Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to breed two Manx cats together? Well, the answer is yes you can, but the real question is, should you?
There are a few things that you need to know before breeding Manx cats.
You must be careful when selecting a mate for your kitty. If they have any abnormalities in their spine or hind legs then this could cause problems with the pregnancy and stillbirths.
Also make sure that both parents are healthy because some genes can be passed down through generations which could lead to health issues like lordosis (a condition where the backbone curves).
Manx cat Breeding – Is it a good idea?
There are two genes in the DNA of Manx cats, which control the full tail and tailless characteristics. The first gene is dominant, which means if you breed two Manx cats, more chances are that they will produce tailless offspring. However, the offspring will also receive the full tail gene, but it will be in recessive.
For instance, mating two cats (Mm x Mm) will result in (MM), (Mm), (mM), and (mm). If the cat gives birth to four kittens, one of them will have a full tail and the other three will be born without tails because of the dominant Manx gene. Not only will this affect the genetics of the offspring, but they will also suffer from a wide range of spinal defects.
Research shows that kittens inheriting the tailless genes from their parents have higher chances to die. That’s the reason the Manx tail gene is considered harmful for this breed. It is because the homozygous gene may undergo mutation, and will lead to miscarriage.
So, Manx Cats should carry only one gene for the tail characteristic. Therefore, some experts say that it is essential to avoid breeding two Manx cats together because having two copies of the gene (homozygous) can cause miscarriage. Also, even if the cat gives birth to the kittens, they may suffer from spinal problems.
Why breeding two Manx Cats can result in Manx Syndrome?
When you breed two Manx cats together, there is a higher chance that the kittens will suffer from Manx Syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by tailless characteristics and shortening of the spine.
Thus, it means the newly born kittens will suffer from spina bifida or fused vertebrae in the spine. Even if the newborn kittens do not show the symptoms or signs of the syndrome at birth, the signs may appear in the first few months of the cat’s life.
A recent research study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) highlighted that kittens will show up the symptoms of Manx Syndrome in the first four weeks or the first two months after their birth.
Besides, they will have difficulty in walking, bladder dysfunction, and other chronic digestive problems. Again, it is not a good idea to breed two Manx Cats together because both parents (with a tailless gene or Manx Syndrome) will produce offspring with predominant genes that can risk their lives.
Currently, you won’t find any specialized breeding program that works to reduce the undesirable effects of the mutant Manx gene. The reason is that this gene is linked to the tailless trait, which is a phenotypical characteristic. So, breeding two Manx cats will predominately result in Manx syndrome.
Final words
Whenever you carry out any sort of breeding, make sure you have done your research and have a plan for the offspring. Also make sure that you have a vet available should there be any complications.
If everything goes well then congratulations! You now have a rare litter of these adorable bobbed tail (or lack thereof) kittens!
And if not…well at least your cat is still healthy enough for another try in about six months time 🙂