Lambkin

Bred in the United States by crossing the short-legged Munchkin with the curly-coated Selkirk Rex, the Lambkin is a small housecat that sits low to the floor and wears a plush, wavy coat. Its name points straight at that fleece, which has the soft feel of a young lamb. You may also see the breed listed as the Nanus Rex.

These are companion animals through and through. Lambkins stay glued to their people, hold onto kitten-like playfulness deep into adulthood, and settle easily onto laps and couch cushions. Short legs do nothing to slow them down indoors. Because the breed is uncommon and litters run small, kittens rarely turn up at short notice.

Dwarfism here traces to the same dominant gene carried by the Munchkin, while the curls trace to the dominant gene of the Selkirk Rex. Since both traits are dominant, a single litter will not hand every kitten both the short legs and the wave.

Who it suits

Households that want a mellow, affectionate companion and can offer steady attention will click with this cat. It thrives around families, alongside other cats and dogs, and with owners who spend plenty of time at home. Those short legs make it a modest jumper compared with most cats, so it usually keeps close to floor level. Plan to keep it strictly indoors.

This is a young breed. Development took place in the United States, and breeder Terri Harris usually gets credit for the groundwork done across the late 1980s and 1990s. The aim was straightforward: fold the Munchkin's short legs together with the Selkirk Rex's curly coat.

Short stature comes from the Munchkin. Its legs shorten because of a natural dominant mutation that acts on the long bones of the limbs. TICA recognized the Munchkin during the 1990s, which opened the door to using it as a foundation breed for newer dwarf crosses like the Lambkin.

Coat texture comes from the Selkirk Rex. That breed got its start in Montana in 1987 from a curly kitten in a shelter litter, and a dominant gene drives the curl. Put the two together and some kittens carry both the short legs and the soft, loose waves.

The breed stays scarce. Registries file it under experimental or developing status rather than full championship recognition, and breeding programs are few. Both founding traits being dominant means the look can show up in one generation, yet thoughtful pairing is still needed to keep the cats sound.

Picture a small cat with a solid, rounded body riding low on short legs. The head is broad with full cheeks, the ears sit medium and wide apart, and the eyes are large and round. Two features stand out: the short legs handed down by the Munchkin and the wavy coat handed down by the Selkirk Rex.

The coat falls in soft, loose curls rather than tight ringlets. You will spot the wave most clearly on the belly, the neck, and the tail. Many kittens arrive curly, shed much of the curl as they grow, then get it back once they mature.

Coat and colors

Either length, short or long, holds the curl. No color or pattern is off the table, so Lambkins turn up in solids, tabby, bicolor, tortoiseshell, and pointed coats. The texture reads plush and woolly, and that woolly feel is exactly what earned the breed its name. Longer coats show looser, flowing curls, while shorter coats show a tighter, denser wave.

This is a friendly, people-first cat. It ties itself closely to the household and wants to stay near its favorite humans, trailing them room to room and claiming any available lap. A gentle, patient streak makes it a solid match for homes with children.

Around strangers the Lambkin usually reads as curious and sociable rather than skittish, though like any cat it likes to make the approach on its own schedule. It tends to get along with other cats and with cat-savvy dogs, so multi-pet homes work well.

Play is the through-line of its personality. Lambkins stay hooked on toys, games, and little puzzles well past the kitten stage. Short legs do not keep them from playing, but they leave the high leaps to longer-legged cats and keep the action at floor and furniture height. They are moderately talkative, trading soft comments rather than the constant chatter of an oriental breed. Because they lean so hard on company, long stretches home alone do not sit well with them.

Upkeep lands in the moderate range. The curly coat wants regular but light-handed care, and the cat needs daily play plus a safe indoor setup to stay healthy and content.

Grooming

• Run a wide-tooth comb through the coat once or twice a week to lift loose hair without dragging the curls flat.
• Skip heavy brushing, which snaps the curl and leaves frizz; a light touch keeps the wave intact.
• Bathe only now and then, and let the coat air-dry to hold its natural texture.
• Check and wipe the ears weekly, and clip the claws every two to three weeks.
• Brush the teeth on a regular schedule with cat-safe toothpaste to back up dental health.

Exercise

• Work in 15 to 30 minutes of interactive play across the day using wand toys and chase toys.
• Set out low climbing options, ramps, and steps so a short-legged cat can reach its favorite perches safely.
• Rotate food puzzles and toys to keep that curious mind occupied.
• Keep play down at floor and low-furniture level instead of banking on high jumps.

Environment

Keep the Lambkin indoors, full stop. Staying inside shields it from traffic, predators, and disease. Offer warm resting spots, scratching posts, and quiet corners to duck away to. Since it bonds so tightly to company, a second pet or a steady human presence helps ward off loneliness when the house empties out.

As obligate carnivores, cats need a complete and balanced diet built on animal protein, and the Lambkin is no exception. Pick a quality cat food that meets a recognized standard such as AAFCO and fits the cat's life stage. This is a small breed, so portions stay modest and weight control counts; measure meals out rather than free-feeding around the clock, and keep fresh water within reach at all times.

Treats and supplements

Hold treats to no more than about 10 percent of daily calories so they do not throw the diet off balance. A cat eating a complete commercial food usually needs nothing extra; add fish oil or any other supplement only on a veterinarian's advice. Keep a close eye on body condition, because on such a small frame even a little extra weight lands hard on the joints and overall health.

Overall the Lambkin enjoys good health and a lifespan of roughly 12 to 15 years. As a young breed pulled from two foundation breeds, its long-term health record is still filling in. Most worries circle back to the short-legged dwarf trait, which loads extra strain onto the spine and joints, and to conditions carried over from the parent breeds.

Preventive care

• Book annual veterinary checkups, and move to twice-yearly visits for senior cats.
• Stay current on vaccinations and parasite control.
• Hold the cat at a lean body weight to spare the back and joints.
• Handle dental care at home and schedule professional cleanings as advised.
• Buy only from breeders who screen their cats and hand over a full health history.

Bright, curious, and hungry for interaction, the Lambkin trains up more readily than the average cat. It gets the hang of the litter box fast and can learn to come when called, walk in a harness, and run through simple tricks. Keep sessions short and upbeat, and pay out food or play as the reward. The breed is sensitive and tightly bonded to its people, so heavy-handed methods backfire and chip away at trust.

Basics

1. Set up the litter box early in a quiet spot, using a low-sided tray the cat can step into with ease, and keep it clean.
2. Bring in a scratching post and reward the cat every time it uses it.
3. Get the cat comfortable with gentle handling of the paws, ears, and mouth so grooming and vet visits stay calm.
4. Layer in simple cues like sit or come, luring with a treat and rewarding each win.
5. Move up to harness training or clicker tricks once the basics hold steady.

Breeding Lambkins is specialist work, and the genetics are the reason. Both signature traits run dominant: short legs from the Munchkin gene, curls from the Selkirk Rex gene. One copy of each is enough to show the trait, so kittens can wear both features in a single generation, but the same litter will also turn out some long-legged or straight-coated kittens.

The short-leg gene gets handled with real care. Breeders never pair two short-legged cats, because doubling up the copies ties to non-viable kittens. Instead, a responsible program crosses a short-legged cat with a normal-legged carrier, which keeps litters healthy while still yielding short-legged kittens.

Queens reach maturity around 7 to 12 months, though responsible breeders wait for full physical maturity before a first litter. Gestation runs about 63 to 67 days, and litters tend to be small. The queen raises the kittens, which wean near 8 weeks and generally head to new homes at 12 weeks or later, once vaccinated and socialized. The coat often shifts through kittenhood, losing and then reclaiming its curl as the cat matures.

Registering a Lambkin in the United States

An indoor Lambkin is one propped door away from being a stray, and shelters meet those cats every day. A free United Pet Club profile stands between the two: your contact details, your cat's photo, and its chip number if it has one, all on one record a clinic can find. Registering your cat takes minutes and never costs anything.

If a chip is already under your Lambkin's skin, the number still has to be filed. Implanting and registering are separate steps, and the clinic only does the first. Register the microchip free on the United Pet Club lifetime plan: any brand a US vet uses qualifies, and the record answers the AAHA universal lookup that American shelters run on every scan. Create your free account and close the loop today.