Minskin Cat
Breed Profile and Facts

The Minskin cat is a 'miniature cat breed' - a short-legged cat with fur points on the tail, legs, face, nose and ears.

TRT Tiger Lily | blue tabby Minskin female | founder breeder and owner Paul McSorley TRT Cattery | cat photo courtesy of Paul McSorley

The belly generally has no fur and only sparse hair covers the rest of the body. This is a new cat breed and is currently under development.

the development of the minskin

The cat breed was the brainchild of Paul McSorley, a cat breeder from Boston, Massachusetts.

Mr McSorley wanted to develop a cat with short legs and fur restricted to the points or extremities, much like the Siamese cat's color points.

In order to achieve this, he crossed the Munchkin cat (the original short-legged cat) with the Sphynx Cat (Canadian Hairless).

The Burmese cat and Devon Rex cat were also included in the breeding program.

The Minskin breeding program commenced in 1998, but it took a further 2 years before the first Minskin standard was achieved.

This is a very rare cat breed and at this stage very few cat breeders exist.

Most cat registries do not recognize the cat breed. TICA (The International Cat Association) has given it Preliminary New Breed status.

the minskin name:

We are not entirely sure how the name came about, but it could be from a combination of words Min (for miniature legs; or the Dutch word 'minder' meaning small or less); the 'skin' would refer to the coat which is like skin and may even incorporate the 'in' of Munchkin.

TRT Riley | blue tabby, bald, male | Minskin picture courtesy of Paul McSorley of TRT Cattery.

minskin features and characteristics

This a small cat breed described as quite stocky with a sweet kitten-like expression.

The Minskin cat is a muscular, lean and sturdy cat and its body appears longer than it actually is - probably as a result of the short legs.

the legs

Talking about the legs - they are short, of equal length, but it does appear that the back legs may be slightly longer than the forelegs.

The tail is slightly longer than the body and it tapers from the base and ends in a blunted tip.

This cat has a roundish head (i.e. wider than it is long) with high cheek bones, a firm and strong chin, short rounded muzzle and prominent whisker pads. (Whiskers may be sparse, absent or broken). Its ears are large and alert.

The Minskin's eyes are round, alert and large and are set quite far apart.

the coat

Fur points of soft dense fur covers the tail, legs, face and ears.

The abdomen, chest and neck may be absent of hair or covered in a fine, thin down.

The skin, especially in kittens may be wrinkled. Fur feels like cashmere and has a satin-like sheen.

All coat colors and pattern are accepted (solid, tortie, smoke, shaded, tabby patterns, van, bi-color and pointed).

TRT Noah | black smoke kitten | Minskin picture courtesy of Paul McSorley of TRT Cattery.

info for potential minskin cat owners

ideal home

The Minskin cat is an indoor cat. They have very sparse hair and as a result will be sensitive to extreme heat (sunburn) and cold.

Whilst its short legs do not restrict movement, it would have to run twice as fast to escape an unfriendly dog.

personality and temperament

It is a wonderful little cat. It would appear that the Minskin cat has inherited the personality of the Sphynx and Munchkin cat.

This is an intelligent, eager learner and very curious about its surroundings.

The Minskin is a people-orientated cat who loves to be handled. It adores children and makes a wonderful companion cat for the elderly.

Despite its stature, it certainly does not have an inferiority complex - it is sociable, outgoing and affectionate and enjoys the company of other cats and dogs.

We believe that its short legs do not restrict it in anyway. It is athletic and playful and it runs around the house like any other cat. Its movement sometimes mimics the bouncing movement of a ferret.

Climbing is not a problem, it will find inventive ways of getting onto beds and cupboards and of course a warm lap.

TRT Chocolate Truffle | chocolate and white, female | Minskin picture courtesy of Paul McSorley of TRT Cattery.

cat care

The Minskin cat is a medium maintenance cat breed.

Whilst shedding is minimal or non-existent, it does need a regular bath to keep its skin soft, clean and supple.

We know that it is not entirely hairless, but our hairless cat care tips and guide may assist owners with grooming their cat.

health concerns

We gather that they are generally healthy cats.

In the early days there were reports that some Munchkin breeding lines may have genetic issues related to their pseudo-achondroplasia (short-limb dwarfism with normal size head).

These reports have never been substantiated and the TICA geneticist has confirmed that the Munchkin is a genetically sound and healthy breed.

As the Munchkin was used to develop the Minskin, it may be worth talking to the breeder about these conditions:

lordosis (exaggerated inward curvature of the spine) and
pectus excavatum (a deformity that causes a funnel chest or sunken chest).

It is also important to note the above conditions are certainly not restricted to the so-called dwarf breeds.

As the Minskin is closely related to the Sphynx it may also be prone to the genetic heart condition Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).

We urge all potential owners to discuss these potential health problems with the breeder.

Naturally, you need to deworm your cat regularly and vaccinate against feline infectious diseases.

Sushi Sue | seal sepia, female | Kitten TRT Pixie Puss | blue mink, female | Minskin photo courtesy of Paul McSorley of TRT Cattery. This is just the cutest photo - thanks Paul.

diet | average weight

Buy the best cat food you can afford. For in depth information on cat food visit our cat nutrition pages.

You do need to provide your kitty with fresh water daily - not milk, milk should be given as an occasional treat only - many cats are lactose intolerant!

The cat breeder will also advise on the dietary requirements.

Average Weight:

They weigh around 4 pounds or 1.8 kilograms.

life expectancy

The Minskin is a new breed and at this stage it is difficult to establish the cat's average life span. It was developed from the Sphynx (15 yrs) and Munchkin (9 years) and of course the Burmese (15 yrs) and Devon Rex (10 years).

A guesstimate would be around 10 years.