Cymric Cats

cute ginger Cymric kitten against a white background

a stamp from azerbaijan with a cymric printed on it

A stamp from cambodia with a cymric printed on it

History

The Cymric cat is a longhaired version of the Manx cat. These cats originate from the Isle of Man and are famed for having a stub for a tail. It is believed that the short tail was caused by a random mutation that occurred within the domestic cat population on the Isle of Man. Because the Isle of Man is fairly small and isolated the tailless trait became common amongst the cat population. The longhaired variation (the Cymric) of the Manx cat occurred because of another random genetic mutation which caused the Manx cat to have a long coat.

To begin with breeders considered these longhaired cats to be errors in the Manx cat bloodline and they weren’t considered a breed in their own right. It wasn’t until the 1960s when similar kittens were born in Canada that this breed started to be recognised. The kittens born in Canada were intentionally bred and the breed started to gain popularity. By 1975 Cymric cats were a popular breed.

Behaviour

The Cymric cats are alert and playful. This breed has great hunting skills as the domestic cats from which they descend on the Isle of Man were originally used for killing rodents. Despite their playful nature Cymrics are loving and attentive, and will love to curl up next to you on the sofa. They are very gentle and are great pets for kids as they aren’t aggressive. These cats are also very intelligent and have been known to dabble in a game of fetch. This breed will be responsive to clicker training and can be taught to open doors. This cat will talk to you with a gentle trilling noise, letting you know exactly what she wants.