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Manx
Cat
The Manx
Cat is a cat breed that has 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 cats 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.
The Manx cat breed originated on the Isle of
Man, hence their name. 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 cat 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 cats usually do not have tails, and have longer hind
legs, which gives them a similar appearance to rabbits, especially when
running.
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.
It is possible that excessive inbreeding can
result in short tails, however, the Manx cat 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. For a cat to be considered a Manx cat, the 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 a 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 cat.
The Manx cat tailless gene is dominant and
highly penetrant; kittens from Manx cat 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 cats bred to tailed Manx cats normally
results in all tailed kittens, even though there are exceptions.
Manx cat 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 cat is the rumpy. The
stumpy and tailed Manx cat 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 cat 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 cat 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 cat genetics, their kittens or
descendants can be born without a tail even if their parents had tails. Some
stumpy Manx cats 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.
Pedigreed Manx cats today are much
healthier and have fewer health issues related to their genetics than Manx
cats of years ago. This is due in part to the careful selection of breeding
stock, and knowledgeable, dedicated breeders. Manx cats 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 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. Most pedigreed cats are not placed until four months of age to
make sure that proper socialization 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 cat 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
cats are bred together. For this reason, responsible breeders generally breed a
'stumpy' or fully-tailed Manx cat with a 'rumpy' or 'rumpy riser' to minimize
the chances of serious defects. This breeding practice is responsible for
the decreasing occurrence of spinal problems in recent years.
Manx Cat Personality
The Manx cat breed is a highly intelligent cat
breed, it is playful, and in its behaviour, very reminiscent of dogs. It is
considered a social feline, and the breed loves humans. This attribute makes
them an ideal breed for families with young children. Members of this breed
tend to like water, many times even playing with it. This trait makes it
very easy to give these 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 behavior for Manx cats;
they like to chase each other. However, Manx cats usually are very quiet
cats, so this is typically their only vice.
One issue that Manx cat owners may have to deal
with is that a completely tailless cat may display problems with bathroom
hygiene. Many cats use their tail as an aid for releasing faeces. Since the
rumpy variants do not have a tail, fecal matter may stick to their fur in
the anal area, resulting in the Manx using whatever it can (carpets, the
litter box, furniture, et cetera.) to assist in removal. This is not done
out of spite, nor is it observed in every rumpy Manx. Such behavior may be
difficult to extinguish in a cat that has this issue.
Manx Cat 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. It is referred to as a long-haired Manx, but is shown in the
short-hair division with short-haired cats even though its hair is longer.
The
International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes the long haired Manx as
a Cymric; the same in all respects as the Manx, except that the Cymric has a
longer coat. TICA judges the Cymric with other long-haired cats in the
long-hair division. Short- or long-haired, all Manx have a thick
double-layered coat.
The Manx breed, in spite of the absence
of tail, has no problems with balance.
The Isle of Man has adopted the Manx as
a symbol of its native origins. On the Isle of Man, Manx cats appear on
currency, coins 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.
The Manx cat was developed before the 1700s,
and since the breed is of medium size, the weight is on average
5.5 kg
(12 lb).
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