Animals

The history of the Manx cat is steeped in myth and folklore. One story holds that the cat lost its tail when Noah shut the door to the Ark on it. Another has the breed descending from cats that swam to the Isle of Man from the ships of either the Spanish Armada or Viking invaders.

A sacred cat to the early Welsh, it was once believed that Manx mothers bit off the tails of their kittens to prevent them from being stolen by humans. Others believed the Manx to be a cross between a cat and a rabbit. In reality, a genetic mutation that occurred a few hundred years ago gave rise to the tailless cat, and isolated on the small UK island, the breed flourished.

The Manx has a robust and rounded appearance, with solid muscling, compact and of medium size. The Manx Coat:

• Shorthair: Double coat is short and dense due to a cottony undercoat.
• Long: Coat is medium length, gradually lengthening from the shoulders to the rump, with full breeches. (The longhaired Manx was formerly called the Cymric.)

Both short and long-haird Manx come in a variety of colors and patterns, excluding pointed.
The Manx has been around for hundreds of years, and is believed to have originated on the Isle of Man, off the coast of England. Whether the original Manx was a ship’s cat will never be known, but it is generally believed that island cats may also have been involved in the breed’s background.
With its rakish lines, robust appearance, and sweet expression, a Manx of any color or tail length can be a fine companion for a single-person household or a large family. Manx love to be around people, and vice-versa it seems, judging by their immense popularity.
Available in every pattern, colour, and fur length, Manx cats tend to be stocky, with very thick fur and rear legs that are longer than their front legs. This breed has round eyes and a broad jawline, but the most definitive feature is the lack of a long tail. Manx cats may be completely tailless or have a small, stumpy tail.

The Manx’s personality is probably the reason the breed has won such a strong following despite the physical difficulties and breeding challenges. Manx cats make great household companions. They are intelligent, active, and fun-loving cats that manage to express themselves very well without tails to swish around. Manx get along well with other pets (particularly dogs), and form strong bonds with their chosen humans. They enjoy a good game of fetch and are fascinated by water, but only on their terms, of course. Manx are exceptional jumpers because of their powerful back legs. No cupboard or shelf is safe with a Manx around.