A long body and short legs, like a Dachshund

In 1991 in New York’s Madison Square Garden, a strange cat with short legs was shown. It was nicknamed the “Dachshund cat” or “Basset cat.” Already by the 1930s, cats of the same type were reported in England but forgotten during World War II. A specimen was described in Stalingrad in 1853.

These cats are named after the inhabitants of Munchkin Land in Fleming’s famous movie The Wizard of OZ (1939).

The ancestors of today’s Munchkins are descended from Blackberry, a black cat found in Louisiana around 1982.

The gene responsible for short legs, the basis for this spontaneous mutation, is dominant.

T.I.C.A. recognized the breed in 1995 and published a standard the same year. The first Munchkins arrived in France in 1993.

.
Characteristics

While the Munchkin’s short legs do not hinder the cat’s mobility, they do prevent it from jumping as high as other cats.
Active, lively, and playful, Munchkins are very sociable and affectionate. They adore their owner.

They are easy to groom, especially the shorthaired variety.