WELCOME TO THE CFZ BLOG NETWORK: COME AND JOIN THE FUN

Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

Search This Blog

WATCH OUR WEEKLY WEBtv SHOW

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON
Click on this logo to find out more about helping CFZtv and getting some smashing rewards...

SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER



Unlike some of our competitors we are not going to try and blackmail you into donating by saying that we won't continue if you don't. That would just be vulgar, but our lives, and those of the animals which we look after, would be a damn sight easier if we receive more donations to our fighting fund. Donate via Paypal today...




Saturday, September 11, 2010

MUIRHEAD'S MYSTERIES: Manx Cats Part One



Recently my friend Simon returned from a holiday on the Isle of Man with his girlfriend and gave me an interesting booklet (1) about the famous Manx cat, the cat with no tail. The booklet has a rather nice cover (see left). Today`s blog is a part of a summary of the contents of this booklet. Part two will conclude.

What is, and is not, a Manx Cat?

“Most people think that the Manx Cat is one without a tail, and any cat with a tail cannot be a Manx Cat. This is not true: it is possible, although unusual, for a Manx Cat to have a tail, and there are other cats without tails (apart from those which have been docked!) The essential point about a Manx Cat is that it has a genetic mutation resulting in kittens being born without a vertebrae at the end of the spine from which the tail forms….

Breeding Problems

A Manx kitten, which receives two of the dominant genes - one from each parent - is very unlikely to survive, so breeding is usually between a tailed Manxie (affectionate name for a Manx cat) and a tailless one.

It is possible to breed two tailless Manxies, because they may still carry a copy of the recessive gene, but it is also possible that they both have only the dominant gene, and this will automatically give rise to `weak` and usually fatal gene combination mentioned above….

Take Care If Buying A Manx Cat

There are many reputable cat breeders in countries all over the world who breed Manx cats, and it is better to buy from a quality breeder than from an unknown or doubtful source. Just because you are offered a cat with no tail (and obviously not docked), don`t be tempted to part with good money.

Physical Appearance of Manx Cats

Manx cats are usually categorised as one of four types - all referring to the tail:

RUMPY (or Dimple Rumpy) – no tail at all. (The Dimple version has a small indentation where the tail would be – a sort of `negative` tail.)
RISER ( or Rumpy Riser) – few vertebrae under the fur, which show as a `rise` in situations where a tailed cat would raise its tail. There are low risers and high risers denoting degrees of `rise`.
STUMPY – a short tail like a stump.
TAILED (or Longy) –normal, or nearly normal, tail.

Kittens in the same litter can have different tail types from each other. Apart from these obvious characteristics of tails, Manx cats are also identifiable from the hind legs being longer than the front legs, and the back being consequently arched. This also can produce a kind of hopping, almost rabbit-like action in motion, although Manxies can, and usually do, walk normally.

Coats.

There are two coat types: short-haired and long-haired. Both types have a thick double-layer coat. In the short-haired variety, the under layer is thick and short, and the over-layer is longer and coarse. In the long-haired variety, both layers are of medium length and have a silk-like texture, and there may be tufts around ears and between toes, and ruffs on belly, neck, and britches.

1. RF and ER Sibthorpe Manx Cats nd

YOUR LOVE ALONE (IS NOT ENOUGH) MANIC STREET PREACHERS

Your love alone- is not enough not enough not enough
When times get tough they get tough they get tough they get tough
Trade all your heroes in for ghosts in for ghosts
They`re always the ones that love you most love you most love you most
Your love alone-is not enough not enough not enough
It`s what you felt what you said what you said what you said…….

1 comment:

manxkiwi said...

There is no such thing as a Manx cat. I was born and raised in the Isle of Man, and had many cats with less than a full tail.
The mutation that causes varying degrees of tailessness, can occur anywhere in any breed of cat. When it occurred on the Isle of Man, and English visitors saw tailess cats for the first time, they referred to them as the Manx cats, and the name has stuck. A tailed cat that has accidently lost its tail will arch its back to compensate, and adopt the classical "Manx" posture. Here endeth the lesson.