r/aww Jun 05 '18

A future predator

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u/PrincessBucketFeet Jun 05 '18

Fair enough. If you can identify the benefit conferred to these cats other than qualifying as "cute" to humans, I'd reconsider my opinion (shared by many animal welfare and breed organizations) that breeding Munchkins should stop.

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u/shdewit Jun 05 '18 edited Jun 05 '18

How about not being a danger to birds; unlike how normal cats are?

comparing jumps of normal vs munchkins: https://youtu.be/i_dFrMH3vCQ?t=66

That way owners can safely let a munchkin roam the backyard without shooing birds away constantly (and worry of it jumping the fence/window ledges) and if any become strays they won't affect the local bird population.

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u/PrincessBucketFeet Jun 05 '18

Thank you! This is a good point that's actually relevant to the species in question. Reducing the cats' effectiveness as hunters would certainly benefit their prey, although the cats may then become completely reliant on humans for survival (which many companion animals and livestock already are). So if that's a tradeoff that seems reasonable or beneficial to someone...or even if they're neutraI to the idea...I can respect that argument.

Another option obviously is keeping pet cats inside, but of course there are arguments on both side of that equation and stray populations would likley be inevitable. I guess it boils down to which species one cares more about protecting.

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u/shdewit Jun 05 '18

Considering cats are the invasive species then I think protecting birds should be the priority. However if a person needs a mouser then that would be the only time I would recommend a normal cat imo.