Bambino

It was born in 2005 at the Holy Moly cattery in Arkansas, in the United States, where Stephanie and Pat Osborne crossed a Munchkin with a Sphynx to combine in one cat the short legs of the first and the hairlessness of the second. Its name means “little child” in Italian. It needs saying plainly: it is a controversial cat. It combines two mutations that already have consequences on their own, dwarfism and hairlessness, and none of the large registries (CFA, FIFe, GCCF, WCF) gives it show breed status; TICA only accepts it as an experimental breed, and it is registered by the REFR, a rare breeds association. In 2019 the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority ordered a couple to stop breeding them on animal welfare grounds, and many vets consider breeding cats like this unethical. In character it is affectionate, playful and very attached to its people, like the Sphynx.

It needs the care of a hairless cat: a warm home, heated beds and clothing when it is cold; baths or wipes every one or two weeks to remove skin oil, frequent ear cleaning and protection from the sun. Because of its short legs, give it ramps or steps to reach high places, a low-sided litter tray, and stop it jumping down from great heights. Keeping its weight in check is key for its joints.

It inherits the problems of both mutations. From the Munchkin, the chondrodysplasia that shortens the legs, with a higher risk of arthritis, lordosis (sunken spine) and pectus excavatum (sunken chest). From the Sphynx, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ask for the parents' echocardiograms), skin problems and sensitivity to cold and sun. If you are considering one, bear in mind that you are supporting a type of breeding many vets advise against; a Sphynx or an adopted cat are alternatives without that burden.