Munchkin Cat Picture

Munchkin dwarf cat  - Photograph copyright Helmi Flick

A rare munchkin cat picture by the well known cat photographer, Helmi Flick. The Munchkin is the best known of all the dwarf cats as it is the first and founding breed. The dwarf cats are normal sized cats except for leg length. The genetic mutation that causes shortening of the legs is dominant. In a litter, half will be dwarf cats if only one of the parents is a dwarf cat. It is bad practice to breed dwarf cat to dwarf cat for health reasons. This is (was?) a controversial cat breed because of the perceived health issues. I discuss these on this page. The are no detrimental side effects breeders say. It depends partly on the breeder. Dr. Fogle (Encyclopedia of the Cat - Definitive Visual Guide) says that dwarf dog breeds suffer from back and hip problems. And other dwarf animals can suffer from arthritis. Neither of these are reported to affect dwarf cats. There are three types of Munchkin graded by leg length: super shorts, rug-huggers and minis. The last type are the shortest and are also called Mei Toi. Read more...