Did you know that the name Manx applies to both a language and a breed of cats? This is no coincidence, as both Manx Gaelic and Manx cats originated on the Isle of Man. It is not known exactly when the Manx cat breed was started, but it is thought to have occurred sometime around the 17th and 18th centuries. To this day Manx cats are still very common on the Isle of Man. What is particularly noteworthy about Manx cats, is their short and stubby tail, which is the result of a naturally occurring spinal mutation. The funny thing is the cats are called stubbin in the Manx language. There are many folk beliefs centered around the cats, one such being that the cats originally were brought to the island on a Spanish Armada. Legend has it that the ship was crushed on some rocks near the beach, and the cats swam ashore, and have been the dominant cat breed on the Isle of Man ever since then. Thanks for reading through this Manx Gaelic fact.
