Characteristics of the napoleon/minuet
All About Napoleon & Minuet Cats
breed history
The Napoleon/Minuet shares its history with the Persian that has been a part of the cat fancy from its beginnings in the late 19th century and with the modern Munchkin whose roots go back to 1983. Sandra Hockendal rescued a pregnant cat with short legs – which some of her kittens had too - and Sandra's Louisiana plantation became the base of a population of short-legged cats that results from a dominant dwarfism gene. TICA recognized the Munchkin for the registration status in 1994 and Championship status, after years of careful monitoring for health, in May 2003.
In 1996, Joe Smith (Blueline cattery) started breeding Persians with Munchkins. Joe was a Basset Hound breeder, a low-slung breed of dog, and became intrigued with the Munchkin and its genetics. He wanted to create a breed that would have universal appeal whether the cat had the signature short legs or the long legs of the non-standard version. Joe decided to call his breed the Minuet after the short-statured Napoleon Bonaparte. The Persians used the so-called doll-faced Persians which had longer noses than the modern Persian and a very open sweet expression. In 2001 Joe contacted TICA and the new breed was added to the list of Experimental breeds by 2002 Joe had met the criteria for the next stage in development and the breed was advanced to Registration Only status. This important step recognized the name and started the breed on the first rung of the ladder toward championship status.
It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to develop a new breed and there are often frustrations and heartaches along the way with both the development and the process to get a new breed accepted. In 2008, Joe moved on to other projects and other Minuet breeders picked up the torch to continue the drive toward full recognition. Sam Tate (Wonderfulkitty cattery) and Margie Gardner (Creators) continued to push the breed forward but it was not until Teri Harris (Munchkinlane) presented the breed to the TICA board in September 2011 that the Minuet got to the coveted next step of Preliminary New Breed and could begin showing in that class at shows effective May 2012.
charming Personalities
The Napoleon/Minuet is a gentle, extremely affectionate and people-oriented cat. They have the gentleness of a Persian and the energy and curiosity of the Munchkin. Their big eyes in their sweet faces give them a look of complete innocence while their inquisitiveness gets them into all kinds of scrapes. While gentle, they are also self-starting when it comes to activity and like the Munchkin can navigate the curves of their self-defined race track for the day at breakneck speed.
distinctive Traits
The first thing you notice is the sweet face. The second thing is the short legs. While derived from the Persian and the Munchkin, the Minuet is a distinct breed with its characteristic look. The head is round and has great big eyes but rather than the short snub nose of a Persian, the Minuet has a longer nose much like the earlier Persians. The standard Minuet has short legs but the non-standard version with the long legs still has the same distinctive features in the head and there is no mistaking the fact that it is a Napoleon/Minuet.
"Round" is the word most associated with the breed. The round head has a shape like a pie plate and big round eyes like marbles are set into it. Round cheeks, round top head, round muzzle. The ears are medium to small and also contribute to the round look of the head. The nose has a slight change of direction often referred to as a ski jump nose meaning it tips up ever so slightly at the end. All of which combine to present the very sweet innocent look of the breed.
They are medium-sized strong cats—and their low-slung bodies reflect that and they wear their short-legged bodies with great authority. Roundness also has a role in the overall structure of the body—they have a semi-cobby body which gives a sense of roundness and the overlaying musculature emphasizes that same roundness. These sturdy cats have strong, solid boning and excellent musculature kept in shape by their active natures that have them running around the house and up and down the stairs.
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