Bambino cat; what are the breed origin, appearance standard, and color of Bambino cats? The nature of the animal and its health. Home care. Birth and raising of kittens. Bambino is an entirely original, slightly strange, extraordinarily comical, and almost alien-looking cat, more reminiscent of a funny guttapercha toy – either a dachshund, a kangaroo, or a comic fairy tale character from some cartoon. She is so sweet, warm, and affectionate that it is impossible to deny yourself the pleasure of stroking and caressing this creature.
The origin of the Bambino cat breed
The hairless dwarf cat, Bambino (Bambino, Dwarfcat), is very young. The new breed’s first official litter of kittens appeared only recently – in 2005. After that, in 2006, the new breed received the status of an experimental species of the International Cat Association (TICA).
And the story of this original cat began, as is often the case, with a simple incident. A couple from Arkansas (USA), Stephanie and Pat Osborne, who already had a few Canadian sphynxes, bought an unusual hairless kitten with short legs as a pet, having no idea what kind of breed it was and from whom it was bred. The strange kitten got the name – Bambino (from Italian – “child”), which later gave the title to the whole breed. After studying the genetics of an adorable creature, the couple discovered that the kitten is a hybrid result of random mating between the Canadian sphynx and the munchkin, which managed to include the munchkin’s short legs and the sphinx’s hairlessness. The couple began further selection under the guidance of professional geneticists, which eventually bore fruit, one of the rarest cat breeds – the Bambino.
External bambino standard
The bambino cat is a dwarf cat weighing no more than 2.5–4 kg. Males of the species are about a quarter larger than females.
- The head is medium-sized, wedge-shaped, with a rounded muzzle—a well-defined chin with the lower jaw. The site is correct. The neck is moderately long, distinctly muscular, and forms an arched line from the shoulders to the back of the head.
- The ears are erect, large, open, triangular, more expansive at the base, and rounded at the ends. Set of ears form a continuation of the silhouette of the lower part of the muzzle.
- Bambino’s eyes are round and relatively wide. The primary eye colors are green and blue. Occurs – yellow and gray.
- The body is elongated, firm, compact and, muscular, flexible, with a broad chest. The back line is straight.
- The legs are very short but muscular and robust, with thick pads. The toes are long, with protruding joints.
- The tail is long, thin, gradually tapering towards the tip. It resembles a dachshund’s tail.
- The skin is somewhat wrinkled, velvety to the touch (may have a slight down), and forms natural folds on the animal’s neck, back, chest, belly, and legs.
All colors of the type are allowed, without strict requirements, but a fixed color is white, blue, or black.
Nature of a bambino cat
This breed has an amiable, outgoing, and playful personality. They play happily with adult family members with small children and love to chase the ball. This “child” should have plenty of toys. Otherwise, the house’s interior may suffer from his activity and curiosity.
Despite their short legs, these animals are similar in agility to the ubiquitous dachshunds or marsh hounds. Like these graceful animals, they can climb anywhere, although they cannot overcome the highest furniture. But jumping out in one jump on the kitchen table or tall dresser is not a problem for these cats. The gait of the Bambina, due to the structure of the features and the particular muscle size of the paws, looks quite funny and resembles the walk of a cloth. In a calm state or immersed in a person’s lap, the animal can sit for a long time in a rabbit-like posture.
Bambino is easy to learn. The intelligence of these cats is very high (probably inherited from the most brilliant Sphynx cats). He quickly gets used to the daily routine of the owners and gets accustomed to food and toilet places. These cats are curious, intelligent, disciplined, and not vindictive. They get along well with other pets and show no aggression towards birds or rodents. They quickly get used to new people and can easily adapt to new surroundings. Don’t bother traveling or going in a car. They do not like solitude and feel comfortable in the company of people.
Bambino cat health
The new breed is characterized by good health and a lack of specific problems. Despite the dwarfism of the limbs, these animals do not have problems with the spine. There is also no tendency to skin diseases.
Caring for Bambino cats
The content of these cute handsome men is almost precisely the same as any hairless cat – sphinxes.
To maintain the cleanliness of the animal’s body, frequent bathing of the cat (but not too often) with a special shampoo and water temperature between 36-38 degrees Celsius is necessary. It is advisable to put a rubber mat on the bottom of the tub so that the Bambino’s feet are more stable. It is better to wash the shampoo with your palms and not with water pressure from the shower, so the animal feels calmer. After bathing, you can dry sensitive areas with a moisturizing oil or baby cream.
If your cat does not like swimming, you can get away with regularly rubbing the skin with a cotton swab dipped in a special lotion (in extreme cases, you can use the cream for the baby’s skin).
It is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature balance of the bambino cat and prevent it from overheating in the sun and hypothermia in winter. When winter temperatures are below 20 degrees Celsius, it is necessary to insulate the pet by wearing a fur skirt or a woolen blouse.
The diet of short-legged pets must be considered, as it is hyperactive, which always results in a fast metabolism and a need for increased nutrition. Therefore, bambino nutrition should not only be more but also more nutritious. In addition to high-quality superfoods for active cats, the diet should include lean fish, high-quality raw meat, dairy products, vegetables, and even fruits.
Description of bambino kittens
Bambino cats tolerate pregnancy easily and give birth to two to five kittens without problems. The offspring are handled very carefully and attentively. There were examples of mother cats willingly adopting other people’s kittens and even puppies.
Caring for kittens is no different than caring for Sphynx kittens. The only thing required of the owner is to provide a warm and dry “cover” do not forget to feed the mother cat in time and vaccinate the little Bambino.
Price when buying a Bambino cat
The Bambino breed (Bambino, Dwarfcat) is new and still very rare, so the price of kittens of this breed is very high and sometimes sky high. In America, the average price for these cats is now about 400$-600$. But at the same time, there was also a sale of these famous animals for 800$. So, the price jumps at this time are pretty possible.