When I first heard of the munchkin, I assumed it was a single new breed of cat. And because I do a lot of research for this blog, I often stumble across all sorts of interesting facts and trivia about cats. Last week I learned that there are actually eight munchkin cat breeds. There’s the Kinkalow, which is a cross between the munchkin and the American curl. This breed was established in 1994 and named for the kink in the cat’s ears and the fact that the cat is low to the ground.
The Bambino is a cross between the munchkin and the sphinx. This cat, established in 2005, is hairless. Add the American curl to this combination and you have the Dwelf.
In 2006, the Genetta was introduced. This is a cross between a munchkin, a Bengal and a Savannah. The Genetta is more exotic looking as it is spotted.
The Lambkin is a cross between a munchkin and a Selkirk Rex. Established in 1991, this is basically a munchkin with a curly coat. The Napoleon is a munchkin bred with a Persian. In 2015 the name of this cute cat was changed to Minuet.
The smallest of the Munchkin breed is the 3-7 pound Skookum. Established in 1990s by breeding the Munchkin with the La Perm. The Skookum has a curly coat. More information and photos here: https://catvills.com/8-munchkin-cat-breeds/
The Munchkin breed, of course, was developed from a mutation. The first breeding began in the 1980s and the cats were originally known as Kangaroo cats. For additional information on the Munchkin, here’s an interesting link. http://mentalfloss.com/article/80011/7-short-facts-about-munchkin-cats
I know someone with a Munchkin and they absolutely adore this sweet, comical, interesting little cat. And as you can see, this kitty likes water.
