Web surfers want to know where the Manx cat comes from. Perhaps somewhat unusually the breed originates in the Isle of Man, which is a small island in the Irish Sea off the west coast of England between England and Ireland.
The word “Manx” refers to the native Celtic language of the Isle of Man. It also refers to an ethnic group from the Isle of Man.
The Manx cat has a very long history going back centuries. The very short tail (or no tail) is due to a genetic mutation which is believed is similar to the mutation which causes the shortened tail of the American Bobtail.
However, these two cat breeds are different in appearance and of course the breed standards are quite different as well. Read much more about this breed by clicking on this link.
The Isle of Man is not part of the UK. It is described as a “self-governing British Crown dependency”. Most of today’s modern cat breeds come from America. It is unusual for a cat breed to originate in a small island but the size of the island is linked to the creation of the breed due to the “founder effect”. This means that the cats developed the shortened tail because they were confined to an island where they bred with one another. This helped to develop the breed naturally.
Manx cats are very smart and very loving. They also have a mind of their own and can be stubborn as heck!