Napoleon Cats

Grey and white napoleon cat sitting comfortably

Fluffy white napoleon with dark eyes lying down

Fluffy napoleon cat hiding under wooden chair

History

The Napoleon - known in some quarters as the Minuet - is a breed of cat with the short legs of a Munchkin with the long, silky coat of a Persian.

The breed is credited to American Basset Hound breeder Joseph Smith. He is said to have been inspired by a front page feature in the Wall Street Journal on June 12 1995, about Munchkin cats. He took a fancy to the Munchkin, but noted that kittens of that breed with long legs - i.e. without the short leg mutation - looked the same as any standard domestic cat. His aim, then, was to breed a cat that would be unique in both its short- and long-legged forms. He chose the Persian to outcross with the Munchkin because of the former's fabulous coat.

In January 2015, the TICA voted to formally change the name of the Napoleon to 'Minuet'. However, the breed is still recognized as Napoleon by the Cat Fanciers Federation. The breed is not yet recognized by the Cat Fancier's Association, American Cat Fanciers Association, or Fédération Internationale Féline.

Behaviour

Napoleons combine the active and agile behaviors of Munchkins with the lap-cat habits of Persians. They are surprisingly fast on the ground, but not very good at jumping. They love having a warm lap to curl up in, making them great house cats.