Minskin

Things you Should Know about the Minskin

The Minskin cat is a rare breed with a delightful personality. Their appearance is similarly charming, with a petite stature, short legs, and an appearance resembling a kitten. It keeps all of these characteristics even when it becomes an adult.

These cats are loving, get along well with children and dogs, and will generally fit into a large family.

Appearance Matters. What does a Minskin look like?

The Minskin is a relatively new cat breed. Its legs are short, and fur only appears at the points of the body, such as the tail, nose, ears, legs, and face. The rest of the body is covered in sparse hair, and its belly is always hairless. 

The furry parts feel like cashmere combined with satin when you touch them, and the body is warm to the touch on all parts. 

Minskin cats have stocky, semi-cobby bodies, and they stand low to the ground. They have large ears that sit on the top of their rounded heads. Their eyes are big and round, and they give a sweet expression to the Minskin’s face.

On average, these cats weigh in at 4 pounds, so they make great pets for smaller apartments. Just like with most other hairless cats, their appearance may seem odd at first. But, their loving personality will make you fall in love with them instantly.

What colors do the Minskin cats come in?

Minskin cats have a sparse coat with short fur points on their face, ears, nose, legs, and tail. The coat can come in many different colors, including:

• White
• Black
• Blue
• Caramel
• Tabby
• Tortoiseshell

It's all Personal. The Minskin Temperament

Minskin cats are affectionate and outgoing. They enjoy being around people, especially children, and they also get along quite well with dogs and other cats. They are intelligent and extremely determined. This makes them capable of achieving everything much larger cats can do.

Being highly intelligent, Minskins might find a new original route to achieve that goal, though. They are also very playful and entertaining. They will jump around the house and display their athleticism that way, which can be highly amusing.

Caring for your Minskin

Since these cats don’t have hair that absorbs the oil produced by their skin, it can accumulate and make them feel greasy. This grease can leave marks on your furniture or collect in the Minskin’s nail beds. You have to bathe them regularly. 

They are also susceptible to cold and sunburn if they go outside, and their skin is prone to yeast infections.

If you think you won’t have to do a lot of grooming with Minskin cats since they are hairless, you are sorely mistaken. These are the most important things you will need to pay attention to. Also, as already mentioned earlier, these cats do have some hair.

Are Minskin cats hypoallergenic?

As you probably suspected, these cats barely shed at all. However, no cats are truly hypoallergenic. This breed does make a good pet for people that have mild or moderate allergies.

The Health and Happiness of your Minskin

The experience with Minskin cats so far has shown that they are mostly healthy cats. Still, it’s a new breed, so there might be some surprises awaiting us in the future.

From what we learned so far, we can see that they are not prone to any major health issues. Of course, they are susceptible to those issues that afflict cats in general or other Munchkin breeds.

Some health issues can occur if they stem from the parent breeds. For example, they can have spinal problems or suffer from lordosis, which often happens with Munchkins. On the other hand, they can also be prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that Sphynx cats are prone to.

This condition can cause a lot of problems to Minskin cats, especially since it often occurs in another breed used to create them, the Devon Rex.

Where Are the Best Minskin Breeders Located?

Minskin is one of those rare cat breeds that could cause problems for people when looking for breeders. It can be impossible to find one from time to time.

However, you should remember to check out our list of Minskin breeders occasionally. We update it regularly, so if a reputable breeder pops up, you will definitely be able to find one here.

These cats can get quite pricey, costing around $2,000-$2,500.

Feline History. Where does the Minskin come from?

Minskin cats were first developed in Boston by Paul McSorley starting in 1998. He wanted to create a short-legged cat whose fur only appears on its extremities. This was envisioned as a variation on the color pointing often seen in breeds like the Siamese.

He crossed a Munchkin with a Sphynx and used a Burmese and a Devon Rex because he wanted to perfect the breed. The first cat that met all of his goals was born in July 2000. By the year 2005, around 50 Minskin cats existed in the world. Their development is currently being monitored by the International Cat Association.