Minskin is a new cat breed, which only appeared at the beginning of the 21st century. The main differences are the short legs and fur points on a hairless body. Minskin cat is the result of crossbreeding Munchkin and Sphynx cats. Because of the furry paws of these dwarf cats, they were also named hobbits.
Origin History
The birthplace of this breed is the United States. In 1998, Paul Mcsorley began breeding Minskins in Boston. He wanted to create a cat with short legs and patches of fur in certain places. To do this, he brought together short-legged fluffy Munchkins with almost hairless Sphynxes, which had only some parts of the body covered with hair. Then the Burmese cat and the Devon Rex were added to the mix.
The first Minskin kitten was born in July 2000. They called him Rory. After 5 years, 50 representatives of this breed already exist, and the breed has been recognized by international felinological organizations. TICA has a special program that continues to monitor the breeding and development of Minskin cats.
Description of the Minskin Breed
The Minskin cat breed is small semi-cobby. Due to their short stature and relatively long neck, they resemble an otter or munchkin to many people. They do not weigh a lot – 2-3 kg.
The breed standard, according to TICA, gave a detailed description of Minskin:
- The head is round, rather wide than long, without flat lines, with a strong chin, wide and short muzzle and embossed mustache pads, a well-developed and flexible neck;
- Ears – large, open and wary, with slightly rounded tips, wide at the base, can be completely hairless;
- Eyes – large and round, widely set, the look seems surprised and wary;
- Nose – not straight but also without a hump, a slight bend at the end;
- Mustache – can be rare, broken or absent;
- Body – due to short paws, it may seem long, the line of the back is slightly elevated to the hips, a wide, strong and muscular chest;
- Legs – short, of equal length above and below the knee joint, hind legs slightly longer than the front;
- Tail – a bit longer than the body, gradually tapers from the base to a slightly blunt tip;
- Fur – short, fur spots on the face, ears, paws, tail and under the tail; sometimes, the fur may be along the entire length of the legs, the hips and shoulders, but the belly is always hairless.
- Minskin cat received skin folds from sphynxes, but they are more visible on kittens.
Colour
Minskin cat breeds can be different colors and patterns: solid, tortie, tabby, colors with splashes of white. A very common Siamese color is colorpoint.
Character
Despite its height and short legs, Minskin cats are very agile and smart. They might not jump on top of the fridge in one bound, but they could get on top by roundabout ways. Surprisingly, they really like to climb somewhere high. These cats even need to run and move actively. After all, if they become lazy, then they will have problems with their spine.
Minskin cats are very gentle pets and love affection. By the way, they are warm to the touch, similar to a delicate cashmere texture. It is better not to leave them alone for a long time, as these cats get really attached to people.
The Minskin cat breed gets along with other animals, so they will be perfect for owners with dogs. They are also very patient with kids.
Care and Health
Growth features and fur coating does not affect the Minskin’s health and quality of life. However, it is difficult to accurately determine the presence of hereditary diseases because the breed is still very new, and it’s rare to have any statistics about them.
There were cases of developmental disorders: lordosis (curvature of the posture – a strong bend in the lower back) and chest deformation.
As mentioned above, Minskin cats are generally healthy and resistant to diseases due to their active lifestyle. The average life expectancy of a cat is 12-15 years.
Care for these cats is the same as other Sphynx cats:
- The cat should be regularly bathed with a shampoo. This will help to keep its skin healthy and prevent the accumulation of sebum and the formation of acne;
- Like all hairless cats, the Minskin needs extra protection from intense solar radiations, or there might be skin burns;
- You need to regularly check the condition of their skin for cancer, fungus, scratches, cuts and bruises;
- In winter, Minskins may be more sensitive to the cold, but they will gladly wear a sweater or warm up in your hands.
Regular vaccination, cleaning teeth and ears – and your Minskin will be healthy. Another bonus: minimum fur, which means the absence of strong moult and allergies.
Minskin needs to feed more often than normal cats but in smaller portions. After all, because of the lack of hair, these cats spend more energy maintaining their body temperature.
How Much is Minskin Cat Breed?
How to determine how much you will pay for a Minskin kitten? Only 15 years have passed since the beginning of this breed, and now there are a little more than 100 Minskins. Therefore, it is clear that they are not easy to find and that the price for them will be high.
On websites, the minimum price for a Minskin cat is 300 dollars. But on average, breeders sell them for $500 and more.
Where to Buy Minskin Cat
You can try searching private message boards but read customer reviews carefully, so you aren’t fooled by fake ones.
