I thought there was a breed of short-legged cats where the trait wasn’t connected to anything harmful, but now you’re saying Munchkins are unhealthy. Is there some other breed I’m getting them mixed up with or do I need to completely bin my daydream of getting a stumpy lil’ cat?
I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but I'm referring to the same short-legged breed. All short legged cat breeds (napoleon, rughugger, scottish kilt, minuet, minskin, etc) all can be traced back to mixes with the Munchkin cat.
Physical health-wise Munchkins are better off than some other breeds, though due to their short legs they have a greater chance at developing things like osteoarthritis. There is some evidence munchkins also have deformations or malalignment of their limbs, though this hasn't been studied extensively. The gene that causes the short legs is also lethal when a cat has two copies, meaning like the burmese and bombay, poor breeding practices can lead to stillborn kittens.
Another issue that stems from Munchkins are the fact that their main breed trait (the short legs) prevents them from fulfilling usual cat behaviours like climbing, running, scratching, grooming, and jumping. Some Munchkins fare better than others, but research suggests cats of that breed will suffer some lower quality of life due to the limitations of their shorter legs on their ability to act like cats.
You can read more about Munchkins and their health here and here. I do have to note that Munchkins are not an extensively researched breed, so there may or may not be further underlying issues related to their short legs.
