Cymric Breed History

The Cymric, sometimes referred to as the longhaired Manx, is an adorable tailless cat breed that dates back to 1750. In fact, the breed is actually the result of a genetic mutation that occurs naturally and was intensified by the cats’ remote location off Britain’s coast, on the Isle of Man.

It is not clear whether the first tailless cat was born on the Isle of Man or if the cat arrived by ship, but somehow the genes that resulted in the lack of a tail spread throughout the feline population of the island, and the location eventually became known for these unique felines.

The Cymric breed is known for its intelligence and fun-loving personality.

Breed Traits

The Cymric breed is known for its intelligence and fun-loving personality. These cats will get along well with other pets, including canines, and they are loyal and talkative with their human family. They can even be taught how to do tricks, and are known for playing fetch just like a dog.

These cats generally make wonderful family pets, as they are not aggressive and they are quite gentle, making them perfect cats to have around children.

Despite lacking a tail, this breed is fast, fun, playful, and well balanced. These kitties are great jumpers, too, and they do well in households that give them plenty of attention and playtime.

Overall Description

The Cymric is known for its rounded appearance, from its round eyes and rounded rear, to its round head. It also features short front legs and longer hind legs, along with particularly muscular thighs. It’s these long rear legs that make these kitties look a little bit like rabbits.

Even though the Cymric, like the Manx, is referred as tailless, some cats within this breed aren’t totally without a tail. The cats that don’t have a tail at all are referred to as rumpies, while other Cymrics, known as rumpy-risers, can have as many as three vertebrae that are fused at the end of their spine. Still others have up to five vertebrae that they can actually move around, so they are referred to as stumpies. And some, called longies, have a tail that is even longer than the five vertebrae stump, but still shorter than the average cat’s tail.

Colors

Cymric cats come in a variety of patterns and colors. Typical colors include brown, tortoiseshell, blue cream, silver, cream, red, black, blue, and white. Patterns include shaded, smoke, ticking, tabby, calico, bicolor, tortoiseshell, and solid.

The eye color can be yellow, orange, hazel, gold, green, copper, or amber.

Grooming Requirements

The Cymric has a longer, double coat that is considered medium length and requires higher grooming needs than other breeds. Therefore, a good brushing routine is necessary to keep the coat smooth and healthy, as well as to remove the undercoat that can build up over time. Give extra brushing during shedding seasons.

Photo credit: Itachi Silverwolf/Flickr; chipve/Flickr; Gatoteria/Flickr