Cats with broken tails seem to be a pretty common thing here in Thailand. Though, I've never seen it anywhere else. Everytime I've ever asked, I've gotten embarrassed looks and been told that they're born that way or even better, that they do it themselves.

The fact that it's considered good luck if your cat has a broken tail (so I'm told) tells me that someone's out there breaking cats tails and then not fessin' up to it.

Now...this seems like bull **** to me. I've had cats all my life and certainly seen thousands and thousands of them. Cats don't break their own tails, especially not in the numbers that you see in Thailand.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I can accept that Thais do it for some reason unknown to me. I've just never been able to get a straight, acceptable answer....

Actually the 'broken tails' are a genetic defect in the gene pool of Thai cats. Thai people have bred cats specially to include the kinked tail in the gene pool.

I looked up the reason for this and it seems that Buddhism places Buddha as the 'perfect one' and all other creation is imperfect in its own way. The kinked tails are an 'imperfection' for the cats to show that they are not as perfect as Buddha is.

P.S- I too was distressed at first when I saw beautiful cats with twisted tails but rest assured its not cruelty. The defective gene causes them to be born that way.

I am trying to get the picture in here, but many attempts have failed me....

Thanks for the reply, I guess that makes sense....

P.P.S- Next time you're around a cat with a really badly kinked tail, try feeling the bones under it. You'll be able to feel healed fractures if the tail has beeen broken (since tails aren't very meaty and covered only with a thin layer of skin).

I'd be careful before dismissing people's religious beliefs as 'nonsense' Igor. My source is credible enough - there may be other reasons or this may be completely untrue. But if it is true, I do believe you have just dismissed Budhist beliefs as 'nonsense'

it's a true known fact that cats with broken tails are a result of inter-breeding, simalar to the welsh

I don't recall saying that I made up the theory. I did however, take it upon me to research the reason. Therefore, again I say, if its true and that is indeed Thai Buddhist belief, you have called their beliefs 'nonsense'