Creators Cattery

The breed tends to be very affectionate and social. Their short legs certainly do not prevent them from ripping and
running around the house or even jumping onto the couch or bed. The Munchkin is all cat in every way. The short legs do tend to make them have a cute little waddle when they walk which gives them their nickname is "Rughugger." When playing or looking about, the Munchkins will sit up on their back legs like a squirrel or rabbit does - too cute!

The Munchkin is an established but still a relatively new cat breed registered through the International Cat Association. The signature trait of the Munchkins is a shortening of the legs which is why they are often referred to as the Dachshund of the Cat World. The Munchkin is ALL cat and though their short legs give them a unique look, they have proven themselves very healthy and agile.

Munchkins are available
as shorthairs or
longhairs and come in
almost any color. I
produce both short and
longhairs but tend to
have mostly longhairs.
I love to breed for unique
and rare colors, such as
silvers, chocolates, blue eyed whites, smokes, and pointed bi-colors.
BUT, admittedly, I want the full package...a drop-dead gorgeous cat
that has personality galore to go along with those cute short Munchkin legs.

The Napoleons are a new cat breed "in process" - meaning that they have begun the long journey of acceptance as an official breed with the International Cat Association (TICA). What is a Napoleon you ask? This is a Munchkin crossed with a Persian or a Himalayan or an Exotic Shorthair. The Napoleon will in essence look like a baby doll faced Persian/Himi/Exotic with the shortened legs of a Munchkin. The Napoleons have their own standard (specifics on how round the face should be, how stocky of a frame and cobby of a body, what size and shape ears, etc.) which is different than the Munchkins. Basically, the head needs to be broad and very rounded, eyes large and round, slight doming on the top of the head with small ears. The nose should be short with no break and the body should be well muscled and solid. The Persian breed has evolved over the years into an extremely flat faced (very pug nosed) cat and so many people are still infatuated with the old traditional look of the Persian of yester-year. So, the Napoleons combine two cute adorable looks into one breed - with the sweet baby doll faces of the traditional Persian with the short rughugger legs of the Munchkin - all in a slightly smaller body frame. It seems to be a winning combination.

Since I had two Persian girls and of course Munchkins,
I was in a great position to try a few of these matings.
The Napoleons come in shorthair and longhair versions
as well as any color (and obviously, I am only going to
produce mostly the longhaired version). The
Naps (their nickname) will be a bit heavier in body
structure and rounder faced than the typical Munchkin
(though admittedly, I tend to produce a bit rounder
faced Munchkin anyway). Those are the two big
differences between a Munchkin and a Napoleon.

As the Napoleons move forward, there will become a more distinct difference between these two breeds with the Napoleon having a very round eye versus the Munchkins walnut shaped eye, the Napoleons will have a solid muscular frame where the Munchkins will be more petite in size, the Napoleon will have smaller ears and a noticably rounder head as well as the nose length will be shorter. One important note, the founder of the Napoleons, Joe Smith, has adamantly stated that he does not want the Napoleons to go the route of the Persians with the "extremely short" peke-faced nose. The Napoleons should have a sweet baby doll faced look.

*Note: Both Munchkins and Napoleons can be born shortlegged or longlegged. This is part of dealing with a breed from a mutation...which is no different than the Manx breed can produce tailed and no-tailed kittens or the Scottish Fold breed can produce "folded-eared" kittens or non-folded eared kittens. Obviously, most people who are attraced to the Munchkins or the Napoleons are dazzled over the "shortlegged" version, but both short and longlegged versions will make beautiful and wonderful pets. The lingo that you need to be remember is that when referring to a shortlegged kitten, the breeder usually will refer to them as a "standard"....whereas a longlegged kitten will then be considered a "non-standard." This will help you in your selection process.

Here are a few examples of the beautiful but.....longlegged Napoleon kittens that I have produced and are making loving and beautiful pets for people across the country.

I have been fortunate to have people show my cats over the years. I did show early on in the Munchkin beginning - while they were trying to obtain championship status. Fortunately now, The International Cat Association has given them that Championship status and they are now shown with full acceptance.
Here are a few of the Creators top Show Winners.

The Napoleons, just like the Munchkins, are available with longhair as well as shorthair and in every color imaginable. In fact, with the Munchkin influence, there are actually more colors available than in the Persian breed group. I do tend to produce mostly longhairs but occasionally do have shorthairs.

Lowla, on your left and Noah on your right, are examples of the shorthaired Napoleons. Some breeders will use a shorthaired Munchkin or some will use an Exotic Shorthair which is part of the Persian Breed Group (which also includes typical Persians and the Himalayans). So, in essence, you could find shorthairs and longhairs and in fact in-between coats tho the short but plush coat is ideal and the full but not so cottony long coat rather than the medium brush coat.

I love unusual colors - the colors that you go "oooh and awwwwh" over. But color like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So all colors are allowed - the more typical the color the easier it will be to find it. The more exotic and rare the color, the more difficult and expensive it will be. I love the calicos, the silvers, and the chocolates - which is easy to see when you look at my own harem.

The Napoleon Standard:
Napoleons are a cross between Munchkins and the Persian breed group (Persian, Himalayan, or Exotic). Napoleons are a true treasure. Persian-like round faces, big round eyes marble like and expressive, eyes must not be walnut shaped. The ears are small and round. Round domed head and a short nose placement with a moderate muzzle, the head must not be wedged-shaped.
Short broad nose with big whisker pads no "break" centered between the eyes like the Persian group. Standard Napoleons have short legs. Nonstandard Napoleons, a variation of the breed with long legs, are also very popular for both their beauty and their wonderful personalities. The body of the napoleon is strong and cobby. The napoleon is medium sized and very muscular.

Zorro, a first generation Napoleon, is a Creators bred boy out of Maggie - a silver/white longhaired and Camelot - my cream/white Persian. He comes quite close to the standard. In this picture, he is 6 mos. old, so we will wait and see how well he fully develops at adulthood. To critique him, I would say that his ears should be a bit smaller and his eyes need to be more "marble-like" in shape, but in overall appearance he has many assets. He has a very round face with a wide open expression. He has some doming on his head. His nose placement is pretty good with a short nose but not break. He has a moderate muzzle - no wedginess at all. He is a compact cat and cobbiness is a bit difficult to determine on a shortlegged cat where you can't benefit from seeing the over cat shape as a square but, indeed Zorro is compact, solid, and well muscled. Even as nice of an example as Zorro is, I would still suggest that breeding Zorro back to a nice Persian (Himi or Exotic) would produce even better kittens. But, I proudly show him off as a very excellent 1st generation Napoleon and very much in keeping with the general overall look of "what a Napoleon is suppose to look like" in comparison to both the Munchkins and to the Persians.