| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Colors: | Orange, white, brown, Tortoiseshel, Black |
| Average Size: | Weight: 5-9 pounds (2.2 – 9 kg) Length: Small and Medium |
| Life Span: | 12-14 years |
| Coat: | Long |
| Personality: | Extremely playful, love to run, chase and play with toys |
| Characteristics: | Energy: Active Talkative: Little Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: No |
Munchkin cats are short legged cats and they exist since 1940. These cats are same as normal cats with the difference that they have much shorter legs. Munchkin cats disappeared during the II World War but appeared again in Russia in 1956 (there they were called Stalingrad Kangaroo cats) and in the US in 1970s.
Munchkin cats are a relatively new breed, and they main characteristic are their short legs, caused by a genetic mutation. These cats are very gentle, playful and people oriented. These are intelligent and outgoing cats and like to be well handled. Even though they have short legs, this doesn’t interfere with their ability to run.
Munchkin cats are similar to domestic cats. They are very frequently used for outcrosses. These are small to medium cats with a moderate body type. The males weight between 6 to9 pounds while the females weight from 4 to 8 pounds. Their hind legs are a bit longer than their front legs.
Munchkin cats can appear in many different colors and patterns. There are also longhaired cats which are called Munchkin Longhair that have a semi long silky coat. Shorthaired Munchkins have a medium plush coat.
Spinal problems are very commonly present with short legged breeds; however this is not the case with the Munchkin cats. They are rather healthy cat breed but are known to get chicken pox. Some rare problems that might occur with Munchkin cats are the excessive curvature of their spine and hollowed chest. This is not specific for this breed only, and these are health problems that can appear with any other cat breed.
Munchins have been crossed with other cat breeds in order to produce new cat species. For example, crossing a Munchkin with LaPerm will result in creating the Skookum. By crossing it with Sphynx, the result is Bambino and Minskin. Crossing it with Selkirk Rex will produce the Lambkin, and by crossing it with Himalayan cats and Exotic Shorthair cats will result in creating the Napoleon.
