History and Origins:
The Munchkin cat breed is new, but it’s not the first short-legged cat ever. In the 1940s a British veterinarian described four generations of healthy cats that had short legs. Sadly, they disappeared during World War II. However, after the war, short-legged cats popped up occasionally in such different places as Stalingrad during the 1950s and New England in the 1970s.

Then, in 1983, a Louisiana music teacher named Sandra Hochenedel found two pregnant short-legged cats hiding under a truck. She kept one and named it Blackberry. Half of Blackberry’s kittens were short-legged. Ms. Hochenedel gave one of those, a male, to her friend Kay LaFrance, who named him Toulouse.

Toulouse wasn’t neutered and was allowed outside. Very soon, a lot more short-legged cats started appearing in the neighborhood. Sandra and Kay now began to realize they had a new breed.

The two women got in touch with Dr. Solveig Pflueger, who chaired the International Cat Association’s genetics committee. Together with radiologist Dr. David Biller of Kansas State University’s veterinarian school, Dr. Pflueger discovered that these cats aren’t like other feline dwarf cats. They have a specific gene for short legs, but otherwise have exactly the same body proportions as a regular cat.

Munchkin cat characteristic

In 1991, the Munchkin cat was introduced to the general public at a televised International Cat Association Show held in Madison Square Garden. Some people immediately fell in love with this adorable little kitty. Others viewed its short legs as a defect and said that breeding them was animal cruelty.

When the International Cat Association accepted Munchkins into its New Breed development program in 1994, one TICA judge resigned in protest, calling Munchkins “an abomination.” Nevertheless, in spite of the controversy or because of it, the Munchkin cat breed immediately became very popular as a pet and also as a show cat.

TICA gave Munchkin cats championship status in 2003. Today, the American Association of Cat Enthusiasts, the UK’s United Feline Organization, the Southern Africa Cat Council, and the Australia Waratah National Cat Alliance also recognize the breed. Other major cat fancier associations still refuse to have anything to do with them.

Size and Physical Characteristics:
Munchkins
Head: Modified wedge, proportionate with body. High cheekbones.
Fur: Short or semi-long; all-weather coat. All colors, including Siamese points.
Adult weight: Males: 6-9 pounds. Females: 4-8 pounds.
Size/shape: Small to medium. Thick, not compact.
Legs: Short, set evenly apart. Hind legs may be a little longer than forelegs.
Tail: As long as body. Not bushy. Carried erect.
Voice: Typical, not excessively loud or quiet. Sometimes chatty.
This breed is a work in progress. Some of the characteristics that make Munchkin cats special will change a little over time, but they do have a very specific breed standard.

The International Cat Association allows outcrossing to domestic longhairs and shorthairs – breeds that have a wide gene pool. As a result, other than their short legs, Munchkins now sport a variety of looks and personalities. Some of them look like miniature versions of other breeds, though TICA only registers Munchkin cats that meet a very specific breed standard.

Munchkin cats are small to medium in size. Some are built really close to the ground, while others have a little more clearance. Informally, they come in three different leg lengths – standard, super-short, and rug-hugger – but the formal TICA standard just calls for legs that are short, symmetrical, and set evenly apart.

TICA/CFA Registered Munckin Kittens For Sale

A Munchkin cat’s head, body, and tail are the same size as in other cats. Whatever its outer appearance, the overall shape of its body should resemble the Siamese shape but not be so long and angular. Munchkins, even those with Siamese points, should be rounded and sturdy, with medium thick bones and good musculature.

Munchkins move easily and are surprisingly nimble. Their backs usually slope upwards a little from the shoulders to the hips. The tail is almost always held straight up – a sign of the Munchkin cat’s lively interest in its world.

This breed’s head is shaped like a wedge and looks like a rounded triangle. The nose and chin are proportionate and don’t stick out very much. In profile, their little noses have a slight inset at the bottom of the forehead. Munchkin ears are broad at the base and rounded at the tip. The ears are big but don’t flare out as much as they do in a Siamese cat. Semi-longhaired Munchkins sometimes have furry ear tufts like a lynx.

Munchkin cats have perky eyes that almost perfectly round and set wide apart. They come in many colors. Unlike some cat breeds, there is no relation between eye and fur color.