Manx

The friendly, affectionate Manx, who hails from the Isle of Man, is best known for his taillessness. He has a solid body, round head, widely spaced ears, large, round eyes and a thick coat that comes in many colors and patterns, including tabby, tortoiseshell and calico. The Cymric (pronounced kim-rick) is the longhaired variety of the Manx. Other than coat length, the two breeds are identical.

esides his lack of a tail, the Manx, who takes his name from the Isle of Man where he was first found, is noted for his rounded appearance: He has a round head, round eyes, even a rounded rear end. Don’t think that the Manx is completely tailless, either; some are—they are called rumpys—but others have up to three vertebrae fused at the end of the spine (rumpy risers); some have a stump of up to five vertebrae that they can whisk around; and some, known as longys, have a tail that’s longer than the stump but shorter than the typical cat tail. The Manx, which also comes in a longhaired version called the Cymric, weights 7 to 13 pounds, has a thick double coat in many colors and patterns, and lives for 13 or more years.

The Manx is gentle and playful. It’s not unusual to find that he enjoys playing fetch or carrying his toys around. He’s also smart and dexterous, capable of using his paws to get into cabinets or to open doors. Fond of human company, he will carry on a conversation in a sweet trilling voice. Some Manx give all their love to a single person while others are affectionate toward the entire family, including children.

He might lack a tail, but the Manx has a powerful rear end and is an excellent jumper, even without a natural counterweight to aid his balance. When you see him accelerate through the house and ma



ke sharp turns and quick stops, you’ll think he’s a mini sports car in the shape of a cat.

The Manx is well suited to any home with people who will love him and give his gorgeous coat a weekly combing. Keep him indoors to protect him from cars, diseases spread by other cats and attacks from other animals.

Other Quick Facts

 * The Manx is notable for his round contours, from his round head to his rounded rear end. The ears are wide at the base and taper to a rounded tip. Large round eyes are set at a slight angle toward the nose with the outer corners a bit higher than the inner corners.
 * The Manx coat comes in many colors and patterns with the exceptions of chocolate, lavender, ticked tabby, pointed, or any of these colors or patterns with white.