Munchkin

In 1983 the teacher Sandra Hochenedel found a short-legged female cat hiding under a lorry in Rayville (Louisiana). She called her Blackberry, and most of today's Munchkins come from one of her sons, Toulouse. The short legs are caused by a dominant mutation that produces a form of chondrodysplasia, the same kind of disorder that gives the dachshund its short legs. With two copies of the gene, embryos die before birth, so it is always bred to normal-legged cats. It is playful and sociable, but it jumps worse than any other cat. TICA recognises it; FIFe, the British GCCF and the American CFA do not.

Make its life easier: ramps and steps up to sofas and windows, low-sided litter trays, wide, low scratching posts. Keep it slim, because every gram loads its spine and joints. Daily play at floor level. Have your vet check its spine and gait every year. If it is the temperament you are after, a normal-legged cat offers the same without the risk.

Chondrodysplasia is in itself a disorder of bone development. Lordosis (sunken spine), pectus excavatum (sunken chest) and early arthritis from the abnormal load on the joints have been described. There are no large-scale studies, which is why many registries and vets ask for it not to be bred. It also inherits the risks of whichever breeds it is crossed with.