Manx
The Manx Cat is a breed of cat that has a naturally occurring mutation in its spine which can shorten the tail or deplete it all together. Depending on the mutation, a Manx cat can have a normal length tail, a short tail, or be completely tailless. Some have said that they slightly resemble a rabbit in that they usually have a stub tail and they tend to move in a hop. The tail length is its most distinguishing characteristic.
The origin of this particular breed is somewhat of a mystery. It is said to have originated on the Isle of Man. Tailless cats were quite common on the island about two or three hundred years ago. There are several different legends that help to form the history of the Manx Cat. Let's look at a few:
1. One legend states that the first Manx cats landed on the Isle of Man from two ships of the Spanish Armada. Another legend states that a Baltic ship had wrecked and the cat was then brought to the island. As the ships (whichever one it was) drew nearer to the sea a few tailless cats leaped form the bowsprit and were taken ashore.
2. Another old superstition of the Isle of Man is that the cats have their own King. The "King" cat is said to live the life of an ordinary house cat by day, but at night he assumes his regal powers. If the house owner of the king cat is unkind to the pet, then the king cat will take terrible revenge.
3. Probably the oldest legend about the Manx is the biblical story. The Manx was apparently one of the last animals to enter into Noah's ark. Noah was a bit impatient because of the rising waters, and the Manx cat was a bit too slow. As Noah hurried the cat along and shut the door, it would seem that the cat's tail was snapped shut outside the ark, thus losing its tail.
The most probable scientific explanation however for the mysterious short tail or tailless cat breed is that there was once a dominant mutant tailless gene that was introduced to the island and it became common and concentrated. The result was a normal cat with a short or nonexistent tail.
Manx Personality
The Manx breed is extremely intelligent and playful, and has been said to resemble the behavior of some canines. It is considered to be fairly social and loves the attention of people. Their friendly and playful attributes make them especially great breeds for families with young children. Although they do not learn tricks as quickly as a dog will, a Manx cat has the ability to learn simple commands such as "no." A common behavior of Manx cats when there are multiple ones in a household is to chase one another around. This is a common trait in the Manx breed.
Health and Hygiene
One issue that owners of a Manx will have to deal with is some tailless Manx cats can have a problem with bathroom hygiene. As most cats use their tails to help release feces, it can pose to be a problem since the Manx does not have a tail. They may stick to the fur which can result in the Manx using whatever it can find to clean it off (furniture, litter box, carpet, etc.). It is important to establish an area for them to do this so that you do not have to clean up messes all over the house.
Pedigreed Manx cats today are much healthier and have fewer health issues related to their genetics than many years ago. This is mainly because of selective breeding as well as knowledgeable and dedicated breeders.
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