Will the Real Munchkin Cat Please Stand Up?

by Sonia Zjawinski (Subscribe to Sonia Zjawinski's posts): Jan 4th 2010 @ 1:00PM Filed Under: Cats

Jimmy Leo / Solent

We all know about Faith, the two-legged dog who walks on her hind legs, but did you know there's a cat that also likes to play bipedal? Beibei, a kitty living in Singapore, has a tendency to check out his surroundings as meerkats do. Jimmy Leo, the 4-year-old feline's owner, first noticed his cat's tendency to stand on its hindquarters when it was a kitten. "He does it with consummate ease," he tells Paw Nation.

"I initially brushed it off but when he stood longer for some time, especially when eying lizards on the ceiling or high wall, I started to laugh and wonder," Leo continues.

Beibei is a Munchkin breed, a relatively new type of cat. These kitties have regular bodies, but abnormally short legs due to a genetic mutation that causes hypochondroplasia. Munchkin cats tend to stand on their hind legs, though it's not clear why. Possibly to get a better vantage point since they are so low to the ground? "I'm not sure if Beibei is breaking records amongst other Munchkins," Leo tells Paw Nation. "I have friends all over the world telling me theirs do not stand up as frequently or with such unimaginable durations."

Beibei's longest stint on his hind quarters is about five minutes. "He could probably stand longer but I would be the one getting tired first," Leo jokes. While Leo has never seen Beibei walk bipedally, he has seen him take a half step forward or back to get a better look at something.

Leo, who is an avid photographer, has chronicled Beibei's life in pictures since the Munchkin was three months old, but ever since he submitted a photo of Beibei to I Can Has Cheezburger?, his Flickr collection has become a hot spot for cat lovers and those curious to see a cat standing tall. "The responses have been immense and humbling," Leo tells Paw Nation.

Now that Beibei has mastered the standing position, Leo is teaching him how to high-five. We look forward to some videos of that feat, but in the meantime you can check out Beibei in action below.

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

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#1 Dixie 1-09-2010 @ 12:55AM

I don't find this unusual at all. I found a stray about 6 years ago and HAD to bring him in and make him mine. After I took him to the vet, had him checked out and shots, I had him fixed and de-clawed. During the recuperation period of the claws being taken out, my "Bratt" the cat ( and yes that is his name) would want to look out thre front door but it hurt to put his paws an the glass. So he learned to sit on his hind legs without touching the glass...........NOW you can't get him to stop if you wanted to. Anytime he wants to see anything, there he goes. He even walks on them on occasion. I am use to it , but my friends flip out everytime they come over! That's my BOY!!!!

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#2 BiFF 1-17-2010 @ 4:15AM

What a cute little Cat!

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#3 Foopets 1-18-2010 @ 1:10PM

Thats not amazing my cat can do that! If she is famous my cat should be!

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#4 Francia 2-08-2010 @ 5:29PM

How adorable, talented and cute. They should all record and enter their cat's achievements like Beibei's owner to enjoy the fame as well, not rain on Beibei's parade.

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