The Napoleon Dwarf cat is a cross between the Munchkin and a cat from the Persian breed group. At 2020, they are on the TICA website as the Minuet cat. This is either an alternative name or a new name. There is a shorthair and longhair registered separately. They must have been dissatisfied with ‘Napoleon’. TICA board of directors decided on the change in 2015.
Napoleon Dwarf Cat – These photographs are protected by copyright – please respect it – thank you. They were kindly provided by Terri Harris and show Napoleon cats that are true to type (match the breed standard). Thanks Terri. This is a link to her website: munchkins.com (opens in a new window)
The photograph immediately above and below are both © copyright Helmi Flick – Please respect copyright – thank you.
The Napoleon Dwarf Cat, like other genuine dwarf cats is a cross between the Munchkin (the founding dwarf breed) and in this case a cat from the Persian Breed Group of Persians, Himalayan and Exotic Shorthairs. The Munchkin, itself, can be either long or short haired. There is a wide range of coat colors combined with either short or long hair.
As at 2010, the Napoleon was a new breed and at that time was not registered with an association. The breed was still being developed at that time. This can take many years and it could be said that it can go on indefinitely. You can read about the possible health issues of the dwarf cat by clicking on this link. Moving forward to 2018 it appears that the breed did not take off. There was a phase when dwarf cats were popular. This may have faded due to a change in attitude towards breeds based on genetic ‘defects’.
The issues raised in my discussion on genetic issues are applicable for this breed as they are for any of the dwarf cat varieties. Provided this is a pure out-crossing half the litter will be born with the dwarf gene, the remainder are long legged non-standard Napoleons.
Naturally, they are very cute cats. Breeders say that this cat’s temperament is a nice combination of the sweet, laid-back Persian’s temperament and the loving and sociable Munchkin’s demeanour.
A natural question is how does the short legs affect mobility etc. The answer would be as expected in that mobility is compromised but cats are wonderfully athletic animals so the napoleon is pretty athletic. The ideal Napoleon is a strong cat. She has good boning and musculature.
The usual rules regarding combing and the coat apply particularly if she is the long haired variety.
The dwarf gene produces short legs but look out for excessive bowing to the front or rear legs, excessively protruding sternum, flanged or extremely short rib cage.
Update 12th May 2010: Margie Gardner is the Napoleon Breed Chairman. She has kindly contacted me and helped to ensure that the cats illustrated on this page show Napoleon cats that are the best representatives of the breed.
The following photographs of Napoleon cats are to type, i.e. of the correct appearance according to the breed standard:
Photographs above from left to right: Chinchilla Napoleon cat, white Napoleon and see the enlargement of Frenchie below.
The cat above is called Frenchie and he is a lilac bicolor, photographed against an orange background. Frenchie is a Napoleon dwarf cat that is of the correct appearance.
Of the other cats illustrated on this page, Margie says that the white cat on the strong blue background that is featured twice on this page and which was photographed by Helmi Flick, although a Napoleon cat, is more like a Munchkin. She also makes the point that the black Napoleon cat on the red background at the top of the page is an “extreme” Napoleon. Extreme appearances such that the cat looks like the Exotic Shorthair is not acceptable.
A Napoleon cat should not look like a Persian or Exotic SH “with short legs”…but something more like an old fashioned Persian – with short legs. The middle picture – of the shaded red – is of a Joe Smith cat and though he too isn’t ideal – he at least fits the general standard whereas the other two do not.
Sources:
- Dwarf Cat Association
- Myself
Retrurn from Napoleon Dwarf Cat to the Home page
P.S. This page was first published in about 2010 and has been re-dated. There is still an interest in dwarf cats and the page needs to be ‘brought forward’ in time to make it more visible.
I have a kitten that was the runt of a litter her siblings have grown . She remains little, her brothers and sisters are 3 times larger then her. I never knew dwarf cats existed. How do I find out if she really is a dwarf. Her eyes are large, I catch her sitting erect straight up, cutest thing I ever saw. She is also a long hair pitch black. Do you have a source in Jacksonville Florida who may be able to authenticate her. I appreciate any help.
Thank You
Jeanette Mitchell
Jax. Fla.
904)566-4441 Please don’t hesitate to call me.
Hello Jeanette. Thank you for commenting. You can tell if a cat is a dwarf cat or not by checking leg length. A dwarf cat’s body is normal but the legs are shorter than normal. There are many different breeds of dwarf cat. The Napoleon is one of them. They all have short legs. One of the characteristics is that they do sit up on their hind legs as you describe. This indicates to me that your cat is a dwarf cat but perhaps not a purebred dwarf cat. You can send me a photograph of your cat to this email address mjbmeister@gmail.com and I will verify whether your cat is a dwarf cat or not. Alternatively you can upload a photograph to a comment provided a photograph is not too large. The instructions are set out below the comment box.
The following link leads to a page on all the dwarf cats:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/dwarf-cats-and-miniature-cats.html
I am looking for a Napoleon or munchkin. I hope to find a friend to love. Frenchy is just what I am looking for. With my terminal illness it helps me feel better. I had a Napoleon but he belonged to my son and he is moving away with him. I really need a friend.
Thanks,
pwestcott59@gmail.com
Hi Patricia, I wish you the best of luck in your search. I guess you have tried the Dwarf Cat Association (Google that and you’ll find them). I’d contact them if you haven’t already.
The Napoleon cat is still in Provisional status therefore the Nap breeders are still trying to produce cats that best represent the breed. As in many of the breeds of cats that are just starting, there will be inconsistencies among the breed. The ideal Nap should not look like a Persian or a Munchkin in the face. The Nap should look like it has a round head, face and eyes. They don’t want a flat face on a Nap that has the tearing eyes like Persians. A traditional or baby doll faced Persian group cat is the best quality cat that should be used in the Nap breeding program. The breeders also do not want the cat to look like a Munchkin which has a more domestic face. The Nap should have small ears, and big round eyes are preferred. The Nap is a solid compact cat like a Persian and they are known for sitting up like a prairie dog. The Nap has a loving, affectionate, sweet disposition and they can come in a wide variety of colors with shorthair or long hair. A litter of Naps can come with short legs called standards or regular long legs called non-standard. The non-standard kittens look like traditional Persians. The Nap breed has received the best features of the two parent breeds which are the baby doll Persian face on short Munchkin legs. These are very healthy cats and these cat can have the same health problems as any other breed of cat. The short legs are not a deformity nor do they prevent the cats from doing anything different than long legged cats. Geneticists have verified that the short legs come from a normal mutation that are not like the dachshund dogs health problems. Once the pet buying population catches on that the Napoleon cat exists, this breed may surpass all the other breeds of cats as the most popular breed of cats. Purwaky Cattery has a Napoleon male that will soon produce beautiful Napleon kittens in a wide variey of colors and patterns.
Thanks Rebecca for adding some useful information to the page. It is appreciated. Thanks for visiting.