The Munchkin is a naturally occurring domestic cat breed characterized by unusually short legs. A spontaneous change in the genetic heritage of the cat has introduced a gene which is similar to that seen in the Bassett Hound, Corgi, and Dachshund, which the Munchkin closely resembles in body style. The Munchkin is a product of nature rather than a man-made breed. Because of the autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, a cat with the Munchkin gene will produce kittens with the same short legs.

In 1983 Sandra Hochenedel, then living in Louisiana, was looking for a new cat. What she found was a pregnant black female (since named Blackberry) with short legs living under a pick-up truck. In her first litter and in each subsequent litter, Blackberry passed the trait of her short legs on to about half of her kittens. One of Blackberry's sons, Toulouse, was given to a woman named Kay LaFrance, who established a colony of Munchkins on her Louisiana plantation. The present Munchkins are descendents of Blackberry and Toulouse, although other Munchkins have been sighted in New York and in Boston.

Although the Munchkins have only recently been discovered by the cat fancy, cats with short legs are not new to the scientific world. 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. Unfortunately, these cats seem to have disappeared during World War II, not surprising in that many established feline bloodlines were markedly depleted and some disappeared completely during this period of deprivation. Available stock was apparently altered and the line was not preserved so far as may be determined.

In the 1956 Zoologischer Anzeiger, Max Egon Theil of Hamburg, Germany, 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. The day before the author 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.

Although the short legged cats from Europe seem to have disappeared, the trait reappeared in New England in the 1970's and in Louisiana in the 1980's. From a pregnant black female short legged cat found by Sandra Hochenedel in 1983, several colonies have been established which now span multiple generations. The breeding data clearly support an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. The cats exhibit shortening and bowing of the long bones similar to that seen in the Dachshund and the Corgi, but no other skeletal changes associated with the gene. The spine is usually indistinguishable from that of other cats.

At this point there is no evidence to suggest that the gene for short legs hampers survival or quality of life, which is consistent with the British and Russian/German reports of these cats. Careful study of the short legged cats is being undertaken by Dr. Solveig Pflueger, a clinical geneticist at Baystate Medical Center and on the faculty of Tufts University School of Medicine, and Dr. David Biller, a veterinary radiologist at Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine, in order to evaluate further the inheritance and expression of the short legged trait and the resultant changes in skeletal structure through the natural lifespan of the cat. The results of these studies will ultimately determine the feasibility of establishing the breed within the cat fancy.

So far as has been determined, Munchkins are healthy cats without any unusual problems. Despite the short legs, Munchkins run extremely fast, bounding like ferrets at full speed. They are able to climb trees and curtains as well as any other cat. However, some do not jump as high (while some seem to) because the shorter back legs do not give the same degree of leverage. Although Munchkins can jump easily up on a bed, chair, dresser, windowsill, the kitchen counter top is not always attainable. Whether this is a significant disadvantage depends on one's individual point of view.

Because the Munchkin's background is the general cat population, the Munchkin tends to be a pretty regular cat. Although the Munchkin is amusing to watch and the body resembles a ferret more than a cat, the personality is all cat and then some. For some reason, they tend to be very affectionate and people-oriented, seemingly more so than the average non-Munchkin. They readily accept a harness and leash and seem to enjoy taking their owners for walks. The Munchkin is a very sociable creature and enjoys company. Friendly and self-assured, the Munchkin gets along well with other cats, dogs, and people. Despite the short legs, the Munchkin is definitely not shortchanged in either personality or intelligence.

From the standpoint of the cat fancy, Munchkins are still very new. As a breed, the Munchkin was first introduced to the public on national network television in conjunction with the Madison Square Garden INCATS TICA show in 1991. Except for UFO, they have not yet been recognized for championship competition. However, there is a growing interest in these unusual cats, and it is felt that acceptance will come with time once genetics and effects of the short legged trait are better understood. Developing a new variety of cat to the point of championship competition is a lengthy process, and the Munchkin as a breed is only just beginning.

At present the supply of Munchkins is still very limited and there is often a waiting list for kittens. People are actively working to develop the breed, and Munchkins will be available. Prices for pets and breeders are comparable to the more common established cat breeds, and the price of a given cat should be based on its quality rather than the fact that Munchkins are still very rare and the demand far exceeds the present supply.