Controversy Surrounding the New Munchkin Cat Breed

The Munchkin is a breed of cat characterized by its very short legs. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, can be both short and long-haired, and have a wide range of personalities. This breed is currently accepted by the American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE - www.aaceinc.org), The International Cat Association (TICA - www.tica.org), and the United Feline Organization (UFO - www.unitedfelineorganization.org). It was first accepted by TICA in 1994 into the NBC (New Breed and Color) category. The AACE and UFO quickly followed suit, and TICA accepted the Munchkin for championship competitions in 2002.

Although the breed was "discovered" by Sandra Hochenedal in Rayville, Louisiana in 1983, it was far from the first sighting of a short-legged cat. Felines of the same stature were seen in Great Britain in 1944, Stalingrad in 1953, New York in the 1950s, and New England in the 1970s, but the line was not further developed and seemed to be phased out naturally.

This may be in whole or in part caused by the gene that actually causes the deformity, called an autosomal dominant gene, meaning that it is a dominant gene that is not located on a sex chromosome, commonly referred to as an "X" or "Y" chromosome. It is considered a naturally occurring mutation - it occurred without human intervention. Because of the nature of this gene, if two cats are bred that both carry what is termed the "dwarf gene", the embryos are not viable and will perish before birth. On the other hand, when a Munchkin cat is bred with a standard cat it results in a mixed litter - consisting of both short- and long-legged kittens. Since in the previous sightings these cats were not selectively bred, it stands to reason that the combination of the aforementioned breeding problems contributed to the death of the line in those earlier sightings.