Cat breed with short paws: origin, features, care

Our four-legged tailed friends - dogs - are distinguished by a huge variety of breeds. There are huge ones, on which you can ride, like horses, and miniature ones, which are easy to put in your pocket. There are dogs with a long narrow muzzle, and there are dogs with an upturned short nose. Next to us live short-legged pussies and long-legged, with a tail and without it, with standing ears, hanging and lying. But what about cats? They are also very different, but still the size variations are poorly expressed in comparison with dogs. There are also snuffy purrs, for example, Persian, there are cats with hanging ears (Scottish Folds). There are short-tailed breeds of cats: Japanese Bobtail, Kurilian Bobtail. The first of them draws the attention of potential breeders of these animals. They come from Japan, they are actively divorced there, and there are very few of them in Russia yet. As a result, the Japanese Bobtail - a cat, whose price reaches $ 2,500, can be considered elite. After all, its breeding is not easy, as it was already said, to look for a couple of pets in Japan, we can meet with unscrupulous breeders.

In general, all mentioned cats are fairly close in size and general structure of the body, differing only in the characteristics of the ears, tail, muzzle. Not so long ago there was a breed of cat with short paws, looking quite different. Which one? It is called munchkin.

Features of origin

In contrast to the dachshund - short-legged breeds of dogs - munchkins are not a product of breeding. They appeared as a result of A natural mutation that happens in cats. In the United States in Louisiana at the end of the last century, a short-legged cat was found on the street, which was pitied and taken home, because it seemed an unhappy animal with disabilities. What was the surprise when she crossed with a normal cat began to give birth to kittens with short paws. Enthusiasts engaged in breeding unusual pets.

Brief characteristics of the munchkin

This breed of cat with short legs has a normal length of the trunk. The spine of this animal also has an absolutely natural structure. We studied this cat carefully, because when it appeared, animal advocates cried out in one voice that it was a mockery of a pet - to support such a mutation. After all, all are aware of the problems with the spine and joints arising from the dachshund due to the elongation of the body and the displacement of the center of gravity. However, the study of the munchkin proved that the spine is not affected in any way, the dynamics and statics of such a cat are absolutely natural.

Because of the structure of the hind limbs, the animal sits unusually, leaning on the hips and using the tail as a support. The front paws do not reach the surface and fold to the chest. These pets are very jumping, able to jump from a place to 1 meter. They are very fond of high surfaces, and go down like martens, because of the unusual structure of the front paws.

In other respects, the cat breed with short paws does not differ much from the usual ones. Color they have any, Length muzzle also. Eye color is allowed by anyone, but their shape should be round. Pets can be long-haired or have a short coat.

How to care for an animal

The cat breed with short paws - munchkin - is undemanding to keep and care. If the animal is long-haired, he, like any other pet with long hair, will need regular combing and washing. For street maintenance, such a cat is not suitable, falling from a height, for example from a tree, for it can result in serious injuries.