The origin of the Manx
cat
The Manx breed originated on the Isle
of Man, hence their name. It is called
kayt Manninagh in the Manx
language.
Legends surrounding the
Manx
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 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 usually do not have
tails, and have longer hind legs, which
gives them a similar appearance to
rabbits, especially when running. This
was further reinforced by the Cabbit
myth.
Isle of Man Cat
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.