| The
Manx breed originated on the
Isle of Man (hence the name), where they are common. They are called
stubbin in the
Manx language. They are an old breed, and tail-less cats were common
on the island as long as three hundred years ago. The tail-lessness arises
from a genetic mutation that became common on the island. The hind legs of
a Manx are longer than the front legs, creating a continuous arch from
shoulders to rump giving the cat a rounded appearance. There are various
legends that seek to explain why the Manx has no tail. In one of them,
Noah closed
the door of the
ark
when it began to rain and accidentally cut off the Manx's tail, who'd been
playing and almost got left behind. Another legend claims that the Manx is
the
offspring of a cat and a
rabbit
which is why it has no tail and rather long hind legs. In addition, they
move with more of a hop than a stride, like a rabbit. This legend was
further reinforced by the
Cabbit
myth.
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
