18/10/2022
📣WHY ARE MUNCHKIN CATS EXPENSIVE?📣
‼️😸HIGH QUALITY Munchkins cost a lot because:😸‼️
🔶There is the controversy that breeding two munchkins might be lethal to the kitten because of a dominant gene. Altho it is debated that no papers support this claim, some breeders still follow this (more research is needed in this subject).
🔷Even with the right parents and genes, not all kittens in a litter will have short legs. Inheriting short legs is also by chance (Best to read about cat breeding and genetics to learn more about this).
🔶 Munchkins have many offshoot breeds because the short legged genes have been crossed with the likes of Scottish Folds, Persians, Exotics, Sphinxes, BSHs, ASHs, American Curls, Bengals and even Maine C***s etc. Thus, giving birth to other breeds or dwarfed cats. Regardless of origin, these breeds are considered by TICA and CFA as independent breeds from the Munchkin.
Producing short legged versions of these breeds are also difficult specially when they each have breed standards. (Offshoot breeds ex: Bambino, Napoleon/Minuet, Kinkalow, Genetta etc)
Example: breeds having a certain look like a high nose + smalled eared Exotic cat + shorter legs (Exotic Short) or a ScottishFold with triple fold ears + rughugger legs (Scottish Fold)
🔷Coat color and length can be a factor for pricing.
🔶Leg length is also a factor for pricing. The shorter the leg, the steeper the price.
🔷An odd eye trait raises the price dramatically. (2 eye colors). Some eye colors are even rarer than the usual odd eye combination (ex. brown).
🔶Bloodline / pedigree of the cat can also dictate the pricing. Some breeders import their breeding pair abroad and has registered cats. Registered kittens will cost more also because of paperwork.
🔷The more the cat has rare traits added to the mix, the harder it is to produce. This adds to the demand.
🔶Daily cat upkeep will also affect the kitten adoption fee. ( Food, Medicals, electric bills)
‼️💖WHAT DOES HIGH QUALITY MEAN‼️💖
🔺Cat breeds that also has a munchkin trait are called high quality the closer they are to the breed standard. It is simply because it’s difficult to get all those traits in one kitten.
🔺Breed Quality mostly just refer to how close they are to the standard and how clean the bloodline is. (TICA and CFA breed standards)
🔺By clean, some breeders test their breeding pairs for genetic diseases abroad. Kittens free from these recurring diseases (HCM, PKD etc) will cost more.
🔺Note that breeders without these extra measures or aesthetic standard will have a lesser adoption fee. This is why it is hard to compare prices and to standardize the adoption fees.
🔺Please do a background check on the breeder or ask them politely so you will have an idea how much their price range is and what kind of cat is a perfect fit for you and your budget. Also, let’s respect how much they are willing to rehome their kittens.
🟡Just an extra side note: the Munchkin breed in itself is a breed separate from all the other offshoot short legged breeds. It is a Domestic Shorthair carrying and exhibiting the short leg gene and should never be a miniature version of other recognized cat breeds (recognized by TICA and CFA).
🟡The offshoot breeds are recognized as separate breeds by TICA and CFA because of the different breed standards.
💖TAKEAWAY: 💖
Before adopting your cat, please do a little back ground reading about them and how much daily upkeep they will add to your budget. Also, consider why some breeders will ask for more for their kittens. This is not scamming. Please do not ask breeders for a certain look with your preferred budget or ‘budget meal’.
A little research will go a long way on why it’s priced that way.
(Copy paste only)