The Manx is a breed of cat best known for their physical quirk of lacking a tail. They are friendly, playful and are laid back whilst being intermittently energetic. Their appearance varies in coat length, as they can be long or short haired, and colour – common coat colours include various patterns of white, cream and black. But are they healthy?
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Why do they have no tail?
Because, at some point on the Isle of Man, this breed of cat arose because of close breeding between a small British Shorthair population. This close breeding, or inbreeding, caused a mutation in a gene which causes the absence of a tail. More specifically this gene is titled M, and causes a shortening and alteration of the lower part of their spine and tail. It actually causes their spinal vertebrae to be shorter than normal. This M tailless gene is dominant, so the cat only needs one copy to be affected.
Are there any problems with Manx cats?
Unfortunately, their characteristic lack of tail can lead to several problems related to their spine. This causes a form of spina bifida which is colloquially termed the “Manx Syndrome”.
This syndrome is caused by their short spine and lack of tail. Not only does this cause symptoms including lameness and an abnormal hind-leg stance, but it also negatively impacts their spinal cord. This can cause neurological problems such as incontinence and lower limb paralysis. This syndrome commonly develops before a kitten reaches 6 months old as the abnormalities would have been present, and worsening, since birth.
They are also prone to corneal dystrophy – a condition affecting the cornea of the eye. This too develops when they are only a few months old and causes their eyes to become cloudy subsequently affecting their vision.
Are all Manx cats affected?
In short, yes. As Manx cats require the M gene to have a lack of tail, they are all affected. However, the degree of which the individual cat is affected will vary from mild to severe, therefore the impact on their welfare and quality of life will vary dramatically. Severely affected individuals will have an unacceptable quality of life, and their welfare would be incredibly impacted.
As mentioned above, the M gene is dominant, therefore they only require one gene copy to be affected. But, if an individual were to inherit two copies of this M gene they would be so severely affected that they would commonly die before birth.
The most severely affected individuals are often pedigree cats. As the breed standard dictates the Manx cat should have no tail at all. And with no tail comes the array of issues we have discussed above.
So, is it all bad news?
No! There are breeders out there who have bred the Manx with short tails and even long tails, thus significantly reducing their risk of developing the Manx Syndrome. These cats will have a very acceptable quality of life and welfare.
The best method to reduce the risk of these problems occurring is informed and intelligent breeding. That way, we can still enjoy these breeds without their quality of life suffering.
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