History...

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.