Cymric cat

According to the Isle of Man records, the taillessness trait of the Manx (and ultimately the Cymric) began as a mutation among the island's domestic cat population. Given the island's closed environment and small gene pool, the dominant gene that decided the cats' taillessness was easily passed from one generation to the next, along with the gene for long hair. Long-haired kittens had been born to Manx cats on the Isle of Man, but had always been discarded by breeders as "mutants". Then, in the 1960s, similar kittens were born in Canada and were intentionally bred. This was the start of the increase in Cymric popularity. It took many years for cat associations to recognize the Cymric as a breed of its own. While the Manx was recognized in the 1920s, the Cymric was not shown until the 1960s and did not gain popularity until the mid-1970s.

The Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe, since 2006),[1] World Cat Federation (WCF),[2] American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE),[3] Canadian Cat Association (CCA-AFC),[4] Australian Cat Federation (ACF),[5] New Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF),[6] Southern Africa Cat Council (SACC),[7] American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA, of the US East Coast),[8] and Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF, in the US Northeast)[9] consider the Cymric a separate breed. The Cat Aficionado Association (CAA) of China does also, by virtue of the CAA having adopted all the breed standards of its Western partner, ACFA; it is unknown if any Cymric breeders are actually in China.

The International Cat Association (TICA)[10] recognizes the Cymric as a variety of Manx, not a separate breed with its own standards. Also, simply covering it in their Manx breed standards, the US-based Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA),[11] the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA),[12] and the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF)[13] recognize the variety as the long-haired Manx rather than a Cymric (the CFA[11] and CCCA[12] call it the Manx Longhair, while GCCF uses the term Semi-longhair Manx Variant).[13] The ACF formerly took this route, calling it the Longhaired Manx,[14] but recognized it as a separate breed (Cymric) at the beginning of 2015, using the GCCF Manx standard (aside from coat length).[5]

The genetic mutation that gives both the Cymric and Manx their unusual tails is also responsible for other health complications like spina bifida, a spinal defect that can result in neurological issues whether that is difficult with movement or waste elimination.[20] A rabbit-like hop can sometimes be seen in Cymric cats due to the spinal deformity. Most of the time, these problems are identified before six months of age.[15]

The gene that gives the Cymric and Manx their unusual tails can also be lethal. Kittens who inherit two copies of the tailless gene die before birth and are reabsorbed in the womb. Since these kittens make up about 25 percent of all kittens, litters are usually small. Even cats who inherit only one copy of the gene can have what is called Manx syndrome. Not every Cymric with a short spine has problems or Manx syndrome. It is simply an attribute of the Manx gene, and its expression cannot be entirely prevented.

Following updated genetic research, both the ACF and (less stringently) the GCCF impose special breeding restrictions on Manx cats (including the Cymric, however named and classified), for animal welfare reasons.[21]