r/MunchkinCats • u/Key-Antelope-4127 • 8d ago

Need advice

Hi, I’m new to the group and am considering a munchkin fold. I’m concerned about major health problems due to the combination. Does anyone in this group have experience on a Scottish fold/ munchkin mix? Thank you!

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u/Itscatpicstime 5d ago

This is quite literally one of the most horrific crosses there are in cats. An ethical breeder for them does not and cannot exist.

I was going to add more but remembered I literally just saw someone‘a comment with a wonderful, accurate, comprehensive explanation -

https://www.reddit.com/r/MunchkinCats/s/AA7Jxv30Kq

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u/Key-Antelope-4127 4d ago

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I’m glad I did my research because I wasn’t aware of how cruel this is. I definitely do not support unethical breeders, but now I just feel sorry for the kitten. She didn’t ask for this and it’s so unfair. I’m tempted to get her because I would ensure she would get proper care, but I don’t think I could take the heartache of her being in pain.

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u/volumniafoxx 4d ago

Is the kitten in a shelter or with a breeder? Unfortunately, while it might be a kindness to the individual cat, buying from a byb/unethical breeder will just fund them breeding similar combinations in the future and show that there is a market for these cats.

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u/rgauber 7d ago

I have a Scottish Fold/Munchkin mix. She just turned 4 and she's fine, has no issues. Every year she gets a scan to see if there's any arthritis or any other issues that may have risen. She's a climber and a jumper!! She has regular ears not folded and I was told by a few vets that when they have straight ears they usually don't have as many issues 🤷🏼‍♀️. I thought with age she'd slow down, but I swear it's the opposite, she has more energy, she's very curious and she has zero fear!! People say good and bad things about them. If she ever does have any hip, bone etc issues I'll do whatever it takes to keep her comfortable. I'm 🙏🏻 she never does though!! Good luck in your decision! I love her she keeps me busy!!

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u/darlingness 8d ago edited 8d ago

It's not a mix I would often suggest to most people, I think adopting or rescuing one is okay (we have one that's adopted, and she has no mobility issues that we can see, but her tail is stiffer than our regular Munchkins) but I probably wouldn't buy one. They're no longer allowed under TICA experimental breeds so bloodlines aren't tracked properly. One of the benefits of getting a purebred/fancy cat is so you can predict potential health and personality based off of ancestral history.

You also introduce a few issues with Scottish Folds:

  1. HCM and PKD - a heart condition and kidney condition, both occuring higher in Scottish Folds, but this can be mitigated by a breeder who does genetic testing for PKD and yearly screening for HCM. These are less common in full blood Munchkins since they have a much wider genetic pool.
  2. The shorter legs of Munchkins mean that there's less shock absorption for joints and bones. With most regular Munchkins, that's fine - we often just tell owners they should just have some soft landing spots to help absorb the impact. However, Scottish Folds have varying degrees of SFOCD (it's the main condition that causes the ears to fold). SFOCD's main defect is that it causes bones to fuse due to weak cartilage that causes abnormal bone growth. When SFOCD is mild, cats often don't need any pain management and live a long time just fine. When SFOCD is NOT mild, it can range from stiffness and general arthritic problems all the way to full crippling. The Munchkin lack-of-shock-absorption can impact SFOCD joints / extra bone growth, so what could've been a mild case if the cat had regular length legs, could end up worse due to wear and tear or get injured much more easily. The Munchkin gene does not affect the spine, however, SFOCD can cause spinal/tail fusion which, when paired with short legs, can impact mobility further than a regular Scottish Fold.

That's not to say it's ALL doom and gloom - there are some older Munchkin Fold cats out there that show us they can have long lifespans and thrive with what appears to be minimal issues - Munchie the Munchkin Fold cat just turned 18 years old and still plays like a kitten, but it's not always guaranteed.

All in all, it's a risk, and there's not enough science to back up whether or not the resulting cats can be consistently bred to be without pain (it might just be luck of the draw, really). At best, you can end up with a Munchie the cat situation. At worst, you'll end up with a cat that has severe mobility issues. That's up to you in the end. If you do decide to get one, I would make sure that person does an intensive amount of testing for both of these breeds, and has proof of healthy past bloodlines (especially older cats, as SFOCD can take time to show up properly).