Pic: Wikipedia

Made unique by its small or lacking tail, Manx is a cat breed that belongs to the Isle of Man, next to Britain, where it has resided for many centuries. A number of legends afloat as regards the origin of this cat, with many stories being part of the local culture. Some believe these cats were brought to the island by one of the many ships that passed through that region, whereas others consider the animals to be native to that part of the world.

The most widely accepted theory is that Manx cats originated from a genetic mutation in the local felid population. Owing to the island’s isolation and the dominant nature of the altered gene, the trait spread among cats and perpetuates to this day. They continue to be formally bred in many parts of the world and are recognized widely by cat fanciers.

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 tail-less cats were common on the island as long as three hundred years ago. The tail-lessness arises from a genetic mutation that became common on the island (an example of the Founder effect). The Manx tail-less 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. This means that tail-less cats can carry only one copy of the gene. Because of the danger of having two copies of the tail-less gene, breeders have to be careful about breeding two tail-less Manxes together. Problems can be avoided by breeding tail-less cats with tailed ones and this breeding practice is responsible for the decreasing occurrence of spinal problems in recent years. [Wikipedia]

Mythology of the Cat

As mentioned above, there are many ideas as to how the Manx Cats might have come into being.

When filling the ark and the rains came down, Noah closed the door and caught the tail of a cat. The story goes like this:

WHEN Noah was calling the animals into the Ark, there was one cat who was out mousing and took no notice when he was calling to her. She was a good mouser, but this time she had trouble to find a mouse and she took a notion that she wouldn’t go into the Ark without one.

So at last, when Noah had all the animals safe inside, and he saw the rain beginning to fall, and no sign of her coming in, he said:

‘Who’s out is out, and who’s in is in!’

And with that he was just closing the door when the cat came running up, half drowned-that’s why cats hate the water and just squeezed in, in time. But Noah had slammed the door as she ran in and it cut off her tail, so she got in without it, and that is why Manx cats have no tails to this day. [source]

Cats from ships wrecked on the coasts around the Isle of Man came ashore and made the Island their home.

In another tale, Irish or Viking warriors stole kittens to use their tails as good luck charms. In order to save their kittens, the mother cats would bite off the tails of their young.

Cat Temperament

The Manx is a huggable, lovable imp with a silken purr, an almost inaudible meow and a naughty twinkle in its eye. It spends every waking moment investigating its world.

A Manx will gravitate to the center of your home and insist upon being one of the family. It possesses an uncanny ability to adapt itself to the psychological needs of its people. In a home with children who have been taught gentle animal care, they are often found in the children’s playroom, actively supervising the movement of dump trucks and doll carriages. [source]

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