Cymric
A longhaired Manx, which means tailless or nearly so, from the Isle of Man. The hind legs run longer than the front, so it moves with a rabbit's hop.
Photo by Robertlucien, CC BY 3.0
Overview
The Cymric is a longhaired Manx and it carries the same tailless gene, which is the most important fact about it. Some registries treat it as a separate breed and others as the longhaired division of the Manx.
Taillessness in these cats is linked to variants in TBX1, and the same developmental change that shortens the tail can affect the lower spine. That is not a rumour about the breed, it is why the breed needs a careful breeder.
Temperament
Placid, sturdy and dog like. Cymrics are affectionate, they follow people around, and many will retrieve a thrown toy.
They have powerful hind legs and a distinctive hopping gait, and they are strong jumpers. They are good with children and with dogs, and they are generally quiet.
Care and grooming
A double coat under a semi long topcoat, so a comb through two or three times a week and daily through the moult.
The health question is spinal. Manx syndrome covers the range of problems that can follow incomplete tail development, including poor nerve supply to the hind legs, bladder and lower gut, which shows as lameness, incontinence and constipation. Severely affected kittens do not survive.
Living and exercise
An ordinary household suits them well, and they are adaptable and calm.
Buy from a breeder who will talk plainly about spinal problems in their lines, who does not breed two tailless cats together, and who holds kittens long enough for problems to show. Eight to fourteen years is the honest range.
Something here wrong or out of date?