Videos Manx Breed Information
Common nicknames -
Cabbit, Cymric (if long-haired)
Country of origin -
Isle of Man (Crown dependency)
Breed standards (external links) -
AACE, CFA, ACFA, TICA, CCA,
ACF, FIFe, GCCF
The Manx (kayt Manninagh or
stubbin in Manx Gaelic) is a
breed of cats
with a naturally occurring mutation of
the spine. This mutation
shortens the tail, resulting in a range of tail lengths from normal
to tailless. Many Manx have a small 'stub' of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely
tailless and it is the distinguishing characteristic of the breed
and a cat body type
genetic mutation.
1. Origin
The Manx breed originated on the
Isle of Man (hence the name), where
they are common. They are called stubbin in the Manx language. They are an old breed, and
tailless cats were common on the island as long as three hundred
years ago. The taillessness arises from a genetic mutation that
became common on the island (an example of the Founder effect). The Manx tailless gene is
dominant and highly penetrant; kittens
from Manx parents are generally born without any tail. Having two
copies of the gene is lethal and kittens are usually spontaneously
aborted before birth. [1] [1] This means
that tailless cats can carry only one copy of the gene. Because of
the danger of having two copies of the tailess gene, breeders have
to be careful about breeding two tailess Manxes together. [2]
Problems can be avoided by breeding tailess cats with tailed ones
and this breeding practice is responsible for the decreasing
occurrence of spinal problems in recent years.
There are various legends that seek to explain why the Manx has
no tail. In one of them, Noah closed the
door of the ark when it began to
rain and accidentally cut off the Manx's tail, who'd been
playing and almost got left behind. [1] Another legend claims that
the Manx is the offspring of a cat and
a rabbit which is why it has no tail and
rather long hind legs. In addition, they move with more of a hop
than a stride, like a rabbit. This legend was further reinforced by
the Cabbit myth. Recent postcards on the
Isle of Man depict a cartoon scene of
a cat's tail being run over and removed by a motorbike, because motorbike racing is popular
on the Island.
2. Appearance
The hind legs of a Manx are longer than the front legs, creating
a continuous arch from shoulders to rump giving the cat a rounded
appearance.
2. 1. Tail length
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' (in rare cases
kittens are born with kinked tails because of incomplete growth of
the tail during development)
* Tailed or longy - complete or
near complete tail
-Tail length is random throughout litter.
The ideal show Manx is the rumpy; the
stumpy and tailed Manx do not qualify to be shown. 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. [1]
2. 2. Coat
Manx cats exhibit two coat
lengths. The short-haired Manx has a double coat with a thick,
short under-layer and a longer, coarse outer-layer with guard hairs. The long-haired Manx, known to
some cat registries as the Cymric, has a silky-textured double coat
of medium length, with britches, belly and neck ruff, tufts of fur
between the toes and full ear furnishings. The Cat Fanciers'
Association (CFA) considers the Cymric to be a variety of Manx
and judges it in the short-hair division, while The International Cat
Association (TICA) judges it in the long-hair division. Short-
or long-haired, all Manx have a thick double-layered coat.
3. 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.
3. 1. Manx Syndrome
Manx Syndrome is a colloquial name given to the condition which
results when the mutant tailless gene shortens the spine too much.
It can seriously damage the spinal
cord and the nerves causing spina bifida as well as problems with the
bowels, bladder, and digestion. Some only live for 3 years; the
oldest recorded was 5. In one study it was shown to affect about
20% of Manx cats, but almost all of those cases were rumpies, which
exhibit the most extreme phenotype. [1]
Actual occurrences of this are rare in modern examples of the breed
due to informed breeding practices. [3] Most pedigreed cats are not
placed until four months of age (to make sure that they are
properly socialised) and this gives adequate time for any health
problems to be identified.
4. Trivia
* The Manx breed, in spite of the absence of tail, has no
problems with balance.
* The Isle of Man has adopted the Manx cat as a symbol of its
native origins. On the Isle of Man, Manx cats appear on the 1988
"cat" crown [1] and stamps.
* Even though Manx cats cease to be kittens after one year, it
takes up to five years for any Manx cat to be fully
grown.[citation
needed]
* The Manx was developed before the 1700s.
* The breed is of medium size with an average weight of 5.5
kg (12 lb).
* The Manx are said to be skilled hunters, known to take down
larger prey even when they are young—it is not uncommon to find a
Manx with a squirrel or opossum much larger than itself. They are
often sought by farmers with rodent problems.
* The famous ASL
speaking gorilla, Koko, has chosen three separate Manx
(All Ball, Lipstick and Smokey) as
pets.
* Some Manx cats resemble rabbits because of their long hind
legs. This has resulted in many being called "cabbits", a
mix of the words 'rabbit' and 'cat'.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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