Abby is a total "rumpie". She has absolutely NO tail. Just an indentation where a tail should be.There is a breed of cat, the Manx, that does not have a tail. Manx cats have been around for nearly 500 years. The breed comes from the Isle of Man, a small island just off the west coast of England. There are many legends to explain how the Manx lost her tail. One story says that when Irish soldiers invaded the island they cut off the tails of the cats for trophies. Other stories tell of a cross between a cat and a rabbit, a match not possible. In reality, the Manx has no tail because of a genetic mutation. Not all Manx cats are tailless. They can have a short stump of a tail or even a long, full tail. Cats with no tail are called "rumpies." Those with a short tail or half a tail are called "stumpies," and those with a complete tail are known as "longies." The gene that gives the Manx cat no tail also gives her a shorter spine and longer hind legs than other cats. This causes Manx cats to walk with a little hop. With her long back legs, hopping gait and no tail, it's easy to see how some people think the Manx is part rabbit.
