Munchkin ~ Tortie with White
Munchkin
|
|
|
|
Munchkin ~ Tortie with White
|
Munchkin
|
| A long body and short legs, like a Dachshund In 1991 in New York's Madison Square Garden, a strange cat with short legs was shown. It was nicknamed the "Dachshund cat" or "Basset cat." Already by the 1930s, cats of the same type were reported in England but forgotten during World War II. A specimen was described in Stalingrad in 1953. These cats are named after the inhabitants of Munchkin Land in Fleming's famous movie The Wizard of Oz (1939). The ancestors of today's Munchkins are descended from Blackberry, a black cat found in Louisiana around 1982. The gene responsible for short legs, the basis for this spontaneous mutation, is dominant. T.I.C.A. recognized the breed in 1995 and published a standard the same year. The first Munchkins arrived in France in 1993. |
| Munchkins are sociable and affectionate cats. Despite the short legs, Munchkins can run, climb, and jump -- though not as high as their long-legged cousins. Their movements are described as being similar to that of ferrets. |
|
Head
:
|
Shaped like an equilateral triangle with rounded contours. Rounded skull. Flat forehead. Cheeks can be broad, particularly in males. Slender muzzle with a slight break (u). Moderately long nose. Firm but not prominent chin. |
|
Eyes
:
|
Medium large. Walnut-shaped. Placed rather wide apart to give an open and alert expression, and at a slight angle toward the base of the ears. No relationship between coat and eye color. Deeper, more vivid colors preferred. |
|
Ears
:
|
Medium to medium large (in proportion with head). Broader at base, ending in slightly rounded tips. Placed as much on top of the head as on the sides; not flaring; alert. |
|
Neck
:
|
Medium in length, thick. Firmly muscled. Not extremely long nor overly short and thick. |
|
Body
:
|
Medium-sized. Round chest. Broad shoulders. Spine as flexible as in other breeds. Moderate to heavy bone and muscle structure. |
|
Paw
:
|
Short, medium-boned, very muscular. Medium-sized, round, compact paws. |
|
Tail
:
|
Moderately thick, tapering to a round tip. Well-furnished, held high and very straight in motion. |
|
Coat
:
|
Two varieties: - shorthaired - semilonghaired Silky texture, moderate undercoat. All colors are recognized. |
|
Fault
:
|
Too stocky. Weakness in the back. Arched, too heavily boned paws. Low, prominent sternum. Lockets or white buttons. |
|
Character
:
|
While the Munchkin's short legs do not hinder the cat's mobility, they do prevent it from jumping as high as other cats. Active, lively, and playful, Munchkins are very sociable and affectionate. They adore their owner. They are easy to groom, especially the shorthaired variety. |