pixiebob tail question

What exactly is the pixie bob gene? Is it dominate or recessive to normal tail length? I have read that it is not the same as the manx gene but that you should not breed to short tailed cats together? I am correct? Or can you breed two short tailed cats together?? What causes the different tail lengths? My cat can bob his tail and move it around does that mean he has pixie bob tail and not a manx tail? Not breeding but really want to know as this confuses me a lot and not much is mentioned on thee pixie bob tail gene.

Thanks

manxlover

I havent' researched the PixieBob yet (tho in this month's ACFA bulletin there is an article about them - just haven't read it yet.

But to partially answer the question - manx tails SHOULD be movable! If not, then you will have problems in the tail and back legs with the cat becoming unable to walk cause the bones are fusing. This also applies to the Scottish Folds too regarding the tail being flexible.

I was under the impression that the PixieBob had the same gene as the Japanese Bobtail. At the 2006 CFA board meeting there was a information-only question "Do the members of the Japanese Bobtail Breed Council oppose the application for acceptance of the Pixie Bob?"
http://www.cfa.org/org/minutes/Feb06-summary.pdf

I imagined that such a question indicated that the two breeds shared the same mutation.