I’m really shocked at how personal everyone on here is getting. I’m also shocked by people’s apathy. All of the information about this ‘breed’ is available on the internet. Including the fact that ‘munchkin’ cats as a breed are not accepted by most cat breeders because it is seen as a genetic defect. Those are just the facts….everyone is entitled to their own opinion on them. I’m not sure why people are so eager to shut people up. What’s wrong with a good debate sometimes? It keeps you on your toes and informed.

Oh, i forgot to say, my legs are due to a genetic problem. The allele is dominant, children i have will 99% certainly get exactly the same thing.

Should i ‘breed’ or not? After all, i may inflict my problems on a new generation.

I said it last time everyone trotted out to discuss this topic so i may as well recycle it.

I have an almost identical condition to these cats. Shortened legs and deformed feet, it makes me short….that’s it.
However there are still people who look on me with pity, even though my quality of life is perfectly fine and i’m loved by my family, i hve loads of friends and i’m doing well at university etc.
Take the kiities at face value and as individuals, they are well cared for and cute. The munchkin “breed” is another issue and possibly not one that belongs on here.

And if you pity me i *will* kick you in the head. Short legs or no.

Give that poor kitty a spot on teh couch already!! Can’t take it…kitteh… so… cute.. omahgoodness… *implodes* x_X

Whoops — rereading the original post, I guess I should have said that these are not “just” Munchkins. Munchkins do not normally have folded ears; their ears are normally upright. Yeah.

Munchy Munchersons — thank you for that post.

I just want to mention, in case anyone is reading this and doesn’t know yet — because I haven’t seen it explicitly seen posted before, and I think some people might get confused: This cat is NOT “just” a Scottish Fold!! Scottish Folds have LONG, normal legs, just like a regular cat. The ONLY difference is the ears, which are folded.

Scottish Folds do NOT have health problems unless a fold-eared cat is bred to another fold-eared cat. In this case, the kittens risk getting two copies of the gene and risk getting the problems posted in the AVA report above. This is a BIG no-no among Scottish Fold breeders and only the most disreputable breeders would do this. I don’t know much about Munchkins, but from what I have read, they have far, far less problems than Dachshound dogs do. (Of course ALL breeds are subject to the potential problems wrought by inbreeding for the show circuit; I speak here only of problems stemming from their mutations.)

The kittens in these videos are crosses between Scottish Folds and Munchkins. Munchkin cats have achondroplastic dwarfism, which makes their legs short. This is the same as dwarf bunnies and dwarf people, but NOT the same as Dachshounds, which have been bred to have short legs over many generations. Munchkins and Scottish Folds both have disorders of the cartilage, which is why most breeders will NOT breed them together to produce the kittens in these videos. I notice that all videos I have seen of these “Munchkin/Folds” are from Japan, and as far as I know NO American breeders are attempting to work with this cross due to the potential health problems.

That all having been said, these cats seem healthy, and they are also the cutest damn things I have ever seen. If it is possible to breed these guys without health problems … I want one I’m not willing to risk inflicting health problems on a cat to test it out, though. I guess I’ll leave that to the Japanese…..?

Yeah I agree with a lot of people here…these kittens look just over-done. :[ cats are supposed to be long and lean

*consoles Kara*

It’s okay. The nuffer didn’t mean to steal your bleen. Okay, I lurve Munchkins. But my dad’s allergic to cats. *curses paternal unit*

Anywhoo, Laurie: Munchkins are cute. Like Dachyshunds. They are NOT abandoned onto the streets like second-class citizens because – believe it or not – they are valuable. People are much more likely to take them back to the breeder if they feel they cannot handle a cat they bought. Stray cats – they’re a bad thing, but the thing is these cats are highly unlikely to be abandoned. And, I know, I know, there are some monsters out there who drown kittens and whatnot, but THOSE are the REAL irresponsible breeders, not the people who merely breed cats who have a genetic mutation. Would you go up to a person with Dwarfism and tell them not to have kids because their children could inherit the condition and the whole cycle would continue and more and more people will enjoy a low quality of life? No. Because they haven’t been made of purpose. It is one of nature’s hiccups – they are disabled, if you will. They need kind and loving people to look after them, which they will, for they are in fairly high demand.

Right now, I’m gonna go watch the videos again (the second one kills me. Just looking bereftly at the comfertehbul shofas which it’s too polite to use… Awww…

*sulking in corner from loss of bleen to nuffer*

Laura–it’s not just you; it’s a genetic mutation. They’re known as “munchkin cats.”

I just wanted to add, for anyone else who’s made it this far and just likes the cuteness, that I recommend checking out the other linked videos for the little marmie. There’s one showing the marmie (and grey friend) trying to catch a shadow that’s quite adorable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPrza0N3cY