Cat breeds
Munchkin
The short-legged sprinter
The Munchkin's short legs come from a natural genetic mutation; the rest of the cat is a normal size. They are quick, curious and perfectly agile — they simply take the corners rather closer to the ground than most cats do.
Written with reference to The International Cat Association (TICA). Munchkin on TICA
History
Short-legged cats are nothing new — they have turned up in many parts of the world over the years. In 1944 a British veterinary report by Dr H. E. Williams-Jones recorded four generations of them, including a healthy eight-year-old black female whose mother, grandmother and kittens were all built the same way; the length of their legs was the only thing that set them apart from other cats. That line was lost during the Second World War, but the trait kept resurfacing — Stalingrad (1956), New England (1970) and Louisiana (the 1980s).
The breed as we know it began in 1983, when Sandra Hochenedel came across a pregnant short-legged female. She called her Blackberry, and Blackberry became the foundation of the Munchkin.
Personality
Confident, playful and quick. Munchkins are not slowed down by the legs: they sprint, corner hard and climb perfectly well, simply lower to the ground than most cats.
Did you know?
They frequently sit up on their haunches with the front paws tucked, a posture the breed's fanciers call the meerkat — it is how a Munchkin gets a better view.
Meet our Munchkin cats
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