'Ringtail' cat

[RoadKillBunny]

My 7 month old Ginger tam cat carries his tail in a way I have never seen before, he carries it flat along his back with the last third curled round.
He can carry it in other normal ways but his happy relaxed, going about his business possession is the curled one.
He is a lovely boy, very affectionate especially with me, he things I am Mum! When he was smaller he would 'suckle' the nape of my neck, now he is too big for that and settles for nuzzling, licking and dribbling with pleasure around my neck a few times a day!
He loves being out and about, 'kills' moss and sticks and brings then home to the door step 'not cat flap or he would have them in I think!) and my neighbour has seen him with a mouse.
He won't let anybody but me get near him when he is out but is very sociable with neighbours cats.
Anyway, I had a look around online due to his unusual tail carriage and discovered that it is likely to be a genetic trait that is fairly rare so I was wondering if that was true (the rareness) so wanted to see if anybody else have one of these 'ringtail' cats as they seem to be referred to as.

Just snapped a couple of pictures of him and his tail!

How bizarre. I've never heard of such a thing. And google is only bringing up raccoon type things ...

The only things I can find are 'American ringtail cats' and even then not much and it's all very old!
He had the most ridiculous tail as a very tiny kitten, the first time I saw him my first thought was 'he is a rat' (have included that picture) the unusual tail carriage developed at around 4-5 months as he matured and his balls became more prominent, we joked he was showing off his fine pair!
He has been castrated a good few weeks now and is well over the op but his tail carriage didn't change, that's when I realised I'd never seen it before and checked it out!

Did he come from Essex?

\link{http://messybeast.com/bobtail-cats.html\ringtails etc}

I have had two cats that carry their tails like this. How rare does that make me?!

One ginger and white semi-longhair, we still have him.
Previously, a British cream short hair cross.

Both have been absolutely fabulous, friendly and affectionate people oriented cats who really use/d their tails to express their personalities. Both were rescues so I have no idea of their origins.

Awwh I think his tail looks cute like that, kind of like a husky or akita/inu dog. My girl cat does have her tail over her back a lot when relaxed and walking around, but not as far as your boys, sort of inbetween his tail and a normal upright one

Ohh found some more, great!
Thanks for the link cozie, really interesting!
He came from the Cambridge area, his Mother doesn't carry her tail this way, Daddy was a local Tom, not known if stray or not. It is easy enough to see how it could get from Essex to Cambs though, especially given that he now lives in Oxon, cats travel with and without human help!
Been speaking to my Mum who has two of his litter mates (up in the north west, so again easy to see how things can travel although like mine they are castrated), both hers have post vertical tail carriage but not as pronounced and without the kink at the end, she had been wondering about it to. We have always had cats but never seen this before.

Your cats sound lovely punts not dissimilar to my boy, especially your currant one, mine is short haired but not sleek and his tail is really fluffy, his Mum is half Persian so don't know if that's a factor.
I wonder how rare it really is, what counts as rare anyway... Thinking myself in knots lol!

My one year old boy carries his tail like that too. His litter brother doesn't. When he's really happy it goes flat down his back.

my half siamese carries his tail across his back and i was told its a genetic fault he is also a tabby overlay on cream background (think its called lynx marking in siamese)

Sorry I know this is an old feed but my one year old cat is the exact same and I’m struggling to find out much about the breed. Did you manage to find out any more info?

No idea about the tail. But he's gorgeous!

My cat's tail isn't so curly, but he doesn't seem to have much control over it, it's never upright - it either flaps around or if he's run it's over his back. The vet doesn't seem to concerned and he gets around fine. His brother has a kink in his!