My name is Studmuffin & Little Shortcake!

STUDMUFFIN MUNCH - 4 year old Male Seal Point Napolean (Himalayan crossed with Munchkin)
LITTLE SHORTCAKE MUNCH - 4 year old Female Golden Torti Napolean (Himalayan crossed with Munchkin)
Special Needs


You probably have never heard of Napoleans. This new registered breed, only in existence for the last ten years, crosses a Munchkin cat with a Himalayan or Persian. The resulting SHORT kitty is named for the short French emperor, Napolean. Little short legged Munchkins are the Dachshunds of the cat world except they do not have any of the health and arthritis problems the Dachshunds are known for. This is a healthy breed according to Wikipedia and Napoleans with their straighter noses do not have the breathing problems some of their "smushed faced" Persians cousins have.

These are very rare cats and there are only about ten registered breeders in the whole country. However many breeders don't choose to pay to be registered. These two Napoleans are outgoing, affectionate lovebugs. They are so super cute it takes your breath away. They love attention and act like they are used to it and thrive on it. So how did they end up in the shelter where I got them? I doubt we will ever know, but there is more to the story we do know.

These two kitties have tested positive for the feline leukemia virus known as FeLV. This is an illness transmitted primarily through saliva. They must have been living with or exposed to a cat with this illness. It is usually transmitted to unvaccinated inside / outside cats through wandering feral or stray cats. I can't believe these two rare treasures have been outside in the neighborhood. It is hard to imagine how they caught it.

Studmuffin and Little Shortcake showed up together with five others abandoned in carriers at the front door of a closed shelter. The others, Persians and Himalayans and one other Napolean, all tested negative for FeLV.

What does it mean that these two tested positive for the feline leukemia virus? Well, first of all it means these two need to go to a home with no other cats. Currently they both are the picture of health and without these test results you would never think that they potentially have this virus. We took Shortcake to the vet to get her examined because though she looks healthy she weighs so little. She checked out perfectly and her blood panel was also perfect. The vet said she is just small (4 pounds 10 ozs) but well fleshed and healthy. Napolean females weigh between 4 and 8 pounds. She is one of the tiny ones. Studmuffin is closer to ten pounds.They both love to eat.

As far as the FeLV diagnosis goes What is the story? Well, I have been learning about it. Kittens with their immature immune systems if exposed to FeLV, often die from it. Adult cats who are exposed to it have a variety of responses. It depends on the age, health of the cat, strength of their immune system, the duration of the exposure to the virus, and the "load" of the virus the cat receives, among other things.

The first type of response is called "Abortive Infection". The cat receives a low dose of the virus and quickly fights it off in about two weeks and that is that. That cat will likely be immune to FeLV for life. This is not what these two kitties have.

Next comes "Regressive Infection". In this type of infection the virus is also fought off and goes latent in the cat. The kitty is perhaps ill for 3 and sometimes up to 16 weeks showing lethargy and other symptoms. The immune system fights off the infection either in the lymph system or in the bone marrow which is a more advanced stage. The cat remains healthy and probably does not have a recurrence of the virus though certain conditions such as pregnancy can reactivate it. It also may be immune to further exposures to the virus. The longer a cat has been in the regressive stage the less likely it is to ever activate again. Thus as the book mentioned below concludes "the Regressive Infection is a stage in the elimination of the virus". The protocol after a test is positive is to wait 2 to 6 months to give the kitty's immune system time to fight off the infection and then retest using a different test. Most kitties fall into this group.I am hoping it is this group these two wonderful cats will be in because they are so young and healthy.

The third type is called "Progressive Infection". In this variant the cats have not produced an effective immune response to the virus and they have an active form of the disease. Their average length of life is about 3 years and most die from the consequences of a weakened immune system that is unable to fight off associated illnesses in their blood and tissues. I have taken this information from Greene's "Infectious Diseases of Cats and Dogs" 4th edition., 2012. This is an excellent textbook and your vet probably has a copy that you can read for more info. Allow some time- I have just given a very short summary of what is there.

It sounds like adult cats most often fight off this infection and cause it to go latent. I have read an estimate that says of cats who have had an extended heavy exposure to the virus, ( worst case ) only 30% will have the Progressive form but almost all of those will die from it. Since we do not know any history of these two kitties we do not know about the duration of exposure or how long ago they were exposed. They have shown no symptoms of the initial exposure at all so they are likely beyond that first stage.

The lucky family who adopts these two treasures will need to live with the possibility that they may die from this illness, or that they may not. We don't know. We may know more in five months when their adopter runs the second test ( we have had them a month already so we are down to 5 months). They may well live out a normally long life with the virus buried latent in them and of no consequence to their health. That happy outcome is common. But it cannot be guaranteed at this point despite how healthy they are.

I am looking for a family who will tell me they will enjoy them and love them and open their hearts and homes to give them the best lives they can have for however long they live. This is not dissimilar to adopting a cat with a heart murmur or early kidney failure or some other condition. An FeLV positive test result is just less common in rescue and comes with the upside that it may be regressive and not fatally harmful to them. If you are interested in adopting these two please study up a little so you can learn for yourself some of the complexities I am not able to explain here.

This virus is not transmittable to humans or dogs. You need to take no special precautions as you pet and love them night and day.Currently they are on no medications and need no special care except love, low stress, and high qualilty food. Because the FeLV vaccine is not 100% effective they need to go to a family with no other cats.
Studmuffin loves Shortcake and Shortcake loves Studmuffin. It is so sweet to watch the way they nuzzle each other all the time. They are a committed couple and cannot be adopted separately. Perhaps a further testament to their unusual charm is that a poet named Anonymous Catamous has written poems about each of them which are included below!!

Part of the pleasure of fostering for Purebreds Plus is that we meet the most wonderful adopters.. Over and over again just the right adopter comes forward for our our special needs cats. These are cats who may have three legs, need daily medications, be 16 years old, be blind, or have litterbox troubles or perhaps be dying from one cause or another. Someone with a strong loving heart writes us wanting to adopt them and give them what they need. The world is full of amazing big hearted, kind people. It is nice to see and remember that.

I want to say again that these two little Napoleans are so special and delightful that I think their companionship will more than make up for the stress and heartache that may come along with them. They deserve to have their chance to live wonderful, hopefully long lives. Without knowing how terrific they were I took them from the shelter to give them that chance. (Their euthanasia date was already set .) I was certainly surprised and delighted to get to know them. Now they are ready for someone to take them home and give them tons affection and love. These two are not shy at all. They will come ask for love right away.

They eat wet and dry and are litterbox perfect. Little Shortcake has had a big tight matt shaved off her back and you may notice that in her photo's . Studmuffin has been shaved there before I got him and his fur is mostly grown in.

Their foster mom is Harriet in Santa Cruz.

Contact Harriet at (831) 336-2983 or toharrietjane@comcast.net if you have questions, or send an Adoption Application.
If you are unable to reach Harriet by phone or email
please email us at Info@purebredsplus.org




The Studmuffin Munch

They call him the Studmuffin Munch
And when he comes to town
You better lock up your mamas
Where they can't never be found.

For he'll sass them and nudge them
Then push them around,
And when next they have kittens
They'll walk close to the ground.

He'll quickfire lick in their sensitive ears
With his pink little agile tongue.
Now it ain't proper in this poem here
To discuss how mighty he's hung.

In El Paso he bedded with Pussy Galore,
In Tombstone, Miss Kitty he found.
Those little girlcats run straight to his door
Because of his worldwide renown.

He's a romantical cat with a heart brave and true
And a legend far, wide and around.
He's the one they call the Studmuffin Munch,
The cat who walks close to the ground.

Anonymous Catamous



Little Shortcake

They call her Little Shortcake
Because she is so small.
She's lighter than a feather
And isn't very tall.

She can rise up on her tip toes
or crouch down in a crawl.
Her Munchkin legs are so short
It makes no difference at all.

Her gumption is tremendous.
She'll scale the highest wall.
She climbs and jumps and teeters
And never fears she'll fall.

Her heart is like a lion's
She hears wild nature's call.
Though she weighs 4 pounds ten ounces
She knows she'll conquer all.

She's a tiny little kitty
Who'll come each time you call.
But if worth is measured in inches
She's hardly got any at all.

But love is truly worth's measure
And she gives it to one and all.
So this precious Little Shortcake
Really stands so very Tall.

Anonymous Catamous