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Breed Characteristics
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Cymric
| Origin And History | Presumed by researchers to have been introduced to the Isle of Man by human settlers and explorers, the Manx has existed there for many centuries. The Isle, located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, has no indigenous domestic cat species, and several theories exist about the introduction of domestic cats. Speculated sources include arrival with the Spanish Armada, Phoenician traders, or Viking settlers who colonized the Isle of Man. Many fanciers believe the British Shorthair was later added to the Manx mix. Given the proximity of the regions and the similarity in body styles, that's not an unreasonable theory. Records have been found that describe the cat as a mutation among the island?s domestic cats, rather than a cat that arrived with his tail already absent. In this case, the lack of tail is governed by a dominant gene, unlike most other breeds with short tails. This indicates that the Manx and the Cymric (KIM-ric) are not related to breeds such as the Japanese Bobtail whose tails are governed by recessive genes. Wherever they came from and whatever their genetic makeup, fanciers took note of the Manx and it soon became a popular breed in the earliest days of the cat fancy. Manx cats are noted in early American cat registry records as well. Although a relative newcomer to the cat fancy, the Cymric apparently has been around as long as the Manx itself. Fanciers insist that the Cymric is not a human-made hybrid as has been suggested (Manx to Persian outcrossing apparently occurred in the 1930s and 1940s), but rather a variation of the Manx breed with a history as long and rich as that of the Manx. Since the Isle of Man possessed both shorthaired and longhaired cats, it's presumed that the longhair gene passed around by inbreeding on the Isle itself, just as was the Manx gene. Unlike the Manx gene, however, long hair is a recessive trait, and the gene could be carried unnoticed through generations of Manx. While the Cymric was shown in ACA as early as 1963, the breed didn't really begin to take hold until the mid 1970s. First shown under the name Longhaired Manx, the name was changed to Cymric during this period. The word is the Welsh name for Wales and was chosen by pioneer Cymric breeders Blair Wright and Leslie Falteisek. In 1976 CCA was the first to accept the Cymric for Championship status; he now has full Championship standing in most associations. CFF is the only association that does not accept the Cymric; however, the reason they have not done so is that no group of fanciers has campaigned for acceptance. In May 1994 the CFA changed the name from Cymric to Longhaired Manx because the CFA breeders thought the Cymric should be considered part of the Manx breed. Longhaired kittens born to Manx parents (possible when both parents carry the gene for long hair) can be registered as Cymrics in all associations except CFF. This eliminates status problems with the 'split litters' in which both hair lengths are present. The Cymric and the Manx are two of the most challenging to breed because of the Manx gene. Cymric embryos that are homozygous (inheriting the Manx gene from both parents) die in the womb. Homozygous kittens comprise roughly one fourth of the kittens conceived; therefore, Cymric litters are usually small. Even heterozygous kittens can have deformities such as spina bifida, fusions of the spine, and defects of the colon. Careful breeding helps minimize the defects. |
| Personality | Cymrics are intelligent, fun-loving cats, and they get along well with other pets, including dogs. Cymrics are very loyal to their humans and enjoy spending quality time with them. As cats go, they can be easily taught tricks. Despite their playful temperament, they are gentle and nonaggressive. However, Cymrics are usually not overly demanding of attention. Cymrics are very playful and are exceptional jumpers. Like Manx, Cymrics are fascinated by water. |
Physical Attributes
| Appearance | The Cymric is a muscular, compact, medium to large cat with a sturdy bone structure, weighing between seven and thirteen pounds. They have a cobby body, and an unusually rounded appearance. Cymrics have large and full eyes and have widely spaced ears. Unlike that of the parent Manx breed, the hair of a Cymric is medium-long, dense and well padded over the main body, adding further to the round appearance. All colors and patterns that are accepted for the Manx are accepted for the Cymric (though exactly which qualify varies by organization). In the breed of Cymrics, four different tail types are produced. The "rumpy" is the most valued for cat show purposes, and is the only show cat type in some organizations. This is a cat born entirely tailless. Instead, rumpies often have a dimple at the base of the spine where the tail would be. Next, there are "rumpy-risers". These cats have a short knob of tail that is made up of one to three vertebrae connected to the spine. "Stumpies" have a short tail stump, up to about 1/3 of a normal tail length. Finally, "longies" or "fully tailed" have tails as long or almost as long as an ordinary cat’s. It is impossible to predict what tail types will appear in any given litter. Isle of Man Longhair (tailed variant) The Isle of Man Longhair is essentially a fully tailed Cymric cat, i.e. a cat of Cymric (and thus Manx) stock, with Cymric features, but without expression of the Manx taillessness gene. It is presently only recognized as a separate breed by the New Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF) with a breed standard. Coat colours are limited to those acceptable in the British Shorthair, and requires the doubled and thick, long coat of the Cymric. In other international registries, such cats are designated "Tailed Cymric" or "Tailed Manx Longhair", only recognized as breeding stock (they are important as such, since breeding two tailless Manx or Cymrics together results in birth defects), and cannot be show cats. |
| Health | The gene that gives the Cymric and Manx their unusual tails can also be lethal. Kittens who inherit two copies of the tailless gene die before birth and are reabsorbed in the womb. Since these kittens make up about 25 percent of all kittens, litters are usually small. Even cats who inherit only one copy of the gene can have what is called Manx syndrome. This can cause spina bifida, gaps in the vertebrae, fused vertebrae, and bowel or bladder dysfunctions. Also, a rabbit-like hop can sometimes be seen in Cymric cats due to the spinal deformity. Not every Cymric with a short spine has problems or Manx syndrome. It is simply an attribute of the Manx gene, and its expression cannot be entirely prevented. As the problems usually become apparent within the first six months of age, Cymric and Manx kittens are usually kept by breeders until older before being made available. |
