Minuet cat

Last updated

Minuet
White Gray Minuet Cat.png
Example of a long-haired Minuet cat
Other namesNapoleon
OriginUnited States
Foundation bloodstock Munchkin, Persian (sometimes Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair)
Breed standards
TICA standard
Notes
Not recognized by other registries than TICA
Domestic cat (Felis catus)

The Minuet [1] (also known as the Napoleon [2] ) is a hybrid mix of Persian and Munchkin cat breeds. Categorized by The International Cat Association (TICA) as a domestic hybrid, "developed from a deliberate cross between two existing domestic breeds, incorporating characteristics of both parental breeds into the new mix." [3] The Minuet cat is characterized by its short legs, as a result of the dwarfism-mutation derived from the Munchkin breed.

Contents

According to TICA's official standards, these breeds represent the only permissible outcrosses one may use to create the Minuet. [4] This includes the combinations Minuet × Minuet, Minuet × Munchkin, and Minuet × one of the Persian-type breeds (including Persians, Himalayans and Exotic Shorthairs). Minuets come in both long-haired and short-haired varieties.

History

Origin

In 1996 Joe Smith started breeding Persians with Munchkins. Joe had previously bred Basset Hounds, a breed with osteochondrodysplasia; [5] similarly Munchkin cats have achondroplasia. [6] He wished to create a breed that would appeal to people irrespective of the size of the limbs (the gene responsible for the shortened limbs is autosomal dominant and lethal in utero when the gene is homozygous: therefore not all Munchkins will be born with the smaller stature). [7] [6] The name Napoleon was chosen due to the belief of Napoleon Bonaparte being short. [lower-alpha 1] [8]

Breed recognition

In 2001, the breed was added to the experimental breeds category of TICA. By 2002, it had achieved registration-only status; by 2011, the breed had achieved preliminary status, and was being shown in TICA cat shows by 2012. [8] In January 2015, TICA's board of directors voted to change the name of the breed to Minuet. [1] The breed was promoted to full TICA championship eligibility in 2016. [9] The breed is recognized under the original Napoleon name by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. [2]

Welfare concerns

Apart from TICA, the other major cat registries do not allow the registry of the Minuet breed, nor recognise it, due to concerns about the animal's welfare. Among others, the breed is not recognised by:

The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) both disallow any Munchkin and Munchkin-derived breed from being registered due to the health concerns arising from the dwarfism of the breed. [14] [15]

Breeding bans

Breeding the Minuet is prohibited by law in Victoria which outlaws the breeding of animals with hereditary aplasia or hypoplasia of long bones. [16] The Australian Capital Territory forbids the breeding of 'malformed animals' which includes the Munchkin. [17]

Appearance

A long-haired white and gray Minuet cat named Rhubarb. White gray long hair minuet.jpg
A long-haired white and gray Minuet cat named Rhubarb.

The Minuet has the stubbed legs of the Munchkin and the shortened face of the Persian. The body is semi-cobby with shortened height due to the legs. The tail is not short in comparison to the length of the cat's body. The ears are rounded and wide apart. Eyes are large and round. The Minuet may come in any coat colour. [18]

Health

Due to inheriting both the dwarfism of the Munchkin and the shortened face of the Persian the Minuet is susceptible to multiple health issues relating to both conditions. [19]

The condition causing the shortened legs and enlarged head is known as achondrodysplasia and with common symptoms including thick-looking joints, undersized jaw, curved spine, and a bow-legged or knock knee posture. [20] Lordosis and pectus excavatum have higher incidence in breeds with achondrodysplasia. [21] The shortened limbs give the breed a heightened risk of osteoarthritis. [22] [6]

The shortened face inherited from the Persian is known as brachycephaly. The anatomical deformities caused by brachycephaly may lead to dyspnoea. [23] Epiphora may occur due to malformation of the nasolacrimal ducts which causes staining and secondary dermatitis. [24] Their shallow eye socket may lead to exophthalmos and feline corneal sequestra. [25] Their malformed jaw can cause difficulty with mastication; the result is a build up of food which leads to accelerated plaque formation and periodontal disease. [26] Brachycephaly may also lead to dystocia with higher rates of still births in brachycephalic cats than cats with mesocephaly. [27] Another condition which occurs due to the anatomical abnormalities is brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome which can cause stridor, sleep apnoea, and even death. [26] [28]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Napoleon was of average height for the time although it is a commonly held belief that he was short. Minuet was also not a known nickname of Napoleon nor is it a proper French word.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cephalic index</span> Ratio of width to length of the head of an organism

The cephalic index or cranial index is a number obtained by taking the maximum width of the head of an organism, multiplying it by 100 and then dividing it by their maximum length. The index was once used to categorize human beings in the first half of the 20th century, but today it is used to categorize dogs and cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengal cat</span> Breed of cat

The Bengal cat is a breed of hybrid cat created from crossing of an Asian leopard cat, with domestic cats, especially the spotted Egyptian Mau. It is then usually bred with a breed that demonstrates a friendlier personality, because after breeding a domesticated cat with a wildcat, its friendly personality may not manifest in the kitten. The breed's name derives from the leopard cat's taxonomic name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exotic Shorthair</span> Breed of cat

The Exotic Shorthair is a breed of cat developed as a short-haired version of the Persian. The Exotic is similar to the Persian in appearance with the exception of the short dense coat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Fold</span> Cat breed having specific gene mutation

The Scottish Fold is a distinctive breed of domestic cat characterised by a natural dominant gene mutation associated with osteochondrodysplasia. This genetic anomaly affects cartilage throughout the body, causing the ears to "fold", bending forward and down towards the front of the head. While this trait contributes to the breed's unique appearance, often described as "owl-like", it has negative effects on the cats' welfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munchkin cat</span> Breed of cat

The Munchkin is a breed of cat characterized by its very short legs, which are caused by genetic mutation. Compared to many other cat breeds, it is a relatively new breed, documented since 1940s and officially recognized in 1991. The Munchkin is considered to be the original breed of dwarf cat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan cat</span> Breed of cat

The Himalayan, is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired cat similar in type to the Persian, with the exception of its blue eyes and its point colouration, which were derived from crossing the Persian with the Siamese. Some registries may classify the Himalayan as a long-haired sub-breed of Siamese, or a colorpoint sub-breed of Persian. The World Cat Federation has merged them with the Colorpoint Shorthair and Javanese into a single breed, the Colorpoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulldog</span> British breed of dog

The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a medium-sized, muscular dog of around 40–55 lb (18–25 kg). They have large heads with thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a relatively flat face with a protruding lower jaw. The breed has significant health issues as a consequence of breeding for its distinctive appearance, including brachycephaly, hip dysplasia, heat sensitivity, and skin infections. Due to concerns about their quality of life, breeding Bulldogs is illegal in Norway and the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ragdoll</span> Breed of cat

The Ragdoll is a breed of cat with a distinct colorpoint coat and blue eyes. Its morphology is large and weighty, and it has a semi-long and silky soft coat. American breeder Ann Baker developed Ragdolls in the 1960s. They are best known for their docile, placid temperament and affectionate nature. The name 'Ragdoll' is derived from the tendency of individuals from the original breeding stock to go limp and relaxed when picked up. The breed is particularly popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Shorthair</span> Breed of cat

The American Shorthair (ASH) is a breed of domestic cat believed to be descended from European cats brought to North America by early settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, it was the eighth most popular pedigreed cat in the world for 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian cat</span> Variety of cat

The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace of domestic cat in Russia, and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late-1980s. Since 2006, the breed is recognised for registry and championship status with all major cat registries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Bulldog</span> French breed of dog

The French Bulldog is a French breed of companion dog or toy dog. It appeared in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, apparently the result of cross-breeding of Toy Bulldogs imported from England and local Parisian ratters. It is commonly kept as a pet, and is among the most frequently registered dogs in a number of countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The breed is susceptible to various health issues as a consequence of breeding for their distinctive appearance, especially the brachycephalic face and skin wrinkles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neva Masquerade</span> Breed of cat

The Neva Masquerade is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired domestic cat, which originates in Russia. It is the sister breed or colourpoint variant of the Siberian cat, a centuries-old Russian landrace. The colourpoint markings are the result of a colourpoint gene originally found in Siamese cats. The Neva Masquerade is believed to be derived from crossing the Siberian cat with Asian colourpoint cats, such as the Siamese or Thai, or possibly cats related to those, such as the colourpointed Persian cats. Some cat registries may classify the Neva Masquerade as a colourpoint variety or sub-breed of the Siberian cat, while others consider it to be a separate sister breed. Regardless of its classification, all Neva Masquerade cats are selectively bred and pedigreed today in all major cat fancier and breeder organisations under the Siberian (Forest) cat or Neva Masquerade. This means that all Neva Masquerade cats are purebred cats with a formally registered ancestry.

A cat registry or cat breed registry, also known as a cat fancier organization, cattery federation, or cat breeders' association, is an organization that registers domestic cats of many breeds, for exhibition and for breeding lineage tracking purposes. A cat registry stores the pedigrees (genealogies) of cats, cattery names, and other details of cats; studbooks, breed descriptions, and the formal breed standards ; lists of judges qualified to judge at shows run by or affiliated with that registry, and sometimes other information. A cat registry is not the same as a breed club or breed society. Cat registries each have their own rules and usually also organize or license (sanction) cat shows. The show procedures vary widely, and awards won in one registry are not normally recognized by another. Some registries only serve breeders, while others are oriented toward pet owners and provide individual as well as cattery memberships, while yet others are federations only deal with breed clubs or even other registries as intermediaries between the organization and breeders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf cat</span> Genetic mutation affecting cats

A dwarf cat is a domestic cat with dwarfism due to rare genetic mutations causing a disproportionate feline body and significant health problems. Unlike undersized cats of normal proportions, dwarf cats suffer from the genetic mutations osteochondrodysplasia and achondroplasia. These genetic disorders of bone and cartilage are typically manifested as abnormal bone shape, poor growth or lack of growth, bowing of the limbs to the side – front legs are more likely to be affected, and spinal malformations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minskin</span> Breed of cat

The Minskin is a breed of cat derived from intentional cross-breeding between the Munchkin and Burmese cat breeds, with the addition of Sphynx and Devon Rex. It is a mostly-hairless or very short-coated dwarf cat breed, with point coloration at the extremities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional Persian</span> Breed of cat

Traditional Persian is one of several names for a group of cats that are considered to be essentially the original breed of Persian cat, before the variety was selectively bred to have extreme features. Other everyday usage names are: Doll Face Persian, Classic Persian, Old Fashioned Persian, Long-nosed Persian, Old-style Longhair, Traditional Longhair and Original Longhair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persian cat</span> Breed of cat

The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Khorasan as early as around 1620, however, this has not been proven. Instead, there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed being exported from Afghanistan and Iran from the 19th century onwards. Widely recognised by the North-West European cat fancy since the 19th century, and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' breed standards subsume the Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.

References

  1. 1 2 "2015 Winter Board Meeting" (PDF). TICA.org. The International Cat Association. January 23–25, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Napoleon". RareExoticFelineRegistry.com. Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Registration Rules & Related Standing Rules" (PDF). TICA.org. The International Cat Association. January 1, 2013. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Minuet Breed Groups (MNT/MNL)" (PDF). TICA.org. The International Cat Association. May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  5. ↑ Martínez, Simón; Fajardo, Raúl; Valdés, Jesús; Ulloa-Arvizu, Raúl; Alonso, Rogelio (January 2007). "Histopathologic study of long-bone growth plates confirms the basset hound as an osteochondrodysplastic breed". Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. 71 (1): 66–69. PMC   1635992 . PMID   17195339.
  6. 1 2 3 "Munchkin Limb Deformity". Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Gene Anomalies". Messy Beast. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Minuet". TICA.org. The International Cat Association. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Minuet Breed". TICA.org. The International Cat Association . Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Breeds". CFA.org. Cat Fanciers' Association . Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Breed standards". FIFeWeb.org. Fédération Internationale Féline. 2023. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Cat breeds". GCCFCats.org. Governing Council of the Cat Fancy.
  13. ↑ "Recognized and admitted breeds in the WCF". WCF.info. World Cat Federation . Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, The GCCF says Health Comes First Archived May 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Breeding and Registration Rules: 2.7.3 Genetic Diseases. Fédération Internationale Feline
  16. ↑ "Code of Practice for the Breeding of Animals with Heritable Defects that Cause Disease". Animal Welfare Victoria. Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions; Agriculture Victoria. July 6, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  17. ↑ Australian Capital Territory, Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats in the ACT
  18. ↑ "Minuet Standard" (PDF). The International Cat Association. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Napoleon". International Cat Care. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Feline Dwarfism". Basepaws. March 6, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  21. ↑ Hubler, M.; Langley-Hobbs, S.J. (2009). "Hereditary and congenital musculoskeletal diseases". In Montavon, P.M.; Voss, K.; Langley-Hobbs, S.J. (eds.). Feline Orthopedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Disease. Saunders Ltd. pp. 41–53. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-2986-8.00010-0. ISBN   978-0-7020-2986-8. There may be a familial tendency to thoracic wall deformities (pectus excavatum, unilateral thoracic wall concavity) in Bengal kittens, and chondrodystrophic Munchkin cats may also have an increased incidence of pectus excavatum and spinal lordosis.
  22. ↑ Ettinger, Stephen J.; Feldman, Edward C.; Bennett, D.; May, C. (1995). "Joint diseases of Dogs and Cats". Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine (4 ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. p. 2053. ISBN   978-0721667959.
  23. ↑ Künzel, W.; Breit, S.; Oppel, M. (2003). "Morphometric Investigations of Breed-Specific Features in Feline Skulls and Considerations on their Functional Implications". Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia. 32 (4): 218–223. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0264.2003.00448.x. PMID   12919072. S2CID   2721559.
  24. ↑ Schlueter, Claudia; Budras, Klaus D; Ludewig, Eberhard; Mayrhofer, Elisabeth; Koenig, Horst E; Walter, Alice; Oechtering, Gerhard U (November 1, 2009). "Brachycephalic Feline Noses: CT and Anatomical Study of the Relationship between Head Conformation and the Nasolacrimal Drainage System". Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 11 (11): 891–900. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2009.09.010. PMID   19857852 . Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  25. ↑ Featherstone, Heidi J.; Sansom, Jane (June 16, 2004). "Feline corneal sequestra: a review of 64 cases (80 eyes) from 1993 to 2000". Veterinary Ophthalmology. 7 (4). Wiley: 213–227. doi:10.1111/j.1463-5224.2004.04028.x. ISSN   1463-5216. PMID   15200618.
  26. 1 2 Malik, Richard; Sparkes, Andy; Bessant, Claire (2009). "Brachycephalia - a Bastardisation of what Makes Cats Special". Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 11 (11): 889–890. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2009.09.009. ISSN   1098-612X. PMID   19857851. S2CID   1789486.
  27. ↑ Gunn-Moore, D. A.; Thrusfield, M. V. (1995). "Feline dystocia: prevalence, and association with cranial conformation and breed". Vet Rec. 136 (14): 350–353. doi:10.1136/vr.136.14.350. PMID   7610538. S2CID   46646058.
  28. ↑ "Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in Dogs and Cats". University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. November 2, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.