Bambino

The Bambino is a hairless cat with short legs — the result of combining two separate mutations, and one of the breeds where the ethics of that combination are actively argued.

History

It was created in the United States in the 2000s by crossing the Sphynx with the Munchkin, bringing hairlessness together with the short-legged dwarfism gene. Several registries decline to recognise it, and the objection is to breeding for two structural mutations at once rather than to the cats themselves.

Temperament

The breed is known for being sociable, playful and strongly attached to people, active despite the short legs and generally undeterred by them.

Care

A hairless cat needs practical management: skin produces oil with no coat to absorb it, so regular bathing is routine rather than optional, and there is no insulation against cold or sun. The short legs limit climbing and jumping, so a household is best arranged with that in mind.

Health

Both parent mutations carry known concerns — the skeletal effects of dwarfism and the skin and temperature vulnerability of hairlessness — and combining them is why recognition is disputed. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts and trait ratings are in the panels.