A short-legged fluffy Munchkin cat licking it's lips

Munchkin cat kitten standing in front of a mirror

Munchkin Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The short-legged Munchkin cat is a distinctive-looking cat with its short legs and long spine (sometimes described as the Dachshund of the feline world). Named after the Wizard of Oz characters, their shortened legs are the result of a genetic mutation.&nbsp;This guide will provide all you need to know about the breed, including their behaviour, training, exercise and common health issues.&nbsp;

Domestic

Type

12 - 15 years

Lifespan

Small

Size

2 - 6 kg

Weight

15 - 23 cm

Height

Affectionate, intelligent and sociable

Temperament

30 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

Munchkins enjoy company and will get along with other cats, and cat-friendly dogs. While their personalities can vary as in any other cat, they&rsquo;re generally friendly and affectionate.

Like all cats, Munchkins like to keep their claws in good condition so having a scratching post is always a good idea to protect your furniture.

A Munchkin kitten can cost upwards of &pound;200 (perhaps even up to &pound;1000). Short legs command an expensive price tag. Female kittens also cost more as they can be bred from. Remember that every Munchkin litter will have kittens with both short and normal leg length depending on whether or not they inherit the dominant gene for short legs.

Make sure that you get your Munchkin from a reputable breeder so that your Munchkin will be healthy.

Munchkins are described as being small cats, but can grow to more medium sizes. Full-grown Munchkins range between 15-23 cm in height (an average normal cat is 25 cm tall). Males are generally larger than females.

What is the average Munckin cat's lifespan?

Munchkin cats typically live between 12 to 15 years, provided they receive proper care, a healthy diet, and regular veterinary checkups.

What is the Munchkin cat’s personality like?

Munchkin cats are playful, affectionate, and highly social, known for their curious nature and love of interacting with their human companions.

That’s All You Need to Know About the Munchkin

Originating in Louisiana back 1983. Munchkins certainly make a claim in the cute cat stakes. Short and sweet - their short legs may be controversial but this doesn&rsquo;t hold them back! Easy to care for and easy to love, these cute kitties fit easily into most households.

Originating in Louisiana back 1983. this <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breed</a> certainly makes a claim in the cute cat stakes. Short and sweet - their short legs may be controversial but this doesn&rsquo;t hold them back! <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Grooming Guide">Easy to care for</a> and easy to love, these cute kitties fit easily into most households.

<ul>
	<li>Leslie A Lyons, Vetstream Ltd (online) Munchkin. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/munchkin" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Munchkin cat page">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/munchkin</a></li>
	<li>David Godfrey, Geert Verhoeven (online) Flat-chested kitten and pectus excavatum. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/flat-chested-kitten-and-pectus-excavatum" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's flat chested kitten and pectus excavatum page">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/flat-chested-kitten-and-pectus-excavatum</a></li>
	<li>Eithne Comerford, David Godfrey, John Innes, Melvyn Pond (online) Arthritis: osteoarthritis. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/arthritis-osteoarthritis" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat osteoarthritis page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/arthritis-osteoarthritis</a></li>
	<li>Martha Cannon, Danielle Gunn-Moore, Ellie Mardell, Rachel Korman (online) Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-(flutd)" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's feline lower urinary tract disease page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-(flutd)</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis%C2%A0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

If you are looking for an unusual cat and don&rsquo;t mind the controversy that can surround the breed, these sweet and short-legged cats cats make delightful pets.

Munchkins are friendly and don&rsquo;t like to be left alone all day so make great companions for households with older people who can spend time with them. Best kept as an indoor cat, they&rsquo;re also suited to families with children (especially older children), <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">other cats</a>, and cat-friendly <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to the Everypaw Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>.

If you are looking for an unusual cat and don&rsquo;t mind the controversy that can surround the breed, these sweet and short-legged cats make delightful pets.

Munchkins are friendly and don&rsquo;t like to be left alone all day so make great companions for households with older people who can spend time with them. Best kept as an indoor cat, they&rsquo;re also suited to families with children (especially older children), other cats, and cat-friendly dogs.

Munchkins kittens are super-cute, playful and active - just like any other <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> (apart from the shortened legs). Munchkin litters are often smaller than the average cat litters, possibly due to the fact that embryos that have inherited two copies of the gene die before birth.

To avoid this, most Munchkins are bred with normal cats and not with other Munchkins. This means that not all of the resulting kittens will inherit the dominant gene that gives them the characteristic short legs.

Having short legs doesn&rsquo;t prevent these cats from being energetic and having fun. They&rsquo;re very curious and are known to collect shiny objects. <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's article listing concerns around letting cats outside">Keep them indoors to protect them</a> from cars and being attacked by other animals, and they should have the normal lifespan of any other cat breed.

If you <a href="/all-things-pet/buying-a-kitten-heres-what-you-should-look-out-for" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to buying a kitten">buy your kitten from a breeder</a>, they should be able to tell you how often and how much you should feed your cat. Try to feed your Munchkin the same cat food and at the same time every day.

You can also ask your vet which cat food they recommend to best fit the needs of your Munchkin and how much to feed. If you decide to change your cat&rsquo;s diet, do so gradually to avoid any stomach upset.

No need to worry about Munchkin cat care &ndash; they&#39;re a low maintenance breed. There are both short-haired and long-haired varieties. Short-haired cats just need a brush, comb, or <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cat grooming">grooming glove once a week</a>. Long-haired fluffy Munchkins will need to be brushed more frequently to keep their coats mat-free.

Bathing using a specialist shampoo may be needed if they get very dirty so try to get them used to having baths from an early age.

Munchkins can run fast and climb just as well as other cats (although they might not be able to jump as high). They are often described as moving like ferrets. Sometimes they stand on their hind-legs like <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to the Everypaw Rabbit Insurance page">rabbits</a> to get a better view of what&rsquo;s going on. As they are intelligent, they can be trained easily and taught tricks such as playing fetch.

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

Giving your cute Munchkin cat the care it needs is one of the joys of being a cat owner, and these affectionate and fluffy characters do love a cuddle. While you&rsquo;re giving your kitty all the cuddles it craves, it&rsquo;s worth thinking about Munchkin cat insurance.

<a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&rsquo;s Cat Insurance</a> have a range of cover Lifetime cover levels that can help care for your Munchkins when it comes to bumps, bruises and illnesses. And if you ever have a worry or concern about your cat&rsquo;s health, training or care, our <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a> helpline with RCVS qualified vets and vet nurses are always there for you.

Giving your cute Munchkin cat the care it needs is one of the joys of being a cat owner, and these affectionate and fluffy characters do love a cuddle. While you&rsquo;re giving your kitty all the cuddles it craves, it&rsquo;s worth thinking about Munchkin cat insurance.

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&rsquo;s Cat Insurance</a>&nbsp;have a range of cover <a href="/lifetime-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw Lifetime Pet Insurance">Lifetime cover</a> levels that can help care for your Munchkins when it comes to bumps, bruises and illnesses. And if you ever have a worry or concern about your cat&rsquo;s health, training or care, our <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a> helpline with RCVS qualified vets and vet nurses are always there for you.

Lordosis is a rare spinal condition that can affect Munchkins. This spinal problem causes muscles to grow too short and the spine sinks downwards causing the spine to curve. Curvature can range from being very mild to being severe. In severe cases, compression of the heart and lungs can occur.

Pectus Excavatum (also known as funnel chest) is a malformation of the chest which can lead to breathing difficulties. The condition is usually apparent when the kitten is around 10 days old. If the condition is mild, no treatment may be required, but more severely affected cats may need surgery and the application of a splint to the ribcage.

<a href="/all-things-pet/arthritis-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to arthritis in cats">Osteoarthritis</a> is a common condition that affects many <a href="/pet-insurance-for-older-pets" title="Link to Evrypaw's Pet Insurance for Older Pets">older cats</a>. This slowly progressive condition can easily go unnoticed by owners. Watch out for any reduction in your Munchkin&rsquo;s activity levels, lameness in one or more limbs, pain when you touch or move the limb, change of temperament or if your cat finds it difficult to groom. Your vet will recommend the best medication and treatment to suit your cat.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)

<a href="/all-things-pet/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to FLUTD in cats">Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)</a> is a condition that covers bladder stones, <a href="/all-things-pet/cystitis-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cystitis in cats">cystitis</a> and urinary blockages. These cause pain and discomfort when a cat goes to the toilet. If your cat is unable to empty their bladder, contact your vet as emergency treatment may be needed.

To prevent this unpleasant condition, <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-spot-dehydration-in-dogs-cats-and-rabbits" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on spotting the signs of dehydration in pets">make sure your cat drinks enough water</a> and feed them a moist diet. Provide multiple litter boxes if your cat is in a multi-cat household.

Common Munchkin Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

The Munchkin breed is still young and so it&rsquo;s too early to completely rule out possible health problems.&nbsp;Cats with dwarfism can occur naturally, but Munchkins have been bred specifically to be short in the leg department. This makes the breed controversial, but Munchkins also have a lot of fans.

Lordosis and Pectus Excavatum have also been seen to affect the breed. Additionally, Munchkins can be affected by the <a href="/all-things-pet/10-common-cat-illnesses-and-symptoms" title="Link to Everypaw's article on common conditions affecting cats">common problems that affect other cats</a> such as Lower Urinary Tract Disease, Osteoarthritis, <a href="/all-things-pet/hyperthyroidism-in-cats" title="Link o Everypaw's guide to hyperthyroidism in cats">Hyperthyroidism</a> and dental problems.

Munchkin Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

Get a quote for your Munchkin's insurance

Munchkin

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Zoomies to Senior Snoozes, We've Got Them Covered

The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

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As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/multi-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance page">Insure multiple pets</a>&nbsp;for a multi-pet discount

99% of claims paid in 5 working days*

Unlimited 24/7 access to UK vet nurses and vets with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall vet page">Petcall</a>

Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

Two levels of our Lifetime Pet Insurance cover have been rated 5 Stars by independent financial business, Defaqto, for 8 years in a row.

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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Munchkin Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Munchkin Cat Facts

Is a Munchkin Cat Right for Me?

What Are Munchkin Kittens Like?

Life with a Munchkin

Caring for Your Munchkin

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise