This bicolour, grey-and-white dwarf cat looks as if she was bought from a toyshop. You can imagine this being a plush toy. But I guess you realise that she is real. She’s called Miss Minnie and she’s a Kinkalow, which is a rare dwarf cat hybrid being a cross between a Munchkin and an American Curl. The ears should be curled back but I don’t see much of it in this photograph. If I’m correct then this because the amount of curl is unpredictable and variable. But what makes Miss Minnie look like a plush toy is because she is so neat. The anatomy is all squared off and compact. And her expression is quite static in this photograph. As a whole these elements combine to create a likeness to a plush toy.
Her Instagram page is confusing because she is called ‘Miss Minnie the Munchkin’ but she is a Kinkalow. Kinkalows are a different breed to Munchkins. Munchkins are the foundation breed of all dwarf cats. From there the breeders hybridized the cats to create a range of about 13 different dwarf cat breeds. It is all about cuteness.
You can see how cat breeders effectively ‘manufacture’ their cut cat breeds like toy manufacturers make toys. It is not a dissimilar process except that we are referring to a sentient being. Breeders use selective breeding and manufacturers use craftsmanship and materials. But does this cat show a disrespect for the sentience of cats? If you make them look like dolls perhaps you are reducing the cat to a non-sentient object? It could be true. It is an observation. Some people do have problems with relating to domestic cats as sentient creatures.
SOME MORE ON THE MUNCHKIN:
