 The
Manx is a breed of cat with a naturally occurring mutation of the
spine. This mutation shortens the tail, resulting in a range of tail
lengths from normal to tailless. The hind legs are longer than the
front legs, creating a continuous arch from shoulders to rump giving
the cat a rounded appearance. Manx cats move with more like a hop
than a stride when running; in this aspect, they resemble rabbits
more than cats. Many Manx have a small 'stub' of a tail, but Manx
cats are best known as being entirely tailless: it is the
distinguishing characteristic of the breed
Origin
The Manx breed originated on the Isle of Man, hence their name. It
is called kayt Manninagh in the Manx language. They are an old
breed, and tailless cats were common on the island as long as two or
three hundred years ago. It is unknown exactly how the mutation
originated, but one legend states that it was the result of cats
surviving a shipwreck centuries ago. Legends even claim that Noah
caused the breed to be tailless by closing the door to the ark as
the Manx was entering, cutting off the tail. Other legends allege
that cats and rabbits mated, and their offspring became the Manx
cat; the reasoning behind this is the fact that Manx usually do not
have tails, and have longer hind legs, which gives them a similar
appearance to rabbits, especially when running. This was further
reinforced by the Cabbit myth.
The most probable scientific explanation of this breed's existence
is that once the dominant mutant tailless gene was introduced to the
island, it became common and concentrated in the genetically
isolated population. This resulted in the "normal" cat on the island
having a short or nonexistent tail.
Other tailless cats
It is possible that excessive inbreeding can result in short tails,
however, the Manx breed has its shortened tail due to a mutation in
the tailless gene, which is dominant and inheritable regardless of
the inbreeding coefficient of a particular cat. This gene, like many
others, also occurs in the domestic cat population and in fact was
probably transferred from the Isle of Man to it. For a cat to be
considered a Manx, registering bodies (CFA, TICA, GCCF etc..)
require that the cat show ancestry from the Isle of Man in an
unbroken line of succession. Many of the distinguishing
characteristics of cat breeds occur naturally sometimes in the
domestic population. As much as cat resembles a certain breed, they
are considered domestic cats unless the ancestry has been tracked
through a pedigree. This is the same in pedigreed dogs. Thus a
random bred cat lacking a tail is a domestic tailless, but not a
Manx.
Tail Length
The Manx tailless gene is dominant and highly penetrant; kittens
from Manx parents are generally born without any tail. There is no
proven ratio of the amount of tailed to tailless kittens produced in
each litter. However, tailed Manx bred to tailed Manx normally
results in all tailed kittens, even though there are exceptions.
Manx kittens are classified according to tail length:
* Dimple rumpy or rumpy - no tail whatsoever
* Riser or rumpy riser - stub of cartilage or several vertebrae
under the fur, most noticeable when kitten is happy and raising its
'tail'
* Stumpy - partial tail, more than a 'riser' but less than 'tailed'
* Tailed or longy - complete or near complete tail
Breeders have reported all tail lengths within the same litter.
The ideal show Manx is the rumpy. The stumpy and tailed Manx do not
qualify to be shown. Depending on the presence of the mutant gene,
their kittens may or may not be tailed. In the past, kittens with
stumpy or full tails have been docked at birth as a preventative
measure due to some partial tails being very prone to a form of
arthritis that causes the cat severe pain. However, tailed Manx cats
have been born for hundreds of years on the Isle of Man with no
known documented problems. Most countries today have banned
alteration of animals for cosmetic appearances. Some United States
breeders still practice the docking Manx kittens tails as a rule.
This practice is declining as other Manx breeders educate people
that this breed can have a partial to full tail with no ill effects,
and yet still be a Manx cat. Docking tails on cats is not
exclusively performed on the Manx breed; it can be performed on any
cat breed for medical necessity.
The mutation that causes a Manx cat to be born without a tail does
not occur in every Manx kitten — not all Manx cats lack a tail.
However, since they carry Manx genetics, their kittens or
descendants can be born without a tail even if their parents had
tails. Some stumpy Manx are born with kinked tails because of
incomplete development of the tail during the fetal stage. This is
somewhat rare though, as other tail lengths (or lack thereof), as
well as straight-tailed stumpy tails are much more common.
Health
Pedigreed Manx cats today are much healthier and have fewer
health issues related to their genetics than the Manx of years ago.
This is due in part to the careful selection of breeding stock, and
knowledgeable, dedicated breeders. Manx have been known to live into
their mid- to high-teens and are no less healthy than other cat
breeds. Like any other cat, keeping Manx cats indoors, neutering or
spaying, and providing acceptable surfaces for the cat's normal
scratching behavior are vital to lengthen the life of any cat.
Manx Syndrome
Manx Syndrome is a colloquial name given to the condition which
results when the mutant tailless gene responsible for shortening the
cats' spine has an excessive negative effect. It can seriously
damage the spinal cord and the nerves. The cat can have problems
with spina bifida, bowels, bladder, and digestion as a result.
Actual occurrences of this are rare in modern examples of the breed
due to informed breeding practices. [1] Most pedigreed cats are not
placed until four months of age to make sure that proper
socialisation has occurred. This gives adequate time for any mutant
gene-related health issues to be seen, as they turn up early in the
cat's life.
According to Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians,
both the Manx tailless gene and the Scottish Fold fold-eared gene
are potential lethal genes in utero if extreme tailless to tailless
are mated or if extreme fold-eared to fold-eared are mated. Problems
are most likely to occur when two completely tailless Manx are bred
together. For this reason, responsible breeders generally breed a
'stumpy' or fully-tailed Manx with a 'rumpy' or 'rumpy riser' to
minimise the chances of serious defects. This breeding practice is
responsible for the decreasing occurrence of spinal problems in
recent years.
Personality
The Manx breed is a highly intelligent cat breed, it is playful,
and in its behaviour, bizarre, but very reminiscent of dogs; for
example, some Manx cats will fetch small objects that are thrown. It
is considered a social feline, and the breed loves humans. This
attribute makes them an ideal breed for families with young children
and people who prefer a companion. Some members of this breed tend
to like water, many times even playing with it. This trait makes it
very easy to give some Manx cats a shower for hygiene purposes,
unlike most other cats. Although not as trainable as dogs, Manx cats
can learn simple commands, such as No. Other cat breeds that share
similar personality traits are Bengal and Ocicat. If there are
multiple Manx cats in a household, an owner might notice that they
chase each other frequently. This is common behaviour for Manx cats;
they like to chase anything, be it an animal or leaf caught in the
wind. Their 'meow' often resembles a long, monotone grunt or rapid
chirping. However, Manx cats usually are very quiet.
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