Manx cat’s genetics

There are lots of cats with short tails or no tails, but the Manx (and his sister breed the longhaired Cymric) is the only one specifically bred to be tail-free. Sometimes jokingly said to be the offspring of a cat and a rabbit (however cute the idea, a “cabbit” is biologically impossible), the tailless Manx is the result of a genetic mutation that was then intensified by the cats’ remote location on the Isle of Man, off the coast of Britain. The cats are thought to date to 1750 or later, but whether a tailless cat was born there or arrived on a ship and then spread its genes throughout the island cat population is unknown. The island became known for tailless cats, and that is how the breed got its name of Manx. The Manx is recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association, The International Cat Association, and other cat registries. #CAT #genetics #Manx