Completely rumpy (tailless) stray? Manx or no Manx?

[ontarah]

So I have recently gotten a completely tailless stray kitten.  She does not even have a stump but a divet where her tail should be.   I have been reading a lot about tailless and bobtailed cats just out of curiosity.  I have seen literally dozens of completely tailless cats randomly occurring as strays or alley cats throughout my life. (Another completely rumpy cat showed up outside the library where I work only about 3 months after I adopted this one!)  Yet I can find almost no information about naturally occurring rumpy cats.  Everything I've been reading seems to suggest that completely tailless cats are almost invariably purebred Manx cats and that almost every stray "Manx" is really a bobtail.  Am I just bizarrely lucky to keep finding stray rumpies or does anybody else have much experience with this?  Does the true rumpy gene come only from the Isle of Man or does it also naturally occur in cats everywhere?  I have noticed that rumpies seem to come in pockets of cats.  My kitten came from rural NE Texas and her mother was also a rumpy and there were other rumpies in the area.  I have also noticed rumpies around Laguna Park in central Texas.  Does it just pop up in any areas prone to inbreeding?  

Before anybody gets concerned this kitten shows no signs of spina bifada.  My understanding is that cats impacted by that demonstrate symptoms early and she is now at 7 months with no symptoms.   And for anyone who is curious I have added a picture of my rumpy taken about a week after I got her.

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• ontarah
• Nov 30, 2016

 

[jennyr]

She is really cute! The tailless gene can occur naturally anywhere, which is why you find it in pockets, as you have. People confuse this with the Manx breed, which has other special characteristics as well as being tailless (or almost tailless). It is true that many tailless cats do have other problems, such as inability to urinate or defecate properly, and some females have problems giving birth, as the pelvis and spine can be deformed. But it sounds as if you are lucky, and this little one has good health. I would not let her have kittens, though, as it might be difficult for her and she would pass on the gene, which might be more serious in her offspring. Hope this helps.

 

[StefanZ]

I want tol add, she seems to be a ticked tabby.  As I dont see any pattern on her side.   Very sweet!

 

[raina21]

Tailess or short/bobtail cats show up in many cat colonies which are allowed to breed freely. It is actually a common sign of inbreeding. Cats can handle a fair amount of inbreeding before serious issues develop so I wouldn't be too worried. It is more than likely that her only issue is the missing tail she's a cutie [emoji]128516[/emoji]

 

[ontarah]

She has actually developed tiger stripes all over as she's gotten older such as she has on her legs here. They were almost invisible when I first got her and are still fainter than the markings on her legs but they are definitely there.

 

[ontarah]

She is also tiny. She is 7 months but only weighs 4.2 pounds.