The kitten's front paws are shorter than the hind legs. breed standard

Munchkin - this is the name of the cat breed with short legs. A distinctive feature of all representatives of the line is short stature, squat, which is associated with a reduced limb length compared to ordinary fluffies. For a characteristic feature of the constitution, animals are often compared with dachshunds.

Origin story

For the first time, they started talking about Munchkins in the 30s of the last century, when animals with short legs began to be born in different litters and from different cats. Then they were nicknamed kangaroos for their amazing ability to stand on the fifth point, copying the posture of a marsupial mammal.

A few years later, 4 more generations of undersized cats were registered in the UK, which were distinguished by excellent health. During the Second World War, no one cared about selection and most of the animals were lost, but by the middle of the 20th century, reports of unusual pets began to appear again, first in Russia, and then in the United States.

In the Soviet Union, dwarfs were called kangaroo cats - all because their front legs were much shorter than their hind legs, which strengthened the resemblance to the Australian native.

The development of the line began in 1983, when a certain teacher from the USA found two stray cats on the street in the demolitions, one of which had short legs. At first, the woman thought that the unusual physique was due to poor nutrition, poor health, and those life hardships that haunt all street unfortunates.

To the surprise of the hostess, the newly-made pet gave birth not only to ordinary kittens, but also to the same “Lilliputians” like her. Subsequently, it turned out that Blackberry (as the cat was called) is a carrier of the short-legged gene (more correctly, achondroplasia - shortening long bones limbs), which is inherited. Her son Toulouse became the ancestor of a new breed.

Local breeders, after conducting a series of studies and experiments, found out that the entire new line is absolutely healthy and does not have any physical abnormalities in the structure of the joints, spine, which are usually observed in dogs with a similar physique.

For the first time, Munchkins were introduced to a wide range of cat lovers in 1991. It happened at the next TICA exhibition. But then the public did not express much jubilation about the "small". On the contrary, they have become the subject of fierce debate:

• why breed freaks;
• can such pets live without a person;
• Will there be health problems in the future?

Although all these arguments are meaningless: if the breed suddenly remained without human patronage, then in the end it returned to the average type of the most ordinary pets.

Despite all the doubts and disputes, the cats moved to France, and then to Japan, where they gained great popularity. In 1995, the breed was finally recognized by the International Association, during the same period a standard was developed.

In our country, the peak of popularity came in 2001. The babies came to Russia from the nursery of South Africa.

More recently (in 2014), the little Liliput cat was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the lowest animal among relatives. His height was only 13.5 cm.

The breed was named after the little inhabitants of the fabulous city of Oz (for those who do not remember, there was such a children's American writer Baum, who came up with a magical story). Kittens really look like little solar gnomes, from which the soul becomes light and joyful.

Appearance

All dachshund cats can get into the gopher position, sitting on the crotch and tucking their front paws, which looks very funny and comical. In this position, they can stand indefinitely - this always causes a storm of delight and positive emotions among others.

Kittens with short limbs are born only if one of the parents has a special gene responsible for the length of the legs. Other characteristics of midgets do not differ from those of cats of standard shapes and sizes: they have the same flexible backbone, they are just as nimble and mobile.

The average weight is 2.0-2.5 kg, the height at the withers is not more than 15 cm.

• Against the background of short legs, the body seems elongated.
• The chest is wide and round.
• The muscles are well developed.
• The neck is also short and powerful.
• The head is wedge-shaped.
• The bridge of the nose is clearly defined.
• The eyes are usually slightly slanted, widely spaced, can be small or large. Pupil color can be any.
• The ears are rounded at the ends, wide at the base. In long-haired individuals, brushes may be observed.
• The tail is of medium length.
• The paws are naturally short, while the hind limbs are slightly longer than the front ones, so the body of the animal is slightly tilted forward.

Within the breed there are pets with short and long hair. Usually short-haired ones are plush, and more fluffy individuals have a long, silky and shiny coat.

As for the color, there is no special standard. Munchkins can be absolutely any color and combination of colors. Color points are more common, but there are also tortoiseshell, smoky, black, red.

A little about selection

Previously, it was allowed to cross shorties with any mongrel cat. Usually in the litter from such a union half of the long-legged kittens were born, and half with short limbs. As a result of experiments, trial and error, the munchkins got a rich palette of shades and good health. There is also a minus in this: there is no clear standard:

• nor in size (the weight of individuals ranges from one and a half to 3 kilograms);
• nor according to the proportions of the body;
• nor in the shape of the ears, eyes, color texture.

Today you can see a variety of munchkins:

• curly (skukum) - the result of communication with Laperm;
• kinkalow - crossing with American Curl;
• mei-toy - a dwarf hybrid of an ocicat or singapura;
• - from mating with sphinxes;
• munchbobs - have not only short legs, but also a tail.

Such combinations are quite dangerous - it is difficult to predict how several mutated genes will behave in one bottle at once.

At present, the infusion of "dirty" blood is prohibited, although mixing with domus is sometimes allowed for the development of the line.

A few years ago, enthusiasts decided to develop a new breed of short-legged - Napoleon. They purposefully crossbreed Munchkins with and Exotics. Why they decided to name the new breed that way is unknown.

The breeders of the new breed are going to get taxoids with two types of coat: airy and long or slightly shortened. There are no work on color variations and there are no restrictions on colors. The standard of the strange breed is as follows: short legs and a head shape like those of classic Persian parents. Breeders are still afraid to be zealous with the extreme structure of the muzzle.

Character

An ode to the wonderful temperament of little shorties can be sung endlessly: they are smart, and sociable, and kind, and loving, and curious, and playful. In a word, it is a pleasure to communicate with them, besides, cats of this breed adore a person with all the fibers of their feline soul.

Despite the attachment to people, independence is not alien to them - if necessary, they can be alone. They quickly find a common language with other representatives of the cat family, often becoming leaders of the pet community.

Munchkins are unusually curious creatures, they are inherent in constant thirst knowledge of the world. And the more information they get, the better they feel.

They have a calm and balanced temperament, almost never get angry. In a difficult situation, with their calm positive and gentle purring, they will give hope for a better future.

Animals are not characterized by aggressiveness, but this does not mean that in the event of an unexpected encounter with yard cats, they will not defend themselves. Possessing natural dexterity, flexibility and cunning, they easily circle the enemy around their fingers and win a well-deserved victory.

Human-oriented Munchkins become strongly attached to the owner, adopting his mood, hobbies and even character.

They absolutely do not worry about the frequent change of scenery, constant movement by car. Traveling with such pets is always a pleasure.

They get along well with children and enjoy participating in their pranks. They are not afraid of either swaddling or riding a toy dump truck - they endure any “bullying” stoically, without losing their feline dignity.

In appearance, clumsy pets are incredibly agile, plastic and active creatures. They do not walk, but slink, as if they are always on the hunt. It is clear that they cannot conquer furniture peaks, but they can quite afford to climb a low chair, a sofa.

Satisfactorily climbing curtains and trees, not much different in this respect from cats of a standard size.

They are graceful and harmonious in their movements, demeanor and habits resembling a mongoose. They don’t really know how to jump, but they will always find an alternative, how to get to the top by detours.

Issues of care and maintenance

In principle, these do not differ from the norms that must be observed when keeping other breeds of cats:

• periodic combing: short-haired ones are rarely combed, pets with rich hair more often;
• bathe no more than 2 times a year;
• eyes are wiped as they get dirty;
• ears are checked once a week, and if necessary auricles clean with cotton pads;
• cut the nails 2 times a month and install a scratching post, preferably horizontal, attached to the floor.

An amazing feature of cats is the need for personal space where pets could be alone with themselves. Anything is suitable for organizing your own apartment: an ennobled cardboard box, an owner's chair, a wicker basket, a cat house bought on the occasion, etc. But most likely, the pet will find a cozy nest for a quiet pastime on its own.

Pets love to play, so it doesn’t hurt to stock up on game accessories: mice, balls, soft toys. By the way, Munchkins love to hide all this in their own hiding places - this is how the “magpie instinct” manifests itself.

According to rumors, cats of this breed easily get used to the harness and are happy to accompany the owner on a street walk.

Food

We will not reveal any secret if we say about the need proper nutrition. It is difficult to give any specific advice.

• Firstly, all cats are different, even though they belong to the same breed, and hence the taste needs, and individual characteristics their bodies are different.
• Secondly, owners have different wallet sizes and not everyone can afford to buy expensive (by the way, not always good) ready-made feed.

Therefore, when choosing an industrial product, they are guided by the composition, and how it is correct has already been written more than once.

Munchkins are gluttons, which is why it is so important to control the amount of food they eat, otherwise you can end up with a small barrel with short legs. And as you know, obesity is not the best friend of cat health.

Most often, the x-shaped paws of a Scottish cat are nothing more than a tribal marriage. However, in this case, the cat / cat must be castrated so that they do not pass on defective genes to children. In addition, honest breeders reduce the price of such kittens.

In a Scottish cat, the hind legs of the xom are quite common, because. this breed is in principle with problematic skeleton genes. Therefore, you can close your eyes to a slight curvature, if it does not interfere with anything, if you are not going to win titles at exhibitions and produce kittens. Minor deformities that are not accompanied by a disease do not interfere with a cat's life: she can run and jump perfectly without experiencing pain.

Often, the curvature of the paws in Scottish cats occurs with impure mating, for example, Scottish Fold and British, which is prohibited by felinological organizations. So when buying a kitten, you need to ask for the documents of the parents, or at least see them live. But even if these are two Scots crossed according to the safe fold + straight rule, there is no guarantee that this genetic deviation will not shoot one of the kittens. But it happens that people who bought a cat to earn extra money on it do not bother to study genetics or do not want to lose money, and therefore do not exclude animals with defective genes from breeding. Therefore, it is so important to purchase a kitten from a reliable breeder who, first of all, cares about the purity of the breed and the health of their animals.

Here is what the expert of the MURKOTIKI website, felinologist Elena Shabaeva, says about this: “The breeder has knowledge, he strives to improve the breed, for the most part, it is unprofitable for the family budget. Unlike a simple “breeder” who bought a cat for three rubles, phenotypically similar to a thoroughbred, and is trying to capitalize on the reproduction of the same phenotypic ones.

Micronutrient deficiency

In case of severe curvature or if the cat has problems with gait, you need to be examined.

The problematic genetics of the Scots can be exacerbated by a lack of trace elements and vitamins. And sometimes it happens that the genes are normal, but the Scottish cat still has crooked hind legs like a frog. This can provoke a lack of trace elements, primarily calcium and phosphorus. This is especially dangerous in childhood when the skeletal system is just being formed.

With curvature, an x-ray and a blood test for the content of calcium and phosphorus in the body are shown. Based on these studies, conclusions can be drawn and a diagnosis can be made, or additional examinations can be carried out.

If a problem is found, chondroprotectors are prescribed, if necessary, the diet is revised, moderate exercise and massage are recommended.

Disease of the musculoskeletal system

Crooked paws, paws with growths, lameness and a negative reaction of a cat to touching the limbs speak of joint dysplasia, to which the Scots are genetically prone. Moreover, not all of the signs listed above must be present, because. they develop over time, and some may be completely absent.

JOINT DYPLASIA - congenital inferiority of the joint, resulting from improper development.

“X-setting of the legs indicates a tendency to dysplasia and discopathy (progressive wear of the vertebral discs, - MURKOTIKI) or its initial stage. It is not at all necessary that in the future the development of thickening of the joints, etc., in such an animal. symptoms with deterioration up to disability. The animal can live with it for the rest of its life. Such anomalies shoot out in unsuitable couples, with the wrong choice of a partner, etc. Or just unlucky. X-postav and osteochondrodysplasia often begin to appear only by the age of one. You won't see anything for a year. When choosing a kitten, it is advisable to look at the parents and other graduates of the cattery, ”comments Elena Shabaeva, expert of the MURKOTIKI website, felinologist and owner of the Scottish cattery Kristal Rose*RU.

As a rule, with age, the disease worsens, and if nothing is done, the story will end in tears. Therefore, if you suspect a disease, you need to go to the veterinary clinic. A competent veterinarian will take x-rays and do a blood test. If he does not prescribe this, but tries to make a diagnosis by eye only on the basis of an examination, you should contact another specialist.

The body of a cat is so perfect that it is rightfully considered one of the wonders of wildlife. This superpowered animal can lengthen and shorten at will. The cat is able to shrink, spread out, bend over in an arc or curl up in a ball for sleep. Every movement shows extreme flexibility. Cats have more bones in their skeleton than humans (288 versus 206). In addition, she, like us, has more than six hundred muscles to turn in all directions accurately and confidently.

During the fall, the cat keeps its eyes open. In her inner ear there are small pressure-sensitive tubules that constantly indicate to her the position of her own body. In 9 cases out of 10, the cat manages to find the right position and land on its paws. But the fall should not be very long: with an increase in speed, the weight increases, and a height of more than 5 floors can be fatal for a cat.

Unsurpassed acrobat!

• The chest of the cat is narrow, and the shortened clavicles allow you to bring the front paws very close together in order to squeeze into the tightest places.
• The paws touch the ground only with the tips of the fingers, so that the cat can walk silently and gently.
• The forelegs can also spread wide: this is very useful for grasping an object or hitting prey.
• Hind legs, more powerful and longer than the front ones. By pushing with its hind legs, a cat can jump far.
• To roll over in the air, the cat turns the back of the body.
• A cat's tail alone has more than 20 bones. The tail, curving like a snake, serves as an excellent balancer for her.

Cat in numbers
When an adult male stretches to its full length, the distance from the front to the hind legs is approximately 50 cm, and the tail length is 25-30 cm. The average weight of cats ranges between 3.2 and 4 kg, but the largest known individual weighed 19.5 kg!

Born huntress

Your cat has spotted the prey. She begins to quietly creep up, clings to the ground, all compressed into a spring and makes a jump, releasing her claws out. Ay! It was your finger sticking out from under the covers! Just don't punish her. Even when a cat is playing, her hunting instinct is the main "key" of her nature.

Hiding in a shelter or on a branch, a cat can wait motionless for hours. And suddenly, deftly and accurately, she jumps and falls simultaneously on her hind and front outstretched paws in order to grab and, if possible, strangle the victim.

When a cat is hungry, it kills the victim immediately by biting the back of the head. When she wants to play, then, on the contrary, she is content with light biting the victim, and then pretends to let her go. But this is just a game, if the victim tries to run away, they are caught up with one jump. Sometimes the cat even licks the wounds of its prey. But let's not be fooled: her rough tongue only causes more bleeding. Not always the attack leads to success. On average, a cat manages to catch one bird out of five and one mouse out of two. She is a predator and loves the taste of blood. In nature, a cat's favorite prey is small mammals and birds. Insects and frogs won't slip past her claws either. But fish is an object of adoration. Sometimes a cat manages to catch a fish in the water with a powerful blow of its paw!

Click - click - click! What are those strange sounds? It is, sitting on the windowsill, your cat begins to chatter his teeth, imagining how she would bite her prey, which she sees through the window. With such a clatter, she satisfies her imagination.

cat weapon

• The cutest cat is capable of turning into a machine of destruction at any moment.
• The large, sharp teeth of a cat are fangs. They are bent inward and therefore hold prey well.
• The premolars and molars serve the cat for quick tearing and chewing of the victim's body.
• The cat's claws retract inward. Protected by a paw, they are released thanks to tendons and ligaments. Throughout the life of a cat, the claws constantly grow and remain sharp!

What does the cat see?

The cat's eye is an amazing creation of nature! The sharp eyesight of cats, their ability to see almost in the dark, people have noted for a long time. It is no coincidence that the ancient Egyptians called cats “mau”, which means “sighted” in translation. Cats often have to hunt at dusk, or even at night. Not surprisingly, their eyes are adapted to work perfectly in this very low light.

RECORD SIZE

Cats do not have the largest eyes compared to large animals. However, if you calculate their relative sizes, it turns out that cats have the largest eyes of all mammals! In the dark, the cat's iris opens wide. The diameter of the pupil opening through which weak light passes reaches almost 1.5 centimeters. By the way, in a person, the pupil diameter does not exceed 8 millimeters, just like don't goggle your eyes in the dark. Consequently, in the semi-darkness, a cat perceives several times more light than a person eats.

Cats have a layer of cells behind the retina in the eye that acts as a reflector. It helps to perceive those crumbs of light that enter the cat's eye in almost complete darkness. It is thanks to this layer that the cat's eyes seem to glow at dusk. In fact, a person sees light that first hit the cat's eye, and then reflected from its bottom.

It used to be that cats see the world in black and white, perfectly distinguishing all sorts of shades of gray. Now it has been proven that cats still have some colors to distinguish, although they are far from the richness of human color perception.

Two eyes in one

At night the pupil is dilated to capture the maximum light. A thin reflective film located behind the retina of the eye reflects light rays and increases the sensitivity of the eye in low light.
A cat is able to discern light that is 6 times weaker than the weakest light visible to humans. But in complete darkness, contrary to the delusion of some people, the cat's eye does not see anything at all!

Happy her pupil shrinks and becomes as thin as a sunbeam to shield her eye from too much light. Now it is a narrow, vertical, barely noticeable slit.
The constricted pupil allows the cat to safely endure light 5 times brighter than the human eye can withstand.

BLUE EYES

All kittens have blue eyes at birth. And only by the age of three months their color is finally determined: blue, orange, green (or “hazelnut”) and amber.

Cats often have multi-colored eyes (2 different colors). But this does not create any interference with vision. Attention! Some breeds of white cats have an ear that is on the side blue eye, sometimes struck by deafness!

panoramic vision
The binocular vision of a cat covers 130° (in a dog - 83°). But the cat is also able to observe everything that happens on the sides! Her visual field is 287° compared to our 200°. The extremely mobile head rotates in all directions and allows you to constantly maintain a direct look.

What does a cat hear?

Was there noise outside? immediately begin to stir and stretch out like little antennae. They are so flexible and gentle that it seems you can even see how they pick up the sound ... For many hearing impaired people, one look at the ears of their little companion is worth all the hearing aids in the world.

When a cat is hunting, her hearing is amazing! She hears the rustling of a mouse from a few meters away. The predator is able to distinguish this sound among many others and detect it with an accuracy of several centimeters! The same thing happens at home, she hears before anyone else how my brother goes up the stairs, or how the elevator noise, on which our guest rides. It is useless at such moments to call her. Attracted interesting sound, the cat remains absolutely deaf to everything else: like a dog, it obeys its instinct of "sentinel".

Do ears speak?

• When the ears are straight, motionless, they rest, but are ready to move at the slightest suspicious noise.
• A cat reacts to an unexpected sound 10 times faster than a dog.
• The pressed ears are protected from the blows of the claws of the enemy. The cat's intentions are clear: she is preparing for battle.
• Ears stretched back indicate that the animal is afraid. But beware, his actions are unpredictable!
• Ears can be directed independently to two different sound sources. Your pet expresses his feelings by moving his ears, and you yourself must carefully study this language.

Normally, a cat will flatten its ears when it is about to attack another, but Scottish Folds are born with folded ears. When such a cat meets another, he may think that an attack is being prepared on him, and will begin to behave aggressively. It's not easy for us to be extraordinary!

Superantennas
Very large in relation to the head, the ears are equipped with a dozen muscles that are able to orient them in all possible directions. The human ear picks up 10,000 vibrations per second, while the cat's ear picks up to 30,000, allowing it to hear ultrasounds.

Touch everything!

The world is full of movements and vibrations. It is filled with strange objects, hard and soft, smooth and rough. The cat is interested in everything, so she tries to touch any unusual object.

AT THE TIP OF THE PAWS

Unlike a dog, which is in a hurry to sniff everything that is nearby, a cat is more incredulous. Seeing an unknown thing, she first feels it, scratches it, thus obtaining the first information, and only then, if everything goes as it should, this great adventurer will risk sniffing the object of her curiosity, then touch it with her nose.

REAL ANTENNAS

The most sensitive in a cat are the eyebrows and the famous whiskers. Never clip a cat's mustache! You will make her helpless for a long time and unable to sense close objects. Compared to other hair, it is longer and stiffer. Vibrissae are located above the eyes and lips and react to the slightest contact or pressure. When a cat moves at night, these hairs also protect its eyes, which automatically close as soon as the vibrissae touches an obstacle.

DENSE FUR

If you have a cat, then look carefully: there are probably her hairs on the clothes. On the body of an animal there are 200 of them per square centimeter! The cat's coat consists of a delicate soft undercoat and coarser guard hairs. Well-groomed and clean fur provides good protection against cold and heat and forms, together with the skin, which has a thickness of 1 to 3 mm, a very good barrier against temperature changes.

Highly developed sense organs

A cat's sense of smell is 10 times more sensitive than ours. An important role in the perception of smells is played by the so-called Jacobson's organ - two thin tubes located at the base of the nasal septum and equipped with 200 million sensitive cells.

Advertising does not deceive: the cat is a real gourmet. She distinguishes four tastes and will resolutely refuse to eat something that is not tasty for her. Usually pussies like salty and sour more than sweet and bitter. But there are exceptions, some pets eat anything.

SOMETIMES "THE HIGH"

The cat cannot stand the smell of alcohol. But some smells drive her crazy. For example, inhaling the strong scent of catnip, the cat becomes motionless, while her gaze rushes into the void, as if she had swallowed drugs. The chemical equivalent of this smell is often applied to cat toys: the effect is 100% guaranteed!

HOW MANY FEELINGS?

A cat has at least nine senses! In addition to the five ordinary senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, hearing), she also has a sense of orientation and atmospheric pressure! The cat is able to anticipate an earthquake and find its way to a house located hundreds of kilometers away.

Cat ID

By urinating in strategic places, by rubbing against tree trunks or rocks, the cat leaves a distinct "signature" that other cats recognize. The label reflects gender, age, condition You have already noticed that your cat is always stubbornly striving for a heat source. She is able to feel a difference of 3-4 degrees for a few meters! health and readiness for reproduction.

STRANGE SMELL

The cat's anal glands produce strong smell not sensitive to humans. When meeting, animals sniff each other's anal area to get to know each other. Scientists have noticed that cats, deprived of their sense of smell due to some kind of virus, could hardly distinguish a cat from a cat!

"METEO CAT"

No, it doesn't start raining every time a cat scratches behind an ear! But it does have great barometric sensitivity. Before a downpour, even if nothing points to it, she becomes restless and instinctively seeks shelter.

Features of the anatomy of the Maine Coon are the result of aboriginal origin. The long body, weight and living conditions in the natural habitat suggest strong limbs.

Read in the article:

The size and structure of the paws

The paws of this breed are considered the largest compared to other cats. Such cats hunted all their lives, often chasing prey through the snow, jumping over obstacles. Therefore, their muscles are developed, and the hind limbs are longer than the front ones, which allows them to push off when jumping to a great height.

The Maine Coon is characterized by wide feet with tufts of hair. This helps them when moving through the snow and in other situations. However, similar hair on the paws occurs in many breeds of cats with long or medium hair. For example, in the Norwegian Forest cat or Siberian.

The shape of each paw is rounded. The girth of the metacarpus of Maine Coons must be more than 7 cm. For such a measurement, it is necessary to fix the cat, take a sewing centimeter and smooth the wool very tightly to the metacarpus. Only then will the paw size data be reliable.

In the breed standards of various felinological organizations, the description of the Maine Coon anatomy is almost the same. They all agree that the skeleton of the animal should be strong, the body should be elongated, and the general format should be square. Therefore, the light version of the Kuna will not be recognized as the ideal of the breed and will not receive high marks at exhibitions. By the way, most of the mass of the cat is precisely the mass of the skeleton with tendons, cartilage and ligaments.

Paws are also noted in official documents. In these animals, the muscles are moderately expressed, but strong and developed. Adult animals differ in appearance from young animals. This is due to the rather late maturation big cats. Because of this, the formation of the skeleton goes through several stages. By the time of full maturation, the Kuhn's limbs become stronger, because the ligaments and cartilage in kittens are usually weaker than those of his parents. This is especially noticeable when considering the setting of the hind legs.

Functional features

The dimensions of such a cat are perfectly combined with a high level of intelligence. Maine Coons are able to stand for a long time without leaning on their forelimbs. They get up in the “bunny” position if something is very interested in them.

Most Maine Coons have increased mobility of the lower parts of the limbs. They can bend their metacarpus to pick up a thing and hold it on wide furry pads.

In conditions similar to wild nature, native Maine Coons successfully caught mice, rats, the size of which sometimes exceeds the dimensions of an ordinary cat. Strong paws, of course, were powerful weapon in the fight against rodents.

Genetic anomalies

With the history of the origin and distribution of the Maine Coon breed is connected a large number of legends. Many of them talk about cats and cats with polydactyly. It manifests itself in the form of additional fingers. Previously, polydactyly was explained by magic and the machinations of evil spirits. However, the sailors considered the "multi-fingered" Maine Coons to be a lucky talisman. Farmers treated the "polydacts" favorably, because the extra fingers with claws supposedly helped in the extermination of pests.

Up to a certain point, every second Kuna had polydactyly. Today, the standards stipulate the presence of redundant fingers, and polydactyl cats participate in zootechnical events. But championship titles do not shine for them. There are breeders who use exclusively Maine Coons with polydactyly in breeding activities. Cattery owners seek recognition of a separate breed group. In one of the organizations went to meet them.

It should be noted that polydactyly is a mutation and is inherited. A Coon kitten with extra fingers must have at least one parent with a similar anomaly. Otherwise, the polydactyly gene is not transmitted. In life, extra fingers do not interfere with the full life of the animal, Maine Coons move freely. Also, mutations do not affect the skeleton, the nervous system.

What does the limb of a kun with the indicated feature look like? Polydactyly manifests itself in different ways. In some, the fingers grow on the sides, forming additional pads with full-fledged claws. Others are distinguished by enlarged middle fingers. Always the cat's foot becomes wider. These fingers can be from 1 to 3 pieces, while the standard Maine Coon set is 4 on the hind limbs and 5 on the front. There is a dewclaw, its claw does not retract inside, but it grows a little higher than the rest. In general, polydactyly in cats is a common phenomenon.

It is easy to determine the carrier of the gene for this anomaly. It is enough to reveal the presence of additional fingers in the Kuna. Such a cat or cat has a 50/50 chance of having offspring with the mutation. The location of extra fingers and their number at the gene level is not fixed. In kittens, they grow differently than in their parents. On the appearance Kuna-carrier affects environment, random factors.

Polydactyly gave American native cats nicknames - "snowmobiles", "polis". Perhaps the carriers of the gene have a stronger skeleton than their relatives. Some sources claim that certain Maine Coon populations have excellent health, which is persistently transmitted in offspring.

Almost all of Hemingway's cats were "polydactyl". There are breeds in which this anomaly belongs to the acceptable characteristics according to the standard, unlike any Kuhn. These are pixie-bobs. Record holders - "polydacty" of the cat world could boast of 26 fingers in total.

Maine Coon paw health

Maine Coons can suffer from many diseases common to the feline family. Tall and massive animals are more prone to hip dysplasia, which is also observed in giant and large dogs. The disease is hereditary, there are several degrees. In animals free of DTBS, offspring with a severe form are periodically born, and vice versa.

Dysplasia hip joints Coon is diagnosed by x-rays. An experienced and certified veterinarian determines the presence and indicates the degree. Symptoms of DTBS appear mainly when the Maine Coon moves. You can also see them in the set of paws. The hind limbs are usually affected. The animal protects the joint if it hurts, which leads to lameness and other visible manifestations. The extreme degree of the disease is difficult for the animal to tolerate.

It is undesirable to start breeding a Maine Coon with such a diagnosis. A breeding pet is more likely to pass problems on to kittens. The development of the disease is affected by growth rates, conditions of detention. Injuries can aggravate the situation, undermine the health of the Maine Coon. It is important not to overfeed the animal, conduct a thorough examination, provide moderate physical exercise. Sometimes there is only one way to prolong life - to have an operation. More than 15% of Kuns were diagnosed with DTBS.

In a teenage coon, you can sometimes observe the size of the limbs. For cats that grow in leaps and bounds, small deviations are considered normal. If necessary, they take tests in clinics, do x-rays and adjust nutrition, limit violent games. If it is not possible to fix the Maine Coon's posture until a certain age, then the marking will most likely remain for the rest of his life.

Incorrect posture of the forelimbs sometimes indicates rickets suffered in the first months of a cat's life. Adjusted according to doctor's prescription. Many inhabitants heavily feed the Maine Coon with supplements with calcium and other trace elements, which is not entirely correct. The consequences of an excess of calcium are much worse than its deficiency in the body. Norms and the need for special complementary foods are discussed only with veterinarians. Also, for the Kuna, as well as other cats, it is useful to stay in the sun. This is how they get their D vitamins.

Paws can "ride" along different reasons. Slippery flooring is often the determining factor if other causes are ruled out. During the formation of the skeleton, it is desirable to cover smooth and varnished areas of the floor with carpets so that the kun's limbs do not move apart.