The Minskin is a new cat breed that only appeared at the start of the 21st century. Its main distinguishing features are short legs and fur points on a hairless body. Minskins are the result of crossing Munchkins and Sphynxes. Thanks to their furry feet, these little cats have also been nicknamed “hobbits.”
Breed History
This breed comes from the US. In 1998, Paul McSorley began developing the Minskin in Boston. He wanted to create a cat with short legs and patches of fur in specific places. To do this, he crossed short-legged, fluffy Munchkins with nearly hairless Sphynxes, which sometimes have fur on only some parts of the body. Later, the Burmese and the Devon Rex were added to the mix.
The first Minskin kitten was born in July 2000. He was named Rory. Within 5 years, there were already 50 cats of this breed, and it gained recognition from international cat associations. TICA has a special program that continues to monitor the breeding and development of the Minskin.
Minskin Breed Overview
Minskins are small, semi-cobby cats. Because of their short stature and relatively long neck, many people think they look like an otter or a Munchkin. They’re light, weighing about 4–7 lb.
The TICA breed standard gives a detailed description of the Minskin:
- Head: round, broader than it is long, with no flat lines, a strong chin, a broad, short muzzle, and prominent whisker pads; a well-developed, flexible neck;
- Ears: large, open, and alert, with slightly rounded tips, wide at the base; they may be completely hairless;
- Eyes: large and round, set wide apart, giving a surprised, alert look;
- Nose: not straight but not humped either, with a slight curve at the tip;
- Whiskers: may be sparse, broken, or missing altogether;
- Body: may look long because of the short legs; the back rises slightly toward the hips; a broad, strong, muscular chest;
- Legs: short, equal in length above and below the knee, with the hind legs slightly longer than the front legs;
- Tail: slightly longer than the body, tapering gradually from the base to a slightly blunt tip;
- Coat: short, with fur points on the face, ears, legs, tail, and under the tail; sometimes there may be fur along the whole length of the legs, on the hips, and on the shoulders, but the belly is always bare.
From the Sphynx, the Minskin inherited skin wrinkles, but they’re more visible in kittens.
Color
The photo shows what a standard Minskin looks like.
Minskin cats can come in different colors and patterns: solid, tortie, tabby, and colors with white. The Siamese-style colorpoint is very common.
Personality
Despite their size and short legs, Minskins are very agile, quick cats. They may not jump onto the fridge in a single leap, but they’ll find a roundabout way up. Surprisingly, they really do love climbing up high. These cats actually need to run and move a lot. If they get lazy, they can develop spine problems.
Minskins are very gentle pets and love affection. By the way, they’re warm to the touch, like soft cashmere. It’s best not to leave them alone for long, since these cats get very attached to people.
Minskin cats get along well with other animals, so they’re a great fit for dog owners too. And they’re patient with children.
Care and Health
The Minskin’s build and coat don’t affect its health or quality of life in any way. However, it’s hard to say for sure whether there are hereditary diseases, since the breed is still too young and rare for statistics. There have been cases of developmental problems: lordosis (a strong inward curve of the lower spine) and chest deformities. As mentioned above, with an active lifestyle Minskins are generally healthy, disease-resistant cats. They live 12–15 years on average.
Caring for these cats is the same as caring for Sphynxes:
- Bathe your cat regularly with shampoo. This helps keep the skin healthy and prevents oil buildup and acne;
- Like all hairless cats, Minskins need extra protection from strong sun, or they can get burned;
- Check the skin regularly for growths, fungus, scratches, cuts, and bruises;
- In winter, Minskins may be more sensitive to the cold, but they’ll happily wear a sweater or warm up in your arms.
Regular vaccinations and teeth and ear cleaning, and your Minskin will stay healthy. Another bonus: minimal fur means no heavy shedding and fewer allergy problems.
Feed your Minskin more often than ordinary cats, but in smaller portions. With so little fur, these cats burn more energy keeping their body temperature up.
How Much Does a Minskin Cost?
How much will a Minskin kitten cost you? The breed is still young and very rare, so they’re hard to find, and the price will be high. Since so few kittens are sold, there’s no reliable average price: ask breeders directly, and expect to pay at least as much as for other rare short-legged breeds like the Munchkin (usually $1,000 or more).
Where to Buy a Minskin in the US
There are only a handful of Minskin breeders, mostly in the US and Canada. You can try looking at classified ads, but read buyer reviews carefully so you don’t get scammed. Better options:
- TICA (The International Cat Association) breeder listings – https://tica.org/find-a-cat/find-a-cat-breeder-listings/;
- Paul McSorley, the creator of the breed, still breeds Minskins himself;
- EMI Minskin (TICA) – https://emi-minskin.odoo.com/.
