A rare breed, the Minskin cat is petite with short legs and a kitten-like appearance which it retains well into adulthood. Delightful in personality as well as appearance, this is a loving, family cat who gets on well with children, cats and even dogs if given the opportunity.
Image: Paul McSorley via Wikimedia Commons
Appearance
The Minskin is a small, short legged cat with a very cute kitten like face. The short legs create the illusion of a body that is longer than it actually is, but in reality it is considered to be a semi-cobby and quite a stocky and muscular cat.
A tail that is longer than the body tapers from a wider base to a smaller blunted tip. A slightly rounded head that is wider than it is long has high cheek bones, a short round muzzle, and prominent whisker pads. Dazzling, wide set eyes are quite round but straighter at the top than the bottom, with a slight upwards slant.
The coat of the Minskin is sparse with short, soft fur points on the legs, tail, ears, and face. The coat is available in a large range of colours including tabby patterns, solid colours, colours with white, and tortoiseshell.
History
The Minskin was first envisaged by Boston breeder, Paul McSorley in 1998 who desired a breed of cat with the perfect mix of Sphynx and Munchkin. In 2000 he achieved his goal by breeding the first standard Minskin, and his continuing efforts saw more than 50 in existence by 2005.
The International Cat Association (TICA) gave the Minskin Preliminary New Breed Status in 2008 but most other cat registries have yet to recognise the Minskin breed.
Personality
Minskin cats love to be held and cuddled and will generally accept attention from whoever is willing to give it. These loveable, lap cats enjoying cuddling with their humans during the winter months, and enjoy being part of the family.
They will want to spend all of their time with you if they can get away with it, and enjoy greeting visitors at the door with lots of playful enthusiasm. They will become great friends with children, other cats, and even dogs when given the opportunity.
Despite their small stature, they are acrobatic and will figure out a way to the uppermost portions of a house by leap-frogging over conveniently placed furniture.
Did You Know?
No one really knows for sure what inspired the Minskin name but it is thought to be a combination of the Dutch word “Minder” (which means less, or small), and “skin,” referring to the breeds unique look.
Caring for Your Minskin Cat
Whilst grooming requirements are minimal for this low-shedding breed, the Minskin will require weekly bathing with a mild pet shampoo to keep the skin supple and healthy.
Due to the Minskin’s sparse coat it is definitely a cat more suited to an indoor life. Their coat makes them very sensitive to extremes of heat and cold as well as sunburn. While their little legs don’t hinder their agility in any way their shortness would make it somewhat more challenging for them to run from an aggressive dog if they were given free access to the outdoors..
Despite the Minskin still being a somewhat new and rare breed it has been confirmed by a TICA geneticist that it is genetically sound with no major health concerns.
If you have a Minskin cat in your life, please share your experiences below.
My name is Paul McSorley of TRT Cattery and I am the proud founder of the Minskin Breed, recognized by The International Cat Association. The Munchkin Cats that I used, to develop the Minskin breed, were from my own unique lines of Munchkins which were hybrids of my established international award winning Burmese, giving them an even more exotic look, with large eyes and an open, alert expression. The name “Minskin” was chosen because of ‘Min’ (miniature size and legs) and ‘Skin’ because of their lack of full coat and usually bald bellies. The name also resembles their cousin breed “Munchkin”.
I’ve never seen one of these little cuties!