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Munchkins are naturally occurring dwarf cats,
which means they have unusually
short legs. The breed as we know it today
began in Rayville, Louisiana. In 1983
music teacher Sandra Hochenedel discovered
two cats hiding under a pickup truck
where they had been cornered by a bulldog.
Hochenedel rescued the cats and took
them home, later noticing two things—both
were pregnant, and both had short,
stubby legs. She called them Munchkins after
the little people in The Wizard of Oz.
She kept Blackberry, the black cat, and gave
away Blueberry, the gray. When
Blackberry produced her first litter,
Hochenedel gave one short-legged kitten,
named
Toulouse, to her friend Kay LaFrance, who
lived in Monroe, Louisiana.
Since LaFrance’s cats were allowed free
access to the outdoors and were not
altered, a feral population of Munchkins
occurred around Monroe, where they
apparently competed very well with their
long-legged friends for prey and mating
opportunities.
Hochenedel and LaFrance contacted Dr. Solveig
Pflueger, chairperson of TICA’s
genetics committee in USA. Her studies
determined that the short legs were the
result of a dominant genetic mutation
affecting the long bones of the legs. This
mutation apparently occurred spontaneously
within the feline gene pool. Any cat that
possesses this gene will exhibit the short
legs. A cat that has received the Munchkin
gene from one parent will produce Munchkin
kittens at an approximate ratio of one
Munchkin to one normal kitten.
Cats with short legs are not new to the
scientific world: An English
 Veterinary
Record
of 1944, contains an entry by Dr H.E.Williams-Jones
who describes four generations
of cats with short limbs, including an 8 1/2
year old black female, documented as
having had an extremely healthy life. Her
dam, great dam, and some of her progeny
were similar in appearance. The cat’s
movements were described as ferret-like, but
other than the short legs the cats were
reported to be normal in every way.
Unfortunately, these cats seem to have
disappeared during World War II, not
surprising in that many feline bloodlines,
even established ones, disappeared
completely during this period of deprivation.
In 1956, Max Von Egon Thiel of Hamburg,
Germany, described a cat that he had first
seen in Stalingrad in 1953. The cat had
unusually short legs but was in no way
functionally hindered and was seen playing
among its normal siblings and other
young cats. At times it was noted to sit on
its haunches with it’s front legs in the air,
similar to the alert stance of a rabbit.
Because of this behaviour,
the cat was dubbed the “Stalingrad kangaroo
cat” by the author. The day before he
was to return to Germany, the cat was taken
away by a Russian physician and there
is no further information about the cat
available. However, based on the description,
this undoubtedly represents the same trait
seen previously in Great Britain.
In a paper published by Dr Pflueger, (Jan
’99), she states: “One concern I had when I
first began working with Munchkins in 1990,
was that there might be a risk for
malformed homozygous kittens. This was not an
unreasonable fear based on the
lethality of homozygous achondroplasia in
humans. However, I have bred Munchkin
to Munchkin, including very close inbreeding,
without producing anything vaguely
resembling the phenotype of homozygous
achrondroplasia. There is sufficient data at
this point to suggest that abnormal
homozygotes similar to human achondroplasia
are unlikely to appear with future breedings.”
She further states, “I believe that
Munchkins are happy healthy cats and that
they have a future as a Championship
breed. I am not aware of any reason that
would lead me to believe otherwise.”
In 1995, Munchkins were first recognized as a
new breed in the States under The
International Cat Association and are now
recognised in many countries around the
world. According to Laurie Bobskill, breeder
and president of the International
Munchkin Society, 19 separate Munchkin-like
mutations have been found in the
United States, all unrelated to Blackberry’s
lines. Breeders find this encouraging,
because it gives credence to the contention
that this mutation is a viable variation of
Felis catus. Ironically, the controversy
surrounding the breed, likened to the sports
car of the cat fancy, has contributed to its
growing popularity. Because of articles in
The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and
other publications, public demand
for Munchkins has been great, the waiting
lists long, and the supply limited.
 NZ History
Munchkins have been bred in New Zealand since
1997 and were accepted for
registration by CATZ Inc in 2001, having been
turned down for recognition by the NZCF on two previous occasions. In their
first show season under CATZ Inc. they were
shown in the New Breed and Colour class and
were then accepted into
Championship in 2003. They have proved to be
extremely popular with the Judges
from Australia and the USA as well as NZ. The
public are smitten too and love
watching these plucky little cats strutting
up and down the cat walk and sitting like
meerkats on their haunches!
One example, a female named “Shortland Little
Bow Peep” not only gained the title
of Grand Champion but in 2003, became the 5th
Best National Championship Cat in
New Zealand.
Agility
Munchkins love to wrestle and play with their
long-legged feline friends, happily
unaware that there’s anything different about
them. Nor do their feline companions
treat them like members of the vertically
challenged. Munchkins also adore dogs
both big and small. One owner reported that
her Munchkin likes to hide and then
leap out on her dog’s back and manages to
hang on while the dog races round the
room!
Fanciers assert Munchkins can do anything an
ordinary cat can do, except leap to
the top of the bookcase. (Well, that is until
recently when it was reported that one
Munchkin spied an Ostrich feather on the top
shelf of a six foot bookcase and
shimmed up there without any trouble
whatsoever, although her descent with feather
firmly clenched in her jaws, was not quite so
graceful!) Many Munchkins can jump
onto the kitchen counter, while others take a
more scenic route.
There is something indefinable about a
Munchkin – you really have to see them for
yourself to understand their appeal. Maybe
it’s a maternal thing; a kitten that never
grows up. They appear to be small and
vulnerable and tend to melt one’s heart.
Truth is that they are strong and robust,
evidenced by their agility, speed over the
ground and, for their height, extremely
powerful jumpers!
Personality
For their part, Munchkins, oblivious to the
controversy surrounding them, go on being
just what they are—cats—self-assured and
outgoing. Munchkins are also known as
“magpies,” often borrowing small, shiny
objects and stash them away for later play.
These little ‘rug-huggers’ have more than
their fair share of curiosity and there is no
part of the home that does not get thoroughly
explored and investigated.
As well as having sweet natures, Munchkins
are affectionate, outgoing and
intelligent. They love company, especially
that of children with whom they seem to
be especially popular. They are exceptionally
playful and get along well with other
cats, dogs and pets. And yes, they are
amusing to watch which is a real bonus in
anyone’s life. Proficient hunters, Munchkins
love a good game of catnip mouse or
feather teaser, but when playtime is over,
they want a warm lap to snuggle into and
strokes from a loving hand, like any other
domestic cat.
Photos © T.McCabe
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Ratings out of 10 |
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Compatibility:
-Children
-Other Pets
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9 |
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Grooming |
3 |
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Affection |
9 |
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Playfulness |
9 |
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Attention Need |
9 |
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Healthiness |
7 |
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Independence |
7 |
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Activity Level |
8 |
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Vocality |
3 |
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Intelligence |
8 |
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Thank you to
Catz Incorprated for letting us use their Cat Profile
Cat Profile Supplied by:
Catz Incorprated
New Zealand National Registry for Cats
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