Bambinos are the deliberate hybrid of long-boned shortened dwarf cats, including the Munchkin and the extremely short-coated or hairless cats including the Sphynx, the desired results being a hairless, short cat with an athletic appearance and a gentle but lively, outgoing and affectionate personality. Bambinos are intelligent, friendly cats that are agile as their size does not hamper their movements. They respond well to being handled as they are very interactive, social cats.
The perfect Bambino has a two planed head that is wedge shaped, longer than it is wide. The first plane begins behind the head and the second begins just slightly forward of the ears. The ear line is even with the corner of the eye and set well onto the top of the head. The ears do not flare out to the side of the head, but rather continue the facial line and increase the upward sweep of the head topped off with lynx tipping. The Bambino has large almond shaped eyes that are slightly slanted and wide set. A short muzzle gives a square appearance when looked down on from the top. The nose is not Roman but smooth with a gentle stop and a firm chin lining up straight with nose.
The Bambino’s body has the overall appearance of strength and muscularity, and is not thin or whippy. It is well muscled with medium boning giving a stocky, very muscular overall appearance. The back is level with a slight rise in the back legs allowed but not desired. It has short, well-developed legs, having medium sized feet with well defined toes and prominent knuckles. Finishing it off is a long, slender tail that is flexible like a whip, tapering to a point with lion tuft on the end. It is graceful and slender accenting the athletic appearance of the Bambino.
The skin texture is very important to the Bambino. It has a wonderful feel of a warm supple suede – extremely soft to the touch. The coat ranges from complete hairlessness to slight down but the texture is the most important factor. The Bambino cmay come in all colors or patterns.
Bambino litters produce both short-legged and long-legged kittens. The only difference between the short and tall siblings are their leg lengths. Bambino long-legs are vital to the Bambino breeding program as they match the standard in every other way.