More Info

Did you know?

The Manx variant is a spontaneous, natural mutation originating from the population of cats on the Isle of Man (one of the British Isles). The tailless cats were originally called “stubbin” (both singular and plural) by the locals.

How it works

One copy of this Short Tail variant will result in a short to completely absent tail. Other variants are also known to cause tail shortening in cats.

Health implications

Cats with this variant may also display “Manx Syndrome,” which is a term used to describe a range of disorders that affect the development of the spine and spinal cord. The various forms of this syndrome can prevent normal behaviors, induce incontinence, cause partial paralysis, and lead to painful infections. As all tested cats with this variant are seen to carry only one copy, it is presumed if two copies of the Short tail Manx mutation are inherited that it will cause early fetal death and resorption. Two cats mated together which have the Short tail Manx variant will have smaller litter sizes and some normal tailed cats may be produced.