“The Cat-Without-A-Tail” is a whimsical and ultimately tragic story written by Kate Carter and illustrated by the renowned artist Louis Wain.

The narrative follows these key events:

The Arrival in Pussendom

• A “Feline that had none” (a tail) arrives in Pussendom, a land where tails are considered essential for every cat.
• At the time of his arrival, the cat parliament is debating various “Bills,” such as legislation for “Softer Window-sills” and laws to exterminate “The Vulgar Canine Race”.

Confrontation and Ridicule

• The tailless cat enters the parliament, causing immediate shock and “haughty wonderment” among the representatives.
• The other cats mock his appearance, suggesting he is “short of brain” as well as tail, and boast about how they use their own tails to show “enmity” or “wave it wild and free”.
• Overwhelmed by a “sudden want” for a tail, the stranger begins to weep.

The “Manx” Label and Tragic End

• The Chancellor labels the stranger a “Manx,” though he cannot explain what the term means beyond the fact that the cat has no tail.
• Distraught by the constant discussion of his “deficiency,” the stranger sobbed “until he sobbed to death”.
• Even after his death, the other cats continue to criticize him, with the Coroner’s jury returning a verdict of “Felo de se” (suicide).

The Conclusion

• The cats bury the stranger with a gravestone that reads: “Here lies the Cat without a Tail / Dead early in the ranks”.
• The Chancellor insists on adding a postscript to the stone: “P.S. He was a Manx!“.