Cymric Cat Cymric
Cat Texanna
©
Helmi Flick
The Cymric cat has three things about it
that are immediately of note.
To some it is not a different
cat breed but a long haired
version of
another breed, the Manx.
This calls into question what you call a
"different cat breed" and once you go down that road it'll be some time
before you come back.
Introduction The second thing is the name of the cat. Some websites say that this breed is named after the Gaelic word for Wales (this is incorrect, no criticism meant). Wales is, in fact, a part of the United Kingdom and governed by the UK Parliament, so it does not have a separate legislation although a large number of Welsh people probably think it should have its own government.  It is also thought that
the
Cymric Cat was named after Wales
because this long
haired version of the Manx was seen there some time ago. This seems
likely as the north coast of Wales in about 50-70 miles south of the
Isle of Man, the original home of the Manx Cat (see map).However, the word "Cymric" is the native language of Wales and a form of Gaelic. Gaelic is or was spoken on the Isle of Man, in Ireland and Scotland. Cymric is used quite extensively in Wales still and the language is being kept alive. The English say that the people of Wales speak Welsh, but "Welsh" in Gaelic is Cymric. Well that's got that out of the way. Interestingly when you do a Google search for "Cymric" none of the listings (at least the early ones) refer to the language of Wales but to the cat. The third thing is, "how did this breed acquire the medium-long coat?".
History I am not going to repeat the history of the Cymric Cat as it will be the same as the Manx Cat except for the medium-long coat. However, sometime in the development or evolution of this cat, she acquired a long coat.The question is did this occur naturally or is it due to a human intervention? One theory is that the Cymric was mated with a Norwegian Forest Cat that was imported into the Isle of Man by the King of Norway. This has the air of legend or myth to me and the history of domestic cat breeds is littered with myths and legends. Another story is that the Cymric Cat breed was started in Canada in the 1960s (implying human intervention). This view is supported by the authors of Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians. Click on the link to see how the creation of this breed fits in with cat history presented as a time line. My personal view is that the long coat was acquired through deliberate selective breeding but I don't know when.
Appearance/Character/Rarity Once again I refer you to the Manx Cat for character and appearance except for the longer hair which you can see on this page.This is a rare cat breed, which on my scale of rarity ranks 8 out of 10 (10 being the rarest). As to size and weight this is perhaps slightly above average. Slide show If you click on this link it will take you to a bumper slide show with reference to a breed standard. Cymric cat -
Julep
- photo copyright ©
Helmi Flick
Registration This breed is not registered by the CFA (the No.1 cat association in the US) nor the GCCF (the UK No.1 association). It is registered by TICA, however. The TICA is more "progressive". This cat breed is also registered by the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) and it is their breed standard that I use accompanying the slide show.
Breeders Based on my own criteria for selecting a list of breeders there is only one listing (the top one below). My rule is to select the breeders listed on the first three pages of a Google search for independent (non directory) websites.I have made a short selection from the directories as well: Karello Manx Manx and Cymric cattery based in Pennsylvania United States. CFA and TICA registered cattery. Antelope Manx Cattery Located in Central Kansas USA. CFA registered cattery specializing in the Cymric. Kabelkim Manx & Cymrics This cattery has been in business for 31 years (as at 2007) according to the website. Located in Hudsonville, Michigan, USA. I have not contacted them but this business may not be running. Source:
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