Manx is a breed of cat with a naturally occurring mutation of the spine. The hind legs are longer than the front legs, creating a continuous arch from shoulders to rump giving the cat a rounded appearance. Many Manx have a small 'stub' of a tail, but Manx cats are best-known as being entirely tailless: it is their trademark. The genetic mutation which causes the Manx cat to be born without a tail is not present in every Manx kitten that is born. However, when it is present, it shortens the cats spine, which in turn could lead to serious damage to the torso and the nerves including an 'open' spine, bowel and bladder problems, and spina bifida. This is called Manx Syndrome, it is a defect and in worst case scenario, can be fatal.
| Manx |
|---|
| Country of origin |
| Isle of Man |
| Breed standards (external links) |
| CFA, TICA,ACFA, CCA, ACF |
Origin
The Manx breed originated on the Isle of Man, hence their name. They are an old breed, and tailless cats were common on the island as long ago as two or three hundred years. It is unknown exactly how the mutation originated, but one legend has it that it was the result of cats surviving a shipwreck centuries ago; these legends even state that Noah had influence on the tailless part by closing the door to the ark, thus, cutting off the tail. Other legends allege that Cats and Rabbits mated, and their offspring became the Manx cat; this is reasoned by the mere fact that Manx usually do not have tails, and longer hind legs, which gives them somewhat of a similar appearance to rabbits, especially when running. The most scientific explanation of this breed's evolution is that the lack of cats on Isle of Man became a problem, and thus, inbreeding became a very common thing—to the extent where a lack of tail became a natural trait with this breed. It is very normal for cats to be tailless or have a shorter tail than usual when exposed to inbreeding, regardless of the breed.
Tail length
The Manx (tailless) gene is dominant; kittens from Manx parents are born with varying tail lengths. There is no accurate rate to determine the amount of tailed to tailless kittens produced in each litter. However, tailed Manx bred to tailed Manx results in all tailed kittens. Manx kittens are classified according to tail length. Tail lengths range from no tail whatsoever known as 'dimple rumpy' or 'rumpy', a small stub of cartilage or several vertebrae under their fur that may be felt when the kitten is happy as 'riser' or 'rumpy riser', a kitten with more of a tail than a riser but not a full tail as 'stumpy', and finally kittens with a complete or nearly complete tail are known as 'tailed' or 'longy' Manx. Breeders have reported all tail lengths within the same litter. The ideal show Manx is the dimple rumpy. The stumpy and tailed Manx do not qualify to be shown. Depending on the amount of Manx genes their kittens may or may not be tailed. In the past kittens with stumpy or full tails have been docked at birth as a preventative measure due to some partial tails being very prone to a form of arthritis that causes the cat severe pain. However, tailed Manx cats have been being born for hundreds of years on the Isle of Man with no known documented problems. Most countries today have put a ban on altering animals for cosmetic appearances. Some United States breeders still practice docking Manx kittens tails as a rule. Although, this is on the decline as Manx breeders educate people that this breed can be born with a partial tail and full tail and keep it on with no ill effects and still be a Manx cat. Docking tails on cats is not an exclusive practice performed on Manx only; for whatever reason necessary, it can be performed on any cat breed for beneficial medical reasons not covered here in this article.
Health
Purebred Manx of today are much healthier and have less health issues related to their genetic mutation than Manx of years ago. This is due mostly in part to careful selection of breeding stock, knowledgeable, and dedicated breeders. Manx have been known to live into their mid to high teens and are no more or less healthy than tailed varieties. Like any other cat breed, keeping Manx cats indoors, neutering or spaying, and providing acceptable surfaces for a cat's normal scratching behaviour are vital to lengthen the life of any cat.
Manx Syndrome
As a remnant of the cat's inbreeding history, Manx Syndrome is most likely to occur when two completely tailless Manx are bred together. For this reason, breeders generally breed a 'stumpy' or fully-tailed Manx with a 'rumpy' or 'rumpy riser' to minimise the chances of serious defects. Health problems will show up with in the first months of life and have been known to be found only in 'rumpy' and 'rumpy risers'. On average, breeders usually don't place their Manx for sale before the age of 3½ to four months old. It is good for a prospective cat owner to wait with getting a Manx until they are at least this age, because that is the time it takes to spot the syndrome. Manx syndrome was very common in the early history of this breed, fortunately for the breed, in later years, it is less prevalent than it used to be, but it is not eradicated.
Personality
The Manx breed is a highly intelligent cat breed, it is playful, and in its behaviour, very reminiscent of Dogs. It is considered a social feline, and the breed loves human. It is also very prone to like water, many times even playing with it, and unlike many other cats, this breed is very easy to give a shower for hygiene purposes. Although not as much as dogs, it can also learn some easy commands like No. Other cat breeds that share the same aspects of the same personality are Bengal and Ocicat. If there are two Manx cats in a household, the owner might notice that the two (or more) Manx cats will chase each other heavily. This is a very common thing for Manx cats to do, being as they like to chase each other. This in turn could get strenuous for the owner, because the cats might go "berserk" in the house. However, Manx cats usually are very quiet cats, so this is normally their only vice.
One very disliked habit by Manx owners is that the completely tailless variants may sometimes have problems with their bathroom hygiene, as a direct result of the lack of tail; many cats use their tail as a way of releasing their faeces, but since rumpy variants do not have a tail, parts of the poop may cling on to their fur (or the anus area), resulting in the Manx using whatever it can as "toilet paper" in order to get it off; like carpets, the litter box, furniture, et cetera. One must understand though, that this is not something the cat does out of spite, it's just unavoidable for the breed if they have this problem.
Other characteristics
Other characteristics of the breed includes hind legs much longer than the forelegs, causing the rump to be higher than the shoulder creating a continuous arch from shoulders to rump, giving the cat an overall rounded appearance. In some Manx their gait looks more like a hop than a stride when running, other Manx resemble a rabbit in the same situation.
Coat
There are two types of coat lengths. The short hair Manx has a double coat with a thick, short under layer and a longer, course outer layer with guard hairs. Other registries consider the Cymric a variety of Manx, and are shown as 'long-haired Manx'. All Manx have a very thick fluffy double-layered coat, regardless of its length. The Long-haired Manxes are registered with some show registries as Cymrics, and shown separately. It has a silky textured double coat of medium length, with breeches, belly and neck ruff. CFA however, considers the Cymric a variety of Manx. It is shown as a long haired Manx, in the short hair division.
External links