ringtail

[iraffer]

hi my 4month old british short hair has a ring tail i don’t know much about it i would be happy to hear any information about this.

 

[di and bob]

I'm sure it is a genetic mutation, there is a breed that has this gene, the American Ringtail, but it is a fairly new breed and not consistently reliable in passing on the mutation. It can happen spontaneously in some breeds but is very rare. You have a very special cat!

 

[iraffer]

Thanks

 

[Meowmee]

What a cutie Here is more on the ring tail, I had not heard of it before. You might want to ask a breeder or cat association and get your kitty screened if they think you should because such mutations can sometimes cause some health issues which is what happened with scottish folds.

The mutation that caused the folded ears caused severe skeletal defects when two folded cats were bred together and even though it was thought it was ok to breed them with non fold kitties, radiological studies have shown that those cats who have been a result of breeding with fold kitties could have the same defects and or pass them on, even if they appeared straight eared and didn't seem to be affected since the trait is not totally dominant- a non fold cat could still carry the trait and pass it on. Some cats who had no obvious symptoms had skeletal deformities and some did not show symptoms for several years.

It says in this link the reason the tail is curled is because it grows longer and the bones dont fuse together so I have to wonder if it will not cause health issues at some point.

American Ringtail Cat Breed Info: Traits, Personality & Pictures - Excited Cats

 

[Flybynight]

I iraffer
I have a long haired kitty with a curled tail. He is a domestic long hair and I thought just a genetic quirk. I read about it here:
BOBTAILED AND CURLY-TAILED CATS
My cat has the aerial type ringtail.