Munchkin Cats

Cats are favorite pets of human beings all over the world. Like dogs they are loyal and friendly. Most people can trust these silent companions much more than they can trust men and women. A cat is preferred because of its soft beauty and its trusted company. Of all the pets that people keep at home cats top the list of popularity. And, there are numerous varieties of cats that catch the fancy of the cat lovers. Like the human race, the feline species too has a variety of breeds that vary greatly in their shape, color and structure. Cats are mainly domestic in nature and if tamed and trained properly they can be very obedient too.

Apart from the common breeds of natural cats, there are also certain mixed groups of cats that are the result of mutation sometimes by human beings and some times automatically depending upon the whims of nature. Munchkin cats are the consequence of mutation. Munchkin is a relatively new breed of cats and it was in the 1990’s when it first came to the notice of cat lovers. One of the most interesting features of Munchkin cats is that their legs are short in length.

Munchkin has short legs due to the mutation. But, it is important to note that this mutation was something very natural rather than manipulated artificially by human beings. Although the spinal structure of Munchkin cats is different from their fellow cat breeds, they do not suffer from any type of spinal problems. However different it might be from its fellow breeds, the Munchkin cats are equally playful and joyous in nature and are often described as “ferret-like” in their playfulness. Another characteristic of these cats is their sociable and loving nature.

As a result of mutation, Munchkin cats carry certain interesting biological exceptions. They are normally called achondroplasia for their shorter legs. However, the general requirement for achondroplasia is an enlarged head with shorter legs; this particular combination is missing in the Munchkin cats. For this reason, they are called hypochondroplasia. So far as their genetics is concerned; they are an autosomal dominant one.

Munchkin cats have simple food habits. This is the reason why keeping them is not a difficult job. Their food habit thoroughly depends upon their upbringing by its owner. These Munchkin cats need nominal grooming and once-a-week treatment of the cats is sufficient. As far as their nutrition is concerned, high quality dry foods or protein oriented foods are recommended by experts. If your cats are vegetarian, which is a rare case, you should incorporate vitamin supplements into the food of your favorite Munchkin cats. Some times, cats face the problem of decay and plaque; to overcome this problem, the owner of Munchkin cats should arrange for soft comb brush and separate paste for cleansing their teeth. However, human brush and paste is completely forbidden. In short, taking care of this new breed of cat is not so difficult and thus keeping a Munchkin cat at home will not be a bad idea.