These munchkins have a small undercoat. The collar area stands out noticeably. The color of the coat can be varied: from snow-white to black.
• Shorthaired munchkin. The coat length of these cats is average. The coat has a plush structure. The animal has a small undercoat. The color can also be different.

Munchkins are also distinguished by the size of their legs:

• dwarf;
• ultrashort-legged;
• standard.

Despite the original structure of a dwarf cat, its appearance is practically no different from other breeds of this species. Munchkins became the ancestors of new breeds, they are often called gnomes. By crossing a short-legged cat and a Canadian Sphynx, breeders have received a variety called bambino.

Another popular daughter breed is the oppression. She appeared after crossing the Munchkin with a Bengal cat.

Before you get a dwarf cat, you need to choose a place for your pet to sleep. This can be an ordinary bed or a cat house. In addition, you should buy all the necessary items for the care of the animal. The maintenance of munchkins does not present huge difficulties, it is enough to adhere to the basic rules.

• Bathing. Like many cat breeds, dwarf pets have a negative attitude towards water procedures. Therefore, you do not need to bathe them often and without good reason.A bath day is held no more than 6 times a year. To avoid water getting into your ears, you should insert cotton swabs into them. For wool, you need to purchase a special shampoo. It is applied in the direction of wool growth. It is undesirable to wash your head with shampoo. It's best to just dampen it a little with water. Rubbing your pet with a towel is not recommended. You need to get it wet with it.

• Hair care... The pet should be combed out at least once a week. For this purpose, a comb with teeth closely spaced to each other is suitable. Hair can be collected from the surface using silicone gloves. To keep the coat shiny, wipe it down with a suede or silk cloth. If the pet has long hair, then the procedure should be repeated more often - once every two days. First, you need to untangle the fur with a comb, after which the unnecessary undercoat is removed. It is necessary to lay the coat with a massage brush.

• Eye and ear treatment. Short-legged cats rarely suffer from problems associated with these organs. If discharge appears in the corners of the eyes, then it should be treated immediately. To do this, just use a damp gauze swab. The ears should be monitored closely and cleaned once a week. They are cleaned of various contaminants with a cotton pad, pre-treated with a cosmetic product.

• Paws care. Pet nails are quite sharp, so you need to trim them to avoid injury. It is recommended to purchase a scratching post for your cat. It will help grind off the upper stratum corneum of the nails. The nail clipping procedure should be performed at least once a month. It is advisable to treat all irregularities with a nail file.

• Oral hygiene. Dwarf cats have very strong gums, they rarely have inflammation. Pets should brush their teeth twice a week. To do this, you need to buy toothpaste and a cat brush.

• Toilet. Owners rarely have trouble training their pets to litter boxes. It is enough just once to show the munchkins their new toilet, after which they will relieve themselves only there. It is not necessary to comply with certain requirements when choosing a toilet, the main thing is that it fits the size of the cat.

• Walked. These pets are pets, so they do not need to walk often. It is not recommended to let cats out on the street unattended. It is better to walk them using a harness.

The number of meals and the amount of servings directly depends on the age of the munchkins. Newborn kittens should be fed at least 5 times a day. From 4 months, the number of meals should be reduced to 3 times a day. Their diet should consist of meat, cereals and low-fat fermented milk products. At the age of one, the pet should usually eat 2 times a day. You can add boneless fish and vegetables to the diet of an adult cat. Pet owners often use foods that contain all the nutrients they need. It is preferable to buy premium food.

Foods that should be included in Munchkin's daily diet:

• natural fermented milk products;
• lean meat;
• fish (herring, trout, salmon);
• vegetables (except potatoes);
• egg yolk;
• offal (preferably liver).

Before serving food to your pet, it is recommended to boil vegetables, meat and fish and add any of these products to the porridge. Munchkins are hard to assimilate plant foods.

You should be aware that food from the human table is not suitable for these pets. We bring to your attention a list of unwanted foods in the diet of munchkins:

• canned foods;
• bakery products;
• beans;
• salty and fatty foods;
• pasta.

The daily allowance can be calculated by the weight of the animal.

Short-legged cats are not prone to serious illness. Even genetic diseases are not terrible for the Munchkins. They have very strong immunity and, with proper care, practically do not get sick.

The characteristic and only genetic disease of short-legged cats is presented in the form of lordosis of the vertebral part of the skeleton. With such a defect, pets may suffer from stretching in the thoracic region. This pathology can also provoke additional diseases. They usually concern internal organs. The most vulnerable are the heart and lungs.

Animals with various genetic abnormalities are at risk. Also, lordosis can affect an obese cat. For this reason, you need to carefully monitor the diet of the animal. It is strictly forbidden to overfeed it and deviate from recommendations related to food.

It is interesting to know that Munchkin cats should be much larger than cats. Their muscles are usually much better developed than those of the opposite sex. Disadvantages of the breed can be expressed in cats with too large and round eyes. A very large head is also a defect in the short-legged variety. The protruding thoracic region is also not an advantage of the breed. Munchkins should have a short nose.

Snub-nosedness is already considered a deviation, the same can be said about a too long nose. Another deviation from the breed standard is considered to be a stocky body. A cat with curly hair will never be able to get a title.

On domestic sites, you can find a few reviews about pets of the Munchkin breed. This is because these animals were brought to Russia only 18 years ago and have not yet become widespread. The owners of these cats emphasize that it is best to purchase a short-haired munchkin. This is because caring for them is not difficult. With long hair, you still have to tinker a little and spend a lot of time combing and untangling it, as well as bathing the animal.

Many owners buy a scratching post for their pets to spend less time caring for them. But still, it happens that their nail plate grows back too quickly.

As mentioned earlier, the animal's diet must be carefully monitored. In the choice of products, the owners came to a common opinion and usually buy dry food or natural products of the first freshness for their pets.

You need to closely monitor the amount of portions of animals and give adult cats food no more than 2 times a day. Some owners have experienced the obesity of their pets, which was provoked by a violation of the diet. Munchkins have very good health and slight deviations from the norm are not dangerous for them, which cannot be said about obesity. It can cause lordosis, which in turn can negatively affect the heart muscle.

Basically on the Internet you can find a few, but positive reviews about the breed of short-legged cats. In leaving, they are rather picky, you just need to adhere to the basic recommendations for their content.

For more information about Munchkin cats, see the next video.