Miniature Breed of Cats:

Miniature cats, also known as dwarf cats or teacup cats, weigh around five pounds or less.



A normal sized cat weighs about three times more when compared to these miniature cats. Though there are many different breeds of cats which are very small in size, miniature cats are unusually smaller, and even the adults are the size of kittens. It is a common practice at pet stores to fool unsuspecting pet lovers by selling them young kittens that weigh about 7-10 pounds, passing them off as miniatures. Usually, if an adult cat weighs more than 5 pounds, it is disqualified from being a miniature.





There are many popular breeds of miniature cats. They are especially popular among people who enter their pets into shows. Some of the popular breeds of miniature cats are Dwelf, Kinkalow, Munchkin, Skookums, Bambino, Napoleon, Minskin, and Lambkin. The Munchkin breed is the founder breed of all other dwarf or miniature cats.



The miniatures were first accidentally bred in Louisiana. The kittens from this lot were given away by the owner, suspecting that there was an abnormality in them because of their unusually short legs. In time, many veterinarians began studying these miniature cats, and finally, about 35 years later, the breed of miniature cats was finally recognized world wide.

Miniature cats are usually the result of crossing a cat with a genetic mutation which results in the legs being short. The cat intended to be used for the breeding may not be a miniature in itself. It might simply carry the genes of a miniature. Though the condition of dwarfism usually affects the legs of the cat, there may be other manifestations of this problem with different body parts being disproportionate. There may be stunted development of both bones and cartilage. This occurs because of the genetic mutation.

There have been many types of research aiming to understand the popularity of miniature pets. Miniature pets have been a relatively new concept. Though cats and dogs are the most popular animals to be bred as miniatures, other animals such as cattle, horses, pigs, and goats are also bred as miniatures. Miniature pet health issues and miniature pet health problems are differ vastly from those of normal animals. Since dwarfism is caused due to a genetic defect, there are many other implications of these mutations. Most of the health problems in miniatures are related to disproportionate sizes of body parts, especially legs. The stunted physical growth often leads to other developmental disorders as well.