How To Take Care Of A Munchkin Cat

The origin of short-legged cats, as they are also known, is controversial, as it is believed that they appeared in various parts of the world with little distance in time. The short-legged trait it is not a new mutationbut over time domestic felines with this characteristic have been detected.

For example in the year 1944 in England A four generation line was recorded looking like this but this line was lost in World War II. The veterinary records that followed reported that the only difference from a common cat was the size of its legs, which caused its body to elongate a bit. Likewise, its state of health was always very good and no particular problems of this feline breed were detected.

Later in 1956 in Stalingrad, Russia, felines of this appearance were also detected, as well as in 1970 in Neva England, United States, and in 1980 in Louisiana, United States. But, it wasn’t until 1983 that a woman found a short-legged cat that was pregnant and she decided to start breeding these types of cats, so the munchkin cat breed started. The gene that gives this type of legs was reinforced by joining those who already had this physique with common cats, since this natural mutation occurred from them and, in this way, they ensured a greater genetic variety and would avoid the occurrence of various diseases.

TIC (The International Cats Association) is the organization in charge of registering feline breeds worldwide, among other things, and in 1994 they accepted the munchkin as a race new already established.

Its most distinctive physical characteristics, as we have already mentioned, are its short legs and elongated body, which in some cases is more pronounced than in others. Although having this type of legs may seem to us that they are clumsy, slow or with difficulties to move or jump, nothing is further from reality, because they are felines agile, fast and very energetic. So, even if their legs are like this, this does not prevent them from jumping good distances, they may not jump from the ground directly to a high shelf, but they will manage to get there with a couple of agile movements.

Its ears are triangular, its eyes can be any color usual in domestic cats and its nose is medium in size. The fur of these animals can be short or semi-long and of all the usual colors in cats of the common breed.

They are animals very sociable, fun and cheerful who like to share time with their companions, both humans and other pets, so they do not take very well to be alone at home for hours. It is considered one of the most sociable breeds out there, as well as one of the most active domestic cats. Also, like the vast majority of cats, munchkins are very curiousso they enter, climb and hide in all kinds of places.

Regarding the health of this feline, up to now, it has not been detected any specific genetic problem of this breed. Only some of them have been detected propensity to be overweight or obese, so they require a lot of exercises and a proper diet. Thus, the only thing that must be taken into account is that they can suffer from the same conditions and diseases as any other feline.

Therefore, it is necessary that let’s take him to the vet to make the pertinent revisions at least once a year, we have their vaccinations up to date and we deworm the cat both internally and externally according to the calendar.

Like all felines, the munchkin is carnivorous, so it needs a specific diet for catseither I think commercial or mix this dry food with wet food appropriate for your age and health status. This food must be of good quality and never of low quality, because in this case in a short time we will notice that the health of our pet worsens due to lack of nutrients. Thus, if you suffer from any condition or disease, we must provide you with the diet indicated by the veterinarian.

Another option for feeding a munchkin is to give it homemade food, as long as you keep in mind that protein should predominate and there may be some vegetable or legume such as carrots or peas, but as an accompaniment and never as a base. In addition, our pet should always have within reach fresh and clean water so you can drink whenever you need.

Likewise, you have to take into account toxic foods for cats so that they are never within their reach, such as chocolate or avocado. Also, contrary to popular belief, cats are lactose intolerant, therefore you should not give your pet milk or dairy products.

To care for a munchkin cat and for it to have good health and well-being, it is vital that you brush it with some frequency. Depending on whether your partner has short or semi-long hair, he will need more or less brushing per week. Specifically, if you have the short coat a couple of brushings a week will suffice, and if his cloak is the medium length you will need to brush it 3 or 4 times a week to prevent tangles and remove dead hair. In times of moult you will have to do it daily.

Munchkins, like other cats, clean themselves perfectly well, so it is not necessary or recommended to clean them very often. It is enough to clean them with damp cloths or wipes a couple of times a month or bathe them when really necessary because they have gotten dirty while playing with something, eating, or leaving the house.

Likewise, it is important that your pet has a sandbox to be able to relieve themselves. You must place it in a different place from food, water, and its resting place. The litter must be unscented and is more practical and hygienic than the clumping type. It is essential that you change the dirty litter when necessary and not let feces and urine accumulate, as your pet will begin to relieve himself outside the box.

To take good care of a munchkin you have to take into account that you have to offer a nice environment. You need to have basic things like a bed, a place to eat, a place to relieve yourself, and toys. As with any domestic feline, and this one especially because it is so sociable, it is good that it lives with more pets or that, at least, there is always someone at home with it. Well, being very intelligent and very active They need plenty of entertainment.

In addition, as they are somewhat prone to being overweight and if they are fed improperly they can become obese, it is very necessary that we make sure that they do a minimum of Daily exerciseeither running and jumping around the house or going outside if we can do it safely.

If you want to know easy ways to entertain your pet and make him exercise, we advise you to read this other article from OneHOWTO in which we explain how to do 5 fun exercises for your cat.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to take care of a munchkin cat, we recommend that you enter our Pets category.