Munchkin Cats: 6 from Facts and 6 from Experience

So you're considering bringing a Munchkin into your home. Before you rush out the door with your cat carrier, there are some things you need to know

Facts about this breed:

1) An autosomal dominant gene causes the short legs. There is much debate over health problems because the short legs can possibly lead to spinal health problems at some point in their lives.

2) This short-legged cat has been spotted as far back as the 1940's. They come in all colors, height and weight.

3) They are very playful, even mischievous.

4) Munchkins should also be kept in the house because they might not be able to outrun dogs. There are different opinions about his but if you have dogs that dog have the best of intentions toward cats, it would b best to keep them apart. Even if you don't have dogs but live in a remote area where other predators roam in nearby woods, such as coyotes, wolves or large cats.

5) Breeders report them to be good with children.

6) Standard Munchkins are very expensive to buy easily costing $400.00. Non-standard Munchkins, without the short legs, are usually much cheaper and still have the personality that draw people to the breed.

My experiences living with a non-standard Munchkin:

1) My non-standard Munchkin is ten months old. To say that she is 'playful' is a gross understatement. More often than not, she is demanding a play partner. We still haven't found an 'off button'!

2) A cat can fetch better than a dog! You might be asking yourself how you teach a cat to fetch. I can't tell you since our cat started fetching by bringing cat toys to us so we would throw them for her. She will fetch repeatedly until we stop throwing for her.

3) They will wake you in the middle of the night to play. Our cat will sleep until four in the morning and she is ready for day!

4) Like most cats they love to climb. I can't say for sure that it's the breed but friends and families that have other breeds don't have the huge problem we have with our cat climbing. I highly recommend you purchase a cat tree for it to climb. Since our cat has regular length legs, she has no problem climbing the tree but short-legged Munchkins might not be able to climb some types of carpet covered trees.

5) She is fearless. She's not afraid of loud noises like the vacuum cleaner. She views anything as an opportunity for fun and that can be dangerous. It's like having a small child in the house. She will go in any hole or disappear in a dresser drawer if it happens to be open. Trying to find a cat by carefully opening dresser drawers is not something I recommend to anyone!

6) This is a good breed of cat for people who have children. Our cat is gentle with our five year old even when they are playing. She has never scratched out of meanness or irritation. She is very patient with children. She plays chase with our child and seems to understand what it's all about.

Personally, I wanted the playfulness and intelligence that the breed consistently exhibits but I wasn't comfortable with such short legs on a cat, for the cat's well being. We do have dogs outside and even though she never goes outside there's always the chance she could get out. Also, even if there is an outside chance her short legs could cause health problem, that's not a chance I want to take, especially since our cat is a part of our family.