The best known breeds of tailless cats are the Manx and Bobtails, however, they are not the only ones. Now, why are there cats without tails? Tailless cat breeds are due to mutated genes responsible for causing a shortening or disappearance of the tail. Most of these genes present a dominant inheritance, which means that, of the two alleles that the gene carries, only one of the two is dominant for this tail characteristic, the kitten will be born without it. Depending on the breed, this characteristic will be more or less evident, in some it is even related to serious he alth problems and even the death of the cat.
There are cats that we can see on the street that have a short tail and even bent, it does not mean that it is one of the breeds that we will discuss, the mutations that cause a short tail can occur spontaneously in common cats or by crossing a breed cat without a tail with one that has a long tail. Tailless or not, cats are wonderful creatures, and in this article on our site we'll cover the tailless cat breeds that exist around the world.
Manx
Manx cats have one of the two alleles of the mutated gene M in a dominant way (Mm), since if they have the two dominant alleles (MM), die before birth and present important lesions at the level of the nervous system. Due to this, it must be avoided at all costs that a Manx cat can have an MM kitten, so that they must be crossed with other breeds without a tail or with a tail that are recessive to the M gene (mm) and their offspring cannot be of no way mmm. However, it is always advisable to sterilize it.
Manx cats sometimes have some tail, but more often than not they don't. This mutation comes from the UK Isle of Man, hence the name of the breed. Among its physical characteristics are:
- Large, wide, round head.
- Developed cheeks.
- Wide, round eyes.
- Small ears.
- Strong but short neck.
- Hind legs longer than front legs.
- Round and curved torso.
- Muscled body.
- Short back.
- Double-layer soft hair.
- The layers can be diverse, with bicolor and even tricolor being very frequent.
They are calm, sociable, intelligent and affectionate cats and are considered very good hunters. With regard to he alth, they are usually he althy and long-lived cats. However, during the growth of the kitten, the development of its spinal column must be carefully monitored to ensure that it does not suffer from malformations or diseases due to the absence of a tail.
Within the Manx breed, there is a long-haired variety, known as the Cymric, which, although it has long, lush hair, does not tend to form knots.
Japanese Bobtail
This breed of cat without a tail reached the Asian continent 1,000 years ago. Your tail mutation is recessive, so if you have both alleles for the gene your tail will be shorter than if you only have one. Unlike Manx cats, the presence of the two alleles for the gene mutation does not lead to any he alth problem, much less the death of the feline.
The Japanese bobtail is characterized by:
- Short tail twisted into a pompom at the end.
- Triangular face.
- Ears set apart and somewhat rounded at the tip.
- High cheekbones.
- Long nose with a small slit.
- Well-developed snout.
- Large oval eyes.
- Long and muscular body that allows them to make good jumps.
- Long legs, the rear ones slightly longer than the front ones.
- The males are usually bicolor and the females tricolor.
- Single layer soft hair, which can be long or short.
They are curious, outgoing, intelligent, playful, active and social cats. They are not noisy but they are characterized by their need for communication and expression, especially with people, to whom they usually meow in different tones to communicate.
He alth-wise, they are strong, but their diet should be consistent with their activity level, which is often higher than other breeds.
American Bobtail
This breed appeared spontaneously in Arizona in the late 1960s due to a dominant genetic mutation It is not in any way genetically related to the Japanese bobtail breed, although they physically resemble each other, nor is it the result of mixing with another short-tailed breed.
It is characterized by presenting:
- Short tail, one-third to one-half standard length.
- Hefty body.
- Pointed ears.
- Concave profile.
- Wide snout.
- Strong jaw.
- Hind legs somewhat longer than the front ones.
- Short and long hair and abundant.
- It can be of different color layers.
In general, it is a he althy and strong breed. These cats are playful, energetic, highly intelligent and affectionate. but not very independent and very adaptable to new homes and even tend to tolerate travel well.
Kurilian Bobtail
It is a breed of cat with a very short tail from the Sakhalin and Kuril Islands, between Russia and Japan, which began its popularity in the late 1980s. It is thought to have been caused by a crossbreeding of Japanese tailless cats with Siberian cats.
Kurilian bobtail cats are characterized by:
- Short tail (2-10 vertebrae), fluffy and rolled up like a pompom.
- Large wedge-shaped, rounded head.
- Oval to rounded walnut eyes.
- Medium triangular-shaped ears, wide at the base.
- Curved profile.
- Broad, medium-sized snout.
- Strong chin.
- Robust body, medium to large, since males can weigh up to 7 kg.
- The area near the hip (rump) is usually slightly inclined upwards.
- Thick skin due to the low temperatures in its area of origin.
- Strong legs, hind legs longer than hind legs.
- Soft and dense hair, short or medium length.
Kurilian Bobtails are cheerful, intelligent, patient, docile, tolerant cats and very good hunters, especially of fish, which is why they tolerate water better than other cat breeds.
This is a breed accustomed to extreme climates, very strong, which in general is very he althy, so visits to the vet will possibly be routine and for vaccination and deworming.
Bobtail mekong
This is a breed developed primarily in Russia with cats brought there from various countries in Southeast Asia; It is widely distributed in the latter area. was created from the Siamese cat breed, being able to consider its short-tailed variety.
The physical characteristics of these tailless cats are as follows:
- With an athletic body, rectangular and elegant.
- Slim and medium-length legs.
- Back nails always exposed.
- Short tail in the form of a brush or pompom.
- Somewhat flat head with rounded edges.
- Strong jaw.
- Slender, oval snout.
- Large ears, wide at the base and rounded at the tip.
- Large oval blue eyes, with an expressive look.
- Short, silky and shiny hair.
They have the same "color point" pattern as the Siamese, beige but darker on the extremities, tail, nose and ears, where the temperature is lower. They are silent animals, with a much more subtle meow. They have a good character, they are affectionate, playful and very intelligent. They are a breed of cat with a facility for learning commands and are constantly alert to any possible prey to play or hunt with.
It is a generally he althy breed, with no genetic problems. Sometimes they require veterinary check-ups due to the strabismus that some dogs may manifest, but it is not hereditary.
Pixie bob
Pixie Bob cats are originating in the Cascade Mountains of Washington in the late 1960s. to a cross between bobcats, domestic cats and wild American bobcats.
The physical characteristics of this feline breed are:
- Short, thick tail (5-15 cm), although some specimens may have a longer tail.
- Medium to large breed.
- Slow development, complete by 4 years.
- Strong skeleton and muscles.
- Broad chest.
- Long head.
- Prominent forehead.
- Wide and long snout.
- Oval eyes, slightly sunken, with bushy eyebrows.
- Strong jaw.
- Ears with broad bases and rounded tips, with tufts similar to lynxes.
- More than 50% of cats have polydactyly (6-7 toes on front paws and 5-6 on hind paws).
- Layers range from reddish brown, with darker colored stippling.
With regard to their character, they are very peaceful, calm, sociable, docile, affectionate, faithful, intelligent and homely cats, as they love to live indoors. Unlike other tailless cat breeds, they are less interested in exploring the outdoors, although they can tolerate walks on a leash.
The he alth of pixie bob cats is usually good, but they can suffer from reproductive disorders in females (dystocia during childbirth or endometrial cystic hyperplasia), in males cryptorchidism (one of the two testicles does not descend into the scrotum at two months of age, but instead stays inside the cat's abdomen or groin), as well as heart problems such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Lynx cats
During the 90s, a group of tailless cats were developed that were grouped within the "lynx" group, specifically the following racial varieties exist:
American lynx
They are cats whose appearance resembles lynxes, with a short, fluffy tail, strong appearance, muscular and robust. They have a fairly large head, a wide nose, high cheekbones, a firm chin, and a well-defined beard. The legs are robust and the rear ones are somewhat longer than the front ones. The coat is medium leopard to reddish in different shades. They can get used to living in a home, but they must have the opportunity to be outdoors so they can wear off their high energy.
Desert lynx
Also called caracal or desert lynx, although they are more stylized and do not have the hairs around the face of lynxes, they are They are located in Africa, Southwest Asia and the Middle East. They are felines that can reach up to 98 cm in length, 50 cm in height and 18 kg in weight. Its tail is longer than that of the cats that we have been commenting on, but it is still short, its fur is reddish sand while its belly is white. They have black ears and spots of this color on the eyes and whiskers and on both sides of the snout and a black stripe from the eye to the nose. Its eyes are large and yellowish, its legs are long and thin, and its body is athletic.
Alpine lynx
They are white cats, medium-sized, with a short tail and long or short hair, very similar to lynxes in appearance. Its head is medium to large, well-developed square snout, large and expressive eyes of various colors, ears with tufts at the tips that can be straight or curly, the latter being larger and more dominant. Their paws have toe tufts.
Highland lynx
It was Developed in the United States by crossing the desert lynx breed with jungle curls to achieve curly ears with the latter. They are cats with short or semi-long hair and of various colors. They are of medium size, muscular and robust body and some have polydactyly. They have a long, sloping forehead, widely spaced eyes, a large, blunt snout, and a wide nose. He is a very active, intelligent, affectionate and playful cat.
