A Manx Cat with no tail

Manx Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The feature that sets Manx cats apart from other cat breeds is their lack of tail. The breed was developed from tailless cats that originated on the Isle of Man. Manx cats have been around for several centuries but how they arrived on the Isle of Man is unclear. What is likely, is that the Manx breed resulted from inbreeding among the small population of domestic cats on the island, and their lack of tail is due to a genetic mutation.

If you're looking to welcome a Manx into your home, or just want to find out more about them, this breed guide has all the information you need.

Manx Cat Facts

Cat breed type icon
Type
Domestic
Cat breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
9 - 13 years
Cat breed size icon
Size
Medium
Cat breed weight icon
Weight
3 - 5 kg
Cat breed height icon
Height
25 - 30 cm
Cat breed temperament icon
Temperament
Placid, sweet-natured, playful
Cat breed exercise icon
Exercise
30 - 60 mins per day
Cat breed grooming icon
Grooming
Low maintenance

Is a Manx Right for Me?

Manx cats are easy to care for, have sweet and placid personalities and make great companions. They'll get along with everyone in the family as well as other cats and cat-friendly dogs. They make great pets for first-time cat owners, families and busy households.

A Manx kitten climbing

What are Manx Kittens Like?

Manx kittens mature slowly and may not reach adulthood age until the age of five. This doesn't mean that they’ll need to be fed kitten food until then though - they can move on to adult food when they’re around 12 months old. Like all kittens, make sure your Manx is well socialised so they grow up to be confident, happy adults.

Manx kittens may be born tailless or have a partial tail. The variations in tail length are known as:

  • Dimple rumpy or rumpy (no tail whatsoever)
  • Riser or rumpy riser (a bump, or rump of a tail)
  • Stumpy (small partial tail up to about 3cm)
  • Stubby (short tail)
  • Tailed or longy (half-length to normal tail length)

If two tailless Manx cats are mated, the kittens may be born with severe defects and may not survive. Breeders will not breed two rumpies together.

A Manx cat looking out the window

Life with a Manx

Manx cats love to play, jump and run about as well as curling up on their favourite person’s lap. They might even have a conversation with you, albeit in a quiet trill. They were originally bred to be mousers, so keep in mind that they have a high prey drive.

Caring for Your Manx

If you buy your kitten from a breeder, ask for the feeding schedule that they used and feed at the same time every day. If you change their diet, you can avoid any digestive upsets by changing it gradually. Your vet can also recommend the best cat food to fit the needs of your Manx, and how much to feed. Manx cats can have hearty appetites so follow the recommended amount to make sure you don’t overfeed them.

Manx cats have short, double coats. They’re seen in all colours and all patterns apart from colourpoint. Their thick and dense coats need grooming once or twice a week with a comb, brush or grooming glove.

This will remove any dead hair and keep their coats in good condition. More frequent grooming will be needed during the shedding seasons of spring and autumn.

Longhair Manx cats are known as Cymric cats.

Manx cats are intelligent, and toilet or litter training should be picked up quickly (always have least one litterbox per cat in the house and make sure these are kept really clean). They can be trained to play fetch, and some have been known to be able to open doors and cupboards.

Manx cats don’t have high exercise needs. They enjoy playing and can be kept entertained with lots of interactive toys. They’re good jumpers despite not having a tail for counterbalance and can run around at speed.

A hopping, bunny rabbit-like gait is common due to their front legs being shorter than their hind legs. This also makes their rumps higher than their shoulders. 

Manx Cat Insurance

With their characteristic tush, it makes the Manx cat a distinctive breed. Unfortunately, as cute as they may be, there are common health conditions that affect them. Which means it's wise to think about insurance for your Manx.

There are a range of cover levels to choose from with Everypaw's Cat Insurance, so you can decide on the vet fee limit that will suit you and your Manx the best. For a breed with health issues, it's also good to know that all our policies give you unlimited access to our Petcall vet helpline. Where you can discuss your Manx's health, care and well-being with a RCVS qualified vets and vet nurses.

Start a quote

Common Manx Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Manx cats are susceptible to a few breed-related health problems as the genetic mutation that causes them to be tailless can have other serious consequences. The collection of problems associated with the Manx gene is known as Manx syndrome. But, good breeding practices mean these problems aren’t seen very often. We've got together with veterinary experts Vetstream to give you an idea of what to keep an eye out for in your Manx.

Sacrocaudal Dysgenesis is an inherited abnormality. The condition is due to a malformation or defect in the sacrocaudal vertebrae in the lower part of the cat’s spine. This can lead to a form of spina bifida that results in hindlimb paresis/paralysis and incontinence.

The signs are noticeable shortly after birth. The condition may progress or remain static in some cases. There is no cure, and the outlook is often poor.

The Manx mutation that causes the lack of or shortened tail can result in spina bifida. This is an abnormal development of the spine where the vertebral arch that surrounds and protects the spinal cord doesn’t fuse together properly.

The malformation puts pressure on the nerves involved with limb movement as well as those linked to the muscles involved in bowel movement. It can cause paralysis of the legs and lower body, an abnormal bunny-hopping gait and both urinary and faecal incontinence if the nerves controlling the bladder and colon are affected.

Mild cases will need extensive veterinary care and lifelong supportive management. Those more severely affected will have a very poor quality of life and are unlikely to live very long. Unfortunately, there’s no known cure for this condition.
 

Tailless cats like the Manx can be affected by megacolon as the spinal deformities caused by M-gene can affect the nerves to the colon. Hard stools can accumulate in their large intestines causing pain, discomfort, and dehydration. Severe and chronic constipation can be life-threatening. If the condition doesn’t respond to medical management, surgery may be needed.

Stumpy cats (those with a shortened tail) can have arthritis in their remaining vertebrae. This is a slowly progressive condition that causes swelling, inflammation and stiffness in the tail. It can be very painful. Medication can help to reduce symptoms, but amputation of the tail may be necessary.

Quick Manx Q&A

Manx cats are sociable and friendly. Some might be a bit reserved with strangers, but they’ll make friends in no time.

Manx cats come from the Isle of Man, a small island between England and Ireland. The word Manx means relating or belonging to the Isle of Man.

According to one myth they were late to board Noah’s Ark and when Noah closed the Ark’s door, the tail of the last cat was cut off. Another theory is that a tailless cat swam from a ship that ran aground off the coast of the island. Or, because of their characteristic hopping gait, a cat bred with a rabbit to produce a ‘cabbit’!

Manx cats are tailless because of a genetic mutation likely caused by inbreeding among the small population of British Shorthairs on the Isle of Man. The M-gene is autosomal dominant but doesn't always show its full effect which explains why different tail lengths can be seen in the breed.

True or 'rumpy’ Manx cats just have a hollow where the tail should be. Those born with residual tails are called ‘stumpies’, ‘stubbies’ or ‘longies’, depending on how long their tails are.

No cat is completely hypoallergenic. All cats produce the glycoprotein Fel d1 in their saliva that is responsible for cat allergies. Manx cats may shed less than some other breeds, but they’ll still shed during spring and autumn.

The average lifespan of a Manx cat is around 12 to 14 years, though some may live longer with proper care and a healthy lifestyle.

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis.

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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