Cymric. Famous for being tailless, read all about this affectionate intelligent breed, typical Cymric characteristics and temperament, their origins and more...

The tailless Cymric, whose name is derived from the Gaelic word for Wales, is a longhaired version of the Manx. It is a friendly, affectionate, relaxed companion--an easy feline to share a home with.

According to some sources the Cymric is somewhat doglike in its habits; it will play "fetch," growl at an unidentified disturbance, and may follow its owner around.

History

The Cymric and its shorthaired cousin, the Manx, are among the oldest natural breeds of cats. They are native to the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland.


How did these cats lose their tails? Geneticists have determined that taillessness occurred as the result of a spontaneous mutation. The Manx was easily established due to the genetic nature of the tailless trait and centuries of inbreeding in an isolated island environment.

Both long- and shorthaired cats existed on the Isle of Man before the appearance of the mutant gene for taillessness. When the tailless Cymric appeared, the recessive longhair gene may have been part of the package.

Description

The Cymric is a solidly built, medium-size, cobby cat. The head is round, with a short nose, strong chin, large, round eyes, and medium ears that are rounded at the tips.

The legs are short and thick, with the hindlegs longer than the forelegs. The paws are round and large.


A completely tailless Cymric is called a "rumpy"; the "rumpy riser" appears to be tailless but has one to three vertebrae fused to the end of the spine; the "stumpy" has one to five normal vertabrae, which give the cat a short, moveable tail stump; the "longy" is a cat witha shorter-than-normal tail, but a tail nonetheless.

The overall body generally has an arched appearance, due to shorter than normal vertebrae.

The Cymric has a soft, semi-long outercoat that gradually lengthens from head to rump.It has a a thick undercoat and shiny, smooth top hairs. Many colours and patterns are accepted, including tabby, solid, bicolour, shaded, tortoiseshell, and calico.

The Cymric is the moderately longhaired version of the Manx. Except for the length of the fur, in all other respects, the two breeds are identical.

Cymrics are affectionate, intelligent cats, happiest when they are doing something. They have good mousing ability and enjoy time outdoors, but they are very comfortable in the home as well. They get along well with other animals, including dogs.


Because the bodily features that give the breed its distinction are essentially genetic defects, the Cymric is a controversial breed. If it were introduced for recognition today, further breeding would probably be discouraged.

Special Requirements

The Cymric's dense coat needs to be combed two or three times a week to remove loose fur.

Although the coat requires regular brushing, it is easily groomed and very rarely mars.


Some Cymric cats experience neurologic disorders and defecation problems due to spinal defects associated with the gene for taillessness.