A significant proportion of the cats that come to our cattery for rehoming either have no tail or have the vestige of a tail. Most of these are, of course, Manx cats.
The origin of the Manx cat’s lack of a tail is, as you might expect on an Island steeped with folk law, the source of much speculation and intrigue.
According to one story the Manx cat is a result of a cross between a cat and a rabbit.
Another imaginative tale narrates how Irish invaders stole the cat’s tail to make plumes for their helmets.
And yet another interesting story suggests that the cats were brought to Noah’s Ark but since time was short and as they were the last passengers to climb aboard, Noah slammed the door on their tails!
The most scientific explanation is that the Manx cat’s lack of a tail can be attributed to a spontaneous genetic mutation that occurred many centuries ago. Since the lack of a tail is governed by a dominant gene, along with modifying polygenes, this dominant gene easily passed from one generation to the next given the island’s closed environment and small gene pool.
The tail types are broken into four classifications: rumpy, rumpy-riser, stumpy and longy. Health issues can affect a proportion of Manx cats, most often the completely tailless rumpies, and they usually show up by the time a kitten is four months old – a good reason to wait until that age before bringing a kitten home.
All the animals re-homed by the ManxSPCA are given a thorough health check, and they are vaccinated, microchipped and, if they are old enough, neutered before they go to their new owners.
The staff teams are always happy to give advice and support to prospective or new owners, and they work hard to ensure that a suitable ‘match’ is made.
Returning to Manx cats, we would like to tell you about one in particular called Daisy.
She typifies the breed – she is intelligent, expressive, sociable and fun-loving, and a very active 13-year-old. Her owner was very ill and unable to keep her, and so she came to us in November. Since then, she has had dental surgery and has started to put on weight, although her rather sparse hair doesn’t seem to be growing back despite there being no underlying skin condition.
She could be the most rewarding and affectionate companion for someone – please come and meet her.
And still on the subject of animals with short tails, we had disappointing news this week about Sir Hopsalot, the white bunny who was with us for most of 2015 – the rabbit he was rehomed with didn’t like him and so he has returned to Ard Jerkyll. Poor Sir Hopsalot.
All the dogs in our kennels have lovely long tails, and they like to wag them both to communicate with each other and with us. It is a commonly held misconception, though, that a dog wagging its tail is a happy dog. While some wags are indeed associated with happiness, others can mean fear, insecurity, a social challenge or even a warning that you need to be careful with your approach. Even more specifically it is suggested by some researchers that a wag to the right indicates that the dog is happy; and a wag to left is an indication of fear or anxiety.
Dog behaviour is an intriguing and complex subject, and spending time and energy training your puppy or your dog will reap rewards. The ManxSPCA runs puppy and dog training on Saturday evenings, with hour long sessions costing just £5. Please call the society on 851672 for more details.
A dog’s tail is an important part of their anatomy, and there is some confusion over the law relating to tail docking in dogs.
It has been illegal in the UK since 2007 except for some working breeds and for medical reasons, but this law does not apply on the island, although there is much debate about the ethics and rational behind docking. We recommend that you speak to your veterinary surgeon if you are considering buying a puppy or a dog that has a docked tail to ensure that the procedure was carried out appropriately and that the paperwork is correct.