History of the Manx

The cat breeding world is one that stretches far and wide with cats being introduced from all over the world. The common goal is to create a unique breed from a cross of selected breeds and gene pools in an effort to realise a stable breeding pattern. The Manx cat is another breed which hails from the Isle of Man, in the middle of the North Irish Sea. This cart is regarded as an ancient breed that had resided on the Isle of Man for many years. Perhaps one of the most defining features of this cat is the fact that is does not have a tail at all. It is defined as a tailless cat and this is evident throughout out every type of Manx cat in the world today. The cause of the absent tail was identified to be due to a genetic mutation that originated from shorthairs.

Shorthair genes in the Manx cat are the most prominent and long hair crosses were introduced to the gene pool many years later when the eventual take over of the Nordic Vikings would occur. During this period a great deal of long hair cats were introduced into the gene pool. Norwegian forest cats are famous in their own right and it is thought that the longhair cats that were introduced during the ruling period of the Vikings were ancestors to those majestic cats. As a result, the Manx gene pool is diverse and features a number of interesting variations through its breed. The native Manx was regarded as a working cat that exhibited great intelligence and strength. Possessing temperaments that were deemed to be calm and collected yet inquisitive made them to be great companions in society.

There are a number of myths and tales surrounding the Manx cat. For instance, the story that accompanies the arrival of the Manx on the Isle of Man is thought to be derived from a stranded colony that found its way to island from Britain. Of course other tales would go on to explore the possible causes for its missing tail. Unfortunately, the tales did not reflect the reality for the reason of a missing tail within the Manx breed. Mutation leading to the rounding of the spine that shapes it almost into a rump causes a void where the tail would originally thought to have grown.