Manx

Weight: 8 - 12 pounds
Life span: 15 - 18 years
CFA rank: 22

Breed History | Background:

Feline fables surround the origins of the Manx. One touts that this breed was tardy boarding Noah’s ark and lost its tail when Noah inadvertently pulled the ark’s door shut.
The most popular legend contends that this breed originated on the Isle of Man, located off the coast of England, several hundred years ago.
Despite being adorned and admired in Great Britain since the 1870s, the Manx still is not accepted by British cat show officials.
Ranked among the world’s oldest breeds, the Manx was accepted for show competition by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1906 and The International Cat Association during its inaugural year in 1979.

Cat Look:

Most prominent feature is a naturally occurring mutation of the spine that results in a lack of a tail in most instances. However, some Manx do have short tails and a few do have full-length tails.
Think round as in round head, round eyes and round torso.
Sports thick, muscular legs.
Tail types range from rumpy (no standing vertebrae) to rumpy riser (short, visible tail) (short bump), stumpy (short tail), longy (normal length tail with blunt end) to fulltail (full plume tail).
If the mother and father carry the marker for the tailless gene, then all the kittens will be born without tails.
The Manx coat comes in both shorthaired and longhaired versions. The shorthair features a double coat that is glossy while the longhaired coat feels silky.

Behavioral concerns:

Thrives around people.
Needs to participate in activities, from trying to help you type on a computer keyboard to chatting with you while you’re on the phone or even joining you in the shower.
Loves household routines and does not like being relocated to different homes.
Favors chasing items like feather wands on the floor rather than leaping up to swat at these cat toys.
Welcome the company of friendly dogs and other cats.
Relatively easygoing and even tempered.
Moderately interested in learning tricks and commands.

Grooming:

The Manx offers many different looks, available in nearly every color and coat pattern.
The more popular looks being color pointed, bicolor, solid and tabby.
Shorthaired Manx coat is thick and dense and needs minimal grooming.
Longhaired Manx coat needs to be brushed a few times a week..

Suggested Nutritional Needs:

Benefits by quality diets that produce firm stools because occasionally, fecal matter will cling to the hairs around the anus in this tailless breed.

Medical conditions seen:

Fun Facts:

Also known as a “Rumpy.”
The lack of a tail does not affect its keen sense of balance.
Shorthaired Manx tend to be active while longhaired Manx tend to be more laid back.

Glossary