Since cats in heat care little about their partners’ leg length , toulouse and his short-legged offspring had no trouble competing for mates with their longer-legged rivals. Kittens bearing two copies of the munchkin gene will not develop in the womb. Kittens bearing one munchkin gene and one normal gene will be short-legged munchkins. Mm munchkin kittens will be able to pass on the munchkin gene to their own offspring. Normal mm kittens will not, as they do not have a copy of the munchkin gene.
Hochenedel gave toulouse to kay lafrance, a friend who lived in monroe, louisiana. Using toulouse, lafrance established her own colony of munchkins on her louisiana plantation. Blackberry vanished after having only a few litters, but her genetic legacy continued. Since lafrance allowed blackberry’s son, toulouse, to wander around unaltered, in short order a good sized population of short-legged cats lived on lafrance’s property.
This program confirmed that the gene governing the short legs was dominant; any cat that possesses the gene will have the foreshortened legs, munchkin cats and can pass along the trait to its offspring. As of may 1, 1995, the munchkin was recognized for new breed and color status in tica. When blackberry had her litter, hochenedel discovered that blackberry had given birth to both short and ordinary long-legged kittens. One of the kittens, a handsome male hochenedel named toulouse after french painter toulouse-lautrec who, due to a bone disease, had an adult-sized torso but child-sized legs.
A relatively new cat breed, people often refer to munchkin kittens as the dachshund of the cat world because of their short legs. These kitties have a fascinating history and personalities as adorable as their cute little bodies. A munchkin cat is one that has short legs and long, slender bodies. For those familiar with dog breeds, they effectively look like the cat equivalent of a corgi.
You'll likely need to go to a breeder with dwarf kittens, one of which will probably be a scottish fold munchkin cat since they are one of the more common dwarf breeds. Today’s line of munchkins derives from a cat named blackberry who was found as a stray by a music teacher in lousiana in 1983. Blackberry was pregnant when she was found and half of the litter of kittens that was later born had short legs. One of blackberry’s short-legged male kittens was allowed by his adoptive family to run free, and, since he wasn’t neutered, a population of short-legged cats began to appear in the neighborhood. My munchkin little cats are brought up in my home, in my room, and on my lap. We breed specifically for demeanor and well being and magnificence.
