Pronunciation: Munch-kin basic description: - Munchkin cats, also known as sausage cats (for some reason) are a breed of cat well known for their short Hight, which is often caused by a genetic mutation. compared to other cat breeds, the munchkin cat is a relatively new breed, documented since 1940s and officially recognized in 1991. The Munchkin is considered to be the original breed of dwarf cat. (more on that later) characteristics: - The Munchkin has similar characteristics to normal domestic cats, due to their frequent use as outcrosses (the technique of crossing between different breeds. This is the practice of introducing distantly related genetic material into a breeding line, thereby increasing genetic diversity.). - the munchkin cat is a small to medium-sized cat with a moderate body type and medium-plush coat. with male munchkins typically being larger to female munchkins. they can come in all different pelt colors to, meaning they are not restricted to a specific look, and some can even come in long furred verities. The short-haired variety has a medium-plush coat while the long-haired has a semi-long silky coat. Health problems they may face: - It is not fully known how the mutation impacts the health of the munchkin cat breed. Having only been officially introduced in 1991, the breed is still considered a young breed. it was originally thought that munchkin cats would develop spinal problems, much similarly to corgis and dachshunds. however, in 1995 several breeders had their oldest Munchkins X-rayed and examined for signs of joint or bone problems and found none. this is likely due to a cat's spinal structure being different from a dogs, that being typically more flexible. dwarf cat stuff: - A dwarf cat is a domestic cat with dwarfism due to rare genetic mutations causing a disproportionate feline body and significant health problems. most of these problems having to relate with spinal issues and stunted growth. this can happen in more than just cats too, dogs and many other animals have the posibility of having dwarfism. bits and extra I'm aware of: - munchkin cats have no problem running around most of the time, but due to the munchkin cat's shorter structure, they are unable to jump high. Please understand that while I have read all of this information and tried my best to explain it, Please go learn more from either someone experience in medical research or a website with more information! Research links I used: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchkin_cat (I tried to find one that was not the wiki but that was the best I could find ;-;)
