The round face and plush coat of a Persian on the short legs of a Munchkin, and just as debated.
The Minuet is a cross between the Persian and the Munchkin. From the Persian it has its round head, big eyes and thick coat; from the Munchkin its very short legs. It used to be called the Napoleon. The breed began in 1996 in the United States. Little is known about its character, but it seems a calm, sweet house cat. As with the Munchkin, vets and welfare groups worry about its legs and joints. Its flat face can add breathing and eye problems. There is no research on the Minuet itself yet, and that is why most registries do not recognise the breed.
Probably sweet and attached to its people, like both parent breeds.
Probably enjoys a lap, like its parents.
Likes a game, but is less of a clown than a Munchkin.
Between a calm Persian and a lively Munchkin: plays in bursts, then lounges.
Probably quiet, like a Persian.
Can learn simple routines, but nobody has studied it.
Probably stays calm with visitors.
Fine with gentle children; rough play does not suit its short legs and flat face.
Can live with a calm dog; a boisterous one is too much.
Probably happy to share its home with other cats.
Copes with a normal working day, but prefers company.
A true indoor cat: short legs, a thick coat and a flat face all suit a safe home.
The name Napoleon comes from the emperor being very small, and Minuet was his nickname.
No. For his time Napoleon was of average height; the idea that he was small is a myth. And Minuet was never his nickname.
A Minuet always has short legs.
No. Only some of the kittens get the short-leg gene. That is why TICA also lists the 'Minuet Talls', with ordinary legs.
A Minuet is not bothered by its short legs and is a very healthy cat.
That has not been shown. One registry says so, but without research. The Minuet has the Munchkin's leg gene, and in Munchkins vets warn about joints and the back. The flat Persian face can add breathing and eye problems. None of this has ever been measured in the Minuet itself.
In 1996 the American breeder Joe Smith began crossing Persians with Munchkins. He wanted a round, plush cat on short legs. He called the breed Napoleon, after the emperor people thought was small. America's registry TICA took the breed in step by step, renamed it Minuet in 2015 and fully recognised it in 2016. WCF recognises the breed too. Europe's FIFe, America's CFA and Britain's GCCF do not.
Joe Smith begins crossing Persians with Munchkins in the United States.
TICA takes in the Napoleon as an experimental breed.
Napoleons can now be registered with TICA, but not yet shown.
TICA gives the Napoleon preliminary recognition.
Napoleons appear at TICA cat shows.
TICA's board changes the breed's name from Napoleon to Minuet.
The Minuet gets full recognition at TICA and may compete for championships.
The Dutch risk bureau BuRO advises the government to ban keeping and showing cats with short, bent front legs. It is advice, not law.
A sturdy, rounded body that stands low to the ground, with the head and coat of a Persian. How flat the face is differs from cat to cat.
A Minuet with the long, thick coat of a Persian. Otherwise the same cat, with the same short legs.
Recognition: Recognised by TICA and WCF.
Not every kitten from Minuet parents gets short legs. TICA registers cats with ordinary legs as 'Talls'.
Recognition: Only at TICA.
A Minuet with ordinary legs and a long coat.
Recognition: Only at TICA.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Black(n)
White(w)
Black tortie(f)
Black classic tabby(n 22)
Black and white(n 03)
Seal point(n 33)A Minuet may come in any colour, with or without white. The colours here are a selection of what Persians and Munchkins come in.
The breed was first called Napoleon, because people think the emperor was small; he was not.
In January 2015 TICA's board voted to call the Napoleon the Minuet from then on.
At TICA a Minuet may only be crossed with a Minuet, a Munchkin or a Persian-type cat.
There are also Minuets with ordinary long legs: TICA calls them 'Talls'.
No study has measured how long a Minuet lives. Munchkins live about 12 to 15 years, Persians about 11 to 14. Take 11 to 15 years as a rough guide.
A short-legged Minuet has the Munchkin's short-leg gene. It makes the long leg bones grow short and thick. It can walk, run and play, but jumps less high, and washing itself is harder. A kitten that gets the gene from both parents does not survive; that is why a short-legged Minuet always has one copy.
How it is found: It shows from birth; X-rays show how short and bent the bones are. A DNA test exists for the Munchkin gene.
Stiff, sore joints: the cat jumps less, walks stiffly and may not like being touched. Vets expect short-legged cats to have a higher risk, but how often it happens has not been studied. A lean weight and pain relief help.
How it is found: X-rays, or a trial of pain relief.
The flatter the face, the less room for the nose. Such a cat may snore, breathe with more effort and tire sooner, especially in the heat. It depends on how flat the face is; in the Minuet this has never been measured.
How it is found: No DNA test. Look at the parents: a visible nose and open nostrils.
With a flat face, tears often run down the cheeks. The fur below the eyes gets wet and stained, and the eyes get sore more easily.
How it is found: No DNA test. Check that the parents' eyes are clean and clear.
Brush the short coat once a week, the long coat often, as a Persian coat mats quickly. With its short legs it cannot groom itself as well, so help with its back end, claws and ears. Gently wipe away tears below the eyes.
It likes a game, but jumps less high. Give it low steps, a ramp up to the sofa and a cat tree with low shelves.
Keep it lean: every extra kilo puts more strain on its short legs and joints.
Cats hide pain. Has it stopped jumping, does it walk stiffly, breathe noisily or have very runny eyes? Then ask the vet for advice.
Nothing suggests a Minuet causes fewer allergies than other cats. So do not count on it.
Checked on 23 October 2026
Keeping a Minuet is fine. In the Netherlands you may not breed from cats with a too-short snout, so a Minuet with a flat Persian-type face may not be used for breeding, as for the Persian and the Exotic. The 2026 advice to ban cats with short, bent front legs is advice, not law.
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