Manx Cats Grow Tails

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 834, 30 November 1929, Page 18

Manx Cats Grow Tails

Island “Industry” Threatened

a HERE is great perturb-j ation in the Isle of Man ! because Manx cats have so far forgptten the dignity and exclusiveness of their breed as to grow tails. Many of them are no mere stumps, but fine bushy tails which would stamp cats of other breeds as champions. . Tails of any kind are unwanted and unappreciated in the Isle of Man. The Manx Board of Agriculture, moved by | a happy sentiment and a keen desire j to build up the now sadly depleted ranks of the tailless army, has decided I to wage war against any sort of tail I which has a cat attached. It will be slow work. Tails are j neither grown nor got rid of in a day. j The department hopes, by giving I encouragement to Manx people to breed real Manxf’Wts, that future gen-1 erations will again see the little island | populated with fine, big, but quite i

tailless cats. It was decided to award attractive prizes at various shows to be held in the island in it r future: Sir. T. S. Atkinson, veterinary inspector to the Douglas Corporation, says; “There seems a real danger of the breed dying out altogether. It is difficult to find a real Manx cat in the Isle of Man today. The trouble is that they have intermingled with other cats and have become so badly crossed thaf it is now difficult to find a pure specimen. “With succeeding generations tails have developed. That is the whole trouble. The tails will grow and they are spoiling the breed. People do not seem to have taken much interest in- the breed for a great number of years.” “Manx cats are in big demand or holiday-makers to the island, and good specimens bring from 10s to £l. another Manxman said. “There hare been many disappointed prospective buyers lately.”