The main purpose of
this
page on this well known cat is to present the rather technical
TICA breed standard in a more readable manner for people who are not in
the cat fancy. What better way to do this than by presenting Helmi
Flick's fine photograph annotated with parts of the breed standard. I
also look at genetics and other people's views. Please visit my
original
page on this breed. The
dwarf cats, generally, are controversial but many people like the dwarf
breeds
and the Munchkin is the best known and founding breed. The
controversial nature of this breed (breeding from a genetic defect
-
dwarfism) means that many cat registries neither recognize the Munchkin
cat nor any of the dwarf cat breeds, of which there are many (please go
here and scroll down to see
links to them all). Our visitors like to hear from people who have
first hand experience of this cat breed. Please share it: Submission Form.
Just to remind ourselves, the
Munchkin cat breed started in Rayville, Louisiana, USA when Sandra
Hochenedel found two cats that looked like ferrets under a pick up
truck trying to escape a bulldog. They were both pregnant. Well
that is the story I heard1. One cat was
grey, the other black. Sandra called the grey one Blueberry and the
black one Blackberry. She gave Blueberry away and kept Blackberry who
had her kittens. One of the kittens was a dwarf male cat, which she
named Toulouse after the welll known French artist, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who
had short legs. Interestingly Toulouse-Lautrec's congental health
problems were a result of inbreeding; his parents were first cousins.
He had a disorder that was similar to achondroplasia, which is the disease that makes dwarf cats what they are (read more on this). Anyway back to the cats!
Toulouse
was given to a friend, Kay LaFrance (very aptly) of Monroe, Louisiana.
He spread his seed. There have been many other examples of naturally
occuring dwarf cats but all are practically unknown to history.
As I
mention on the
original page on this breed, it is said that the
dwarf cats are generally healthy; perhaps more healthy than the American
Curl as an example (which is
accepted by the most conservative
of cat associations, the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA)). Yet the only
associations accepting the Munchkin is The International Cat
Association, by far the biggest to accept this breed (TICA) and the
Southern Africa Cat Council
and the Waratah National Cat Alliance in Australia (I am not aware of
any others but please advise ).
For TICA to accept this breed and allow it to progress to the level of
Championship Breeds indicates that a body of cat fancy experts
have agreed that this cat is generally healthy, as stated.
Championship breed level is the highest level progressing from
Preliminary New Breeds, Advanced New Breeds, Non-Championship Breeds.
Perhaps one factor in TICA registering and progressing this breed (once
the health issues were out of the way) is its popularity. There is no
denying that the very cute and cuddly appearance appeals to a large
number of cat lovers. And you know, it has been a long journey since
the creation of the breed in the 1980s to the present state of full
acceptance by one of the major cat associations.
As
an aside, I received an email from a Munchkin cat breeder, Fiona
Douglas, in Victoria, Australia, who says this (make what you will of
it). I have published it verbatim for accuracy and it is of public
interest to cat breeders:The Victorian (Australia)
Governing Council of Cat Fanciers (or similar wording) also accepts
Munchkins. On a less positive note, I wish to draw your attention to
new legislation in the State of Victoria (only) that has possibly made
the perpetuation of the Munchkin breed illegal. The Heritable Diseases
law (under the Animal Welfare Act) came into place in June
2009. It names just three diseases of cats which are illegal to
perpetuate (effectively): Munchkin, Scottish Fold and cats with PKD. As
a Munchkin breeder, you can imagine the shock (dismay?) of this,
especially considering the genetic robustness of this breed, outcrossed
(as they are) to long legged cats and as a result arguably having the
most robust genetic health of the entire cat fancy! The outlawed
condition they have linked to the Munchkin is 'hypoplasia' so I am busy
trying to determine if hypoplasia is different to the Munchkin genetics. We must recognize the
determination and stamina of the breeders at The Dwarf Cat Association.
They have gone on to produce rexed (curly haired) and curled eared
Munchkin cats. All the dwarf cat breeds, links to which can be found on
this
page, are founded on the
Munchkin.
More on TICA Breed Standard
So, back to TICA breed standard. The large image touches on this
standard. All colors and patterns are allowed as are all divisions and
all categories. Galadrial, above, is a Calico
cat or in more accurate language
a Tortoiseshell and White cat (see Tortoiseshell cats).
Out of an available 100 points, the head (and ears etc.) and body shape
take 80% of the points. The remainder goes to the texture (10%) and
length (10%) of the coat. The body is described as, "thick
semi-foreign". A foreign shaped body is one that is slender and
athletic (my words). The only cat body shape more slender and thin is
an "oriental" body shape. So, a semi-foreign, I would suggest, is
between foreign and the more sturdy semi-cobby. The lines should be
long and boning medium. And the body should not be compact. The back of
this cat slopes gently outwards from shoulders to the tail. The chest
should be well rounded. See a page dedicated to cat
body types.
TICA breed standard further says that the muzzle should be, "gentle
with moderate contours" and in proportion to the head. If the
whisker pads are prominent this is acceptable. The Munchkin cat nose
should be of medium length and a slight bump is deemed acceptable. The
neck should have firm musculature. The boning of the Munchkin cat is
medium but not too bulky. The feet are round and compact and in
proportion to the body. They should point forward and not to the side.
Some Genetics - courtesy
Wikipedia (modified) under
license
And what about genetics? Just a reminder. The gene that produces the
dwarf characteristics is autosomal
dominant.
Only kittens that are heterozygous
grow to be Muchkin cats.
In the charts below (Punnett squares) the letter M
represents the dominant Munchkin gene while the lower case m
represents the recessive normal gene. The charts show the
chances of a mating resulting in the creation of a Munchkin cat.
Kittens that carry
two
copies of the Munchkin gene (MM)
don't survive. Those that carry
1 Munchkin gene and 1 normal gene
(Mm)
will become Munchkins. Offspring that have two normal genes (mm)
will develop as normal cats. Mm
Munchkin offspring
will pass on the Munchkin gene to their offspring.
Normal mm
cats will not do this. They don't have a copy of the Munchkin gene.
For each kitten
born from this mating, there is a one in four chance that it will be
non-viable (born dead),
a one in four chance it will be normal, and a one in two chance it will
be a Munchkin
cat.
Mating
a Munchkin with a normal cat:
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For each kitten
born from this mating, there is a 0% chance it will
be non-viable (unless it has a different, unrelated condition), a 50%
chance it will be normal, and a 50% chance it will be a Munchkin.
Gloria Stephens -
her viewpoint
Gloria Stephens,
the author of Legacy of
the Cat
has been:
- a full Allbreed
judge
- on the ACFA
Jurisprudence Committee
- on TICA she has
been:
- Allbreed Judge
- full instructor
- judging
administrator
- genetics
instructor
- genetics
committee member and
- judiciary
committee member
Cats
have always been a part of her
life. I'll refer to her comments about this cat where they add to the
above and other pages on this site. Her view on dwarf cats and the
Munchkin cat is this. She first had "misgivings" about the Munchkin
cat. She says that she felt sorry for the cat. She was unsure whether
this cat could lead a normal life. Gloria says that she changed her
mind when a Munchkin became a cat companion. She found that her
Munchkin was, in summary, a very athletic cat and became a treasured
companion. In describing this cat she says that the legs are
thicker than those of long-legged cats. At the time she wrote
her
book, Legacy
of the Cat (published
2000), Gloria mentions that the
body conformation was still under discussion; to be either
semi-foreign (as mentioned above) or semi-cobby (the next size/shape up
so to speak).
Gloria makes the point that the Munchkin cat has a slightly comical
gait. As for the front legs, one foot is placed in front of
the
other when walking. The rear sways from side to side. The head is
almost an
equilateral triangle (see the Japanese
Bobtail breed standard for a
head that is an equilateral triangle
plus explanation). The Munchkin, Gloria says, has a great temperament;
a very sweet cat. They can stand on their hind legs and look around a
little like Meerkats.
What TICA says about the Munchkin cat
This is a highly
summarized version of TICA's
comments on this cat breed:
- surprisingly
they say this cat is built for speed.
The cat must be, on average, slower than normal leg length cats (my
comment).
- full of energy
- their short legs
make them more able to manoeuvre
- highly playful
- love to run and
chase
- small to medium
in size (5-9 lbs - see largest
domestic cat breed)
- no spinal
problems as seen in similar dog breeds such
as Corgis and Dachshunds.
From
Munchkin Cat to Dwarf Cats and Miniature Cats
1. 100 Cats Who Changed Civilisation - History's Most Influential Felines - by Sam Stall
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