A Crazy Russian Manx

Pepik is a crazy Russian Manx. The wild look in his eyes and his unkempt whiskers leave little doubt about his heritage on both counts. He has a tail, but there is always a gradation of the length of tails in Manx litters, so having a tail makes them no less Manx than their tailless and nubbed brothers and sisters. What's funny about Pepik is that he's Tristan's cat. And Tristan doesn't much like manxes. It all started when she was still in the womb. We had a Manx named Kid (pronounced keed) who used to sleep on Laurie's stomach. When she was pregnant with Tristan, Kid was trying to sleep on Laurie's stomach and Tristan kicked her. Kid swatted back only to get kicked again. She hopped off Laurie's stomach in disgust and never slept on it again. Tristan and Kid never really got along with each other for the rest Kid's life (the cat lived to be 18).

Tristan didn't know Pepik was a Manx when she acquired him; but slowly his behavior manifested tell-tale signs of manxness. One of the triggers that lead to her epiphany that he's a Manx was when she had to have him speutered† because he was cryptorchid which is typical for manxes.  For all the disgust Tristan has shown about ending up with a Manx, Laurie and I think it's hilarious. Providence or fate? I wonder what Lady Philosophy would have to say about it?

†spayed and neutered at the same time.

Kid, when we first got her

Spike, Kid's tailed sister, with a typical crazed manx look