Bambino
Hairless from the Sphynx and short legged from the Munchkin, which is exactly what it was crossed from. A young breed, and a contested one among registries.
Photo by Heikki Siltala, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Bambino is a Sphynx crossed with a Munchkin, so it is hairless and short legged at the same time. It was developed in the United States in the early 2000s and is recognised by TICA as an experimental breed rather than a championship one.
Both of its defining traits come from single genes with known consequences, and the honest description of the breed is that it stacks two of them in one cat.
Temperament
Affectionate, playful and thoroughly people oriented, which follows directly from its Sphynx half. Bambinos want contact and they want warmth, usually from a person.
They are confident and sociable, get on with other pets, and are notably active despite the short legs. They climb less than a normal cat and jump considerably less, and they compensate by being everywhere at floor level.
Care and grooming
No coat to brush, and considerably more skin care than a furred cat. Skin oil has nothing to absorb it, so a Bambino needs regular bathing, ear cleaning and nail bed attention or the oil builds up.
They lose heat quickly and need a warm house, and they sunburn. The Sphynx line also carries a real burden of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and a COLQ variant causing congenital muscle weakness is shared with the Devon Rex.
Living and exercise
Strictly indoors, warm, with soft places to burrow into and somewhere heated to sit.
The short legs limit access, so ramps and steps up to favourite spots are worth building in. Anyone considering one should ask the breeder directly about heart screening in the parents, because that is the number that matters most.
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