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Breed guide · Cats
She wants the windowsill every morning. So I built her a staircase up to it.
Last updated 13 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Zooming low along the hallway and taking the kitchen corner at full speed.
What's going onThey are as much a hunter as any cat, just closer to the ground. Keep their wand toy low and let them chase it along the floor, then feed them. Based on owners' experience: most Munchkins have plenty to say, too.
At home
Sitting at the foot of the sofa, looking up at the cushion you are on.
What's going onHeight is how a cat feels safe, and short legs do not change that. Ramps and steps to the sofa, the bed and the window let them get there without a jump.
At home
A puddle just outside the litter tray, with the tray itself clean.
What's going onA high-sided tray is a climb for them. A low entry on every floor they use keeps them using it. If it keeps happening, it is worth asking your vet about their back and joints.
At home
A low, long body on short legs, cornering like a go-kart.
What's going onLordosis (an abnormal inward curve of the spine) and pectus excavatum (a sunken chest) are the risks to watch from kittenhood. Their plan includes a spinal and chest evaluation in their junior and prime adult years.
At home
Always ready for a second breakfast.
What's going onTheir short legs and spine carry their whole body. Weigh their food and weigh them monthly, because extra weight lands on their joints first.
At home
A back leg held up for a few strides, then back to normal.
What's going onPatellar Luxation (PL, a slipping kneecap) is a risk for the breed. That skip is worth filming for their vet.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their legs
Built for: Short, and they have no idea.
In Dubai: They want the windowsill as much as any cat.
Their view
Built for: The top of the sofa, the view from the bed.
In Dubai: Their body cannot always get them there.
Their build
Built for: The gene that shortened their legs.
In Dubai: Also affects how their spine and joints grew.
You can bring the high places down to them.
Keep them light, and have their spine and joints looked at on schedule. The ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around what a Munchkin is prone to at every age, from their spine, chest and knees to their teeth, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They are a quick, confident hunter at floor level.
Every age, most of all 7 months to 2 years
Why
They are a quick, confident hunter at floor level.
What to do
Drag a wand toy along the floor and round corners, five to ten minutes, two or three times a day. Let them catch it, then feed them. Skip the high leaps, and slow the games down as they age.
They want height like any cat, and cannot always jump for it.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
They want height like any cat, and cannot always jump for it.
What to do
Ramps or steps to the sofa, the bed and their window, and low perches they can walk onto. A low-sided tray on every floor. Set the ramps up while they are a kitten, so they use them from the start.
They hide pain, and a back or kneecap problem shows in how they walk.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
They hide pain, and a back or kneecap problem shows in how they walk.
What to do
Once a month, film them walking, turning and climbing their ramp. Watch for leaning, a dipped back or a leg held up. Bring the films to the orthopaedic and spinal evaluations (joint and back exams) in your plan, so your vet sees how they move at home.
Sore joints feel worse in a cold draught as they age.
Every age, most of all from 11 years
Why
Sore joints feel worse in a cold draught as they age.
What to do
A warm bed with a low entry, away from the air conditioning vents. Older cats feel the cold more, so add a second warm bed.
Short legs make some spots hard to reach, and the longhaired Munchkin can mat.
Every age
Why
Short legs make some spots hard to reach, and the longhaired Munchkin can mat.
What to do
Comb them once a week, a little more for longhaired Munchkins. Keep it short and end with a treat.
Their spine and joints carry every gram, and obesity is a risk from their mature years.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
Their spine and joints carry every gram, and obesity is a risk from their mature years.
What to do
Weigh their daily food and use a puzzle feeder for part of it. Ask your vet to reset their portion from the day they are neutered. Weight-management counselling is in your plan from their junior years.
Lordosis, pectus excavatum and a slipping kneecap are the risks to watch from kittenhood, and cats hide pain well.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
Lordosis, pectus excavatum and a slipping kneecap are the risks to watch from kittenhood, and cats hide pain well.
What to do
Your plan looks at their bones and knees as a kitten, their back, chest and knees through their junior and prime adult years, and adds heart scans from their mature years. The age guide below has the detail.
A calm arrival makes their spine and joint evaluations easier and more accurate.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
A calm arrival makes their spine and joint evaluations easier and more accurate.
What to do
Leave it out, door open, with a blanket inside. Choose one with a low front they can walk into. Lift them with a hand under their chest and their back end.
Dental disease is a risk from their junior years, and cats keep eating with sore teeth.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
Dental disease is a risk from their junior years, and cats keep eating with sore teeth.
What to do
Lift their lip and look at their gums. Start brushing as a kitten, a few seconds at a time, with cat toothpaste. Tell your vet if they drop food or chew on one side. A dental evaluation is in your plan as a kitten, and every year from their junior years.
Weight change and less climbing are often the first signs of sore joints, and later of their kidneys or thyroid.
Every age
Why
Weight change and less climbing are often the first signs of sore joints, and later of their kidneys or thyroid.
What to do
Scales with them, scales without them, write down the difference. Notice if they stop using their ramps, and call your vet about any steady loss or gain.
Four of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 6 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
11 to 14 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
15 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Munchkin shorthair or longhair
Munchkins come in short and long coats. The shorthaired Munchkin needs little grooming, and the longhaired, fluffy Munchkin cat needs brushing more often. Under either coat is the same body: a normal-length cat on short legs.
Colours
A Munchkin can come in any colour or pattern a cat can have, from white and cream to black, grey, ginger and tabby. What they all share are the short legs and an outgoing, sociable nature.
The first six months
Their vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first, and their first visits include a neuromuscular and skeletal evaluation and a knee and joint evaluation. Put the ramps out now, so they learn to use them from the start.
Kitten health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Ramps or steps to the sofa, the bed and a favourite window, low perches they can walk onto, and a low-sided litter tray on every floor. A warm bed with a low entry, away from the vents, finishes it.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Lordosis (an abnormal inward curve of the spine) and pectus excavatum (a sunken chest) are the risks to watch from kittenhood. The gene that gives them short legs also shapes their spine and joints, so ask the breeder about both parents, and keep their evaluations on schedule. If a Munchkin is already part of your family, ramps and a lean body make every day easier.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
If it's a kitten: First 30 days with a new kitten · Kitten vaccinations in the UAE
When it is not behaviour.
She'll still be at the windowsill every morning. If she stops climbing her staircase, call your vet.
Before they were yours.
1983
Sandra Hochenedel found a pregnant stray, Blackberry, hiding under a truck. Half of Blackberry's kittens had short legs, and one of them, Toulouse, was given away and bred from.
What they still carryThe gene behind their short legs, from one small family of cats.
2003
TICA, one US registry, gave the Munchkin championship status. Others, including Britain's GCCF, refused to recognise the breed because of reported health problems.
What they still carryA breed some registries show and others will not accept.
2020
Researchers linked the short legs to a change in one gene, a form of chondrodysplasia (a disorder of cartilage and bone growth).
What they still carryThe reason their legs are short, and their spine and joints need watching.
Today
A companion here, outgoing and sociable, living indoors.
What they still carryA confident cat who still wants the high places, and a staircase to reach them.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Munchkin suits you, so might these.
Devon RexThe same kind of cat: another small, playful cat with a look all their own, here a wavy coat and big ears
Cornish RexThe same kind of cat: another small, busy cat with a coat all their own, fine and curly, who needs warm beds
Turkish VanThe same playful, sociable streak, in a big semi-longhaired cat from Turkey, built to climb
Domestic ShorthairA similar size and an easy coat for flat life, in the everyday house cat, with no pedigree and legs of the usual length
