# what does a short tail mean?



## catnapped

Some friends who saw my cat pictures over Christmas commented that she has an unusually short tail and must be part manx. Is this likely? Here she is displaying her fluffy expressive little tail...


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## catloverami

Your beautifully marked calico girl is not _necessarily_ a Manx. It could be just a tail accident. I have a Devon Rex whose momcat chewed off part of his tail during birthing...she got it mixed up with an umbilical cord, and he has a long stub like your calico. Some Manx with long stub may have uneven or knobby feeling vertebrae. If there's no uneven bumps in the tail, it's likely caused by an accident. 
However, there is also a breed with a longish stub called an _American Bobtail_.

Breed: American Bobtail


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## catnapped

Thanks  Her tail is perfectly smooth, no stubby bits, so maybe something similar to your cat's accident occurred. She was rescued from street life at around 7-8 months old, so who knows what might have befallen her. Do you think it affects your cat's balance? Sometimes she stumbles while leaping (which might just be overenthusiasm) and can't jump very high off the ground...


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## catloverami

In years past I've had Manx and never found that not having a tail prevented them from jumping or had poor balance. To compensate their backs tend to be shorter than the average cat. Wild cats like Lynx and Bobcats have a stubby tail and they don't seem to have any problems with jumping or balancing.


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## zeebee022

I have cats with "normal" tails and they've had their share of falls. I looked into it a little and I read somewhere that cats don't have very good depth perception.


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## catnapped

zeebee022 said:


> I have cats with "normal" tails and they've had their share of falls. I looked into it a little and I read somewhere that cats don't have very good depth perception.


I heard that too. That's why she's not allowed on the balcony! That and the fluctuating concentration levels - she rolled off the top of a five foot bookshelf while stretching the other day. More scary for me than her, I think!


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