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MUNCHKINS Christine Brelsford April 2007
Contact Australian Munchkin Breeders
Munchkins are a relatively new breed of cat with cute short legs. They are fun loving, intelligent and very people orientated cats, they love to be handled and make the ideal pet in any situation. Yes they are an ideal pet for an apartment or smaller house because they are shorter and a small to medium cat. Their short legs do not in any way restrict their agility or mobility. Don't be fooled that your kitchen benches are safe if they can't jump that high, and many can, they work out ways to get there. Our Munchkins have managed to get into the highest places without any trouble! History In the 1944 Veterinary Record (Great Britain), Dr. H. E. Williams-Jones described four generations of cats with short limbs, including an 8-1/2 year old black female reported as having had an extremely healthy life. Her dam, great dam, and some of her progeny were similar in short-legged appearance. The cat's movements were described as ferret-like, but other than the short legs, the cat was reported to be normal in every way. Like so many other breeds they disappeared during the Second World War. In 1956 Max Egon Theil described a cat he had seen in Stalingrad that had unusually short legs but was in no way functionally hindered. This cat was seen playing among its normal siblings and other young cats. At times it was noted to sit on its haunches with its front legs in the air, similar to the alert stance of a rabbit. Because of this behavior, the cat was dubbed the "Stalingrad Kangaroo Cat" by the author. Later sighting were recorded in New England USA during the 1970's.
In 1983, a short-legged cat, later
named Blackberry, was discovered by Sandra Hochenedel in
Louisiana, and from her today's Munchkin breed was born.
Blackberry's first and subsequent litters consisted of about
half short-legged and half long-legged kittens. A son from
one of Blackberry's litters, Toulouse, was given to Kay
LaFrance, a friend of Hochenedel. It is from Blackberry and
Toulouse that today's Munchkin breed is descended.
Munchkins owe their short legs to a
naturally-occurring genetic mutation, and not from human
manipulation. Munchkins can be crossed with Domestics, and several other breeds to create cats with a delightful range of coat types, colours and patterns. They have outgoing friendly personalities, and love to be around people.  They tend to be small cats, both in length and height, and so are are ideal for apartments and children. They are very agile and can run and jump, though often not quite so high as other cats. They are well behaved, easy to care for and have no known health problems. An enormous amount of research has been carried out by well respected vets and Cat researchers, Dr. Solveig Pflueger and Gloria Stephens to name just two, to ensure that Munchkins are a sound breed.
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The gene responsible for the breed's short legs
has been likened to the same one that gives Dachshunds and Welsh
Corgis their diminutive stature. However, since the spine of a
cat is physically different from that of a dog, Munchkins do not
suffer the spinal problems sometimes associated with those
canine breeds. 
