Breed Description: The Manx is famous for its lack of tail. This medium-sized cat is sturdy and rounded with short front legs and long back legs. Its head is large and broad and the coat is either short, or semi-long and thick. They are striking in appearance, yet ordinary. There are four recognized categories of the Manx: The Rumpy (completely tailless), The Rumpy Riser (one, two or three vertebrae fused to the end of the spine, and giving the cat a "knob" where their tail would be), and The Longy (with almost a full-length tail).
History & Origin: The Manx is a centuries-old breed that developed naturally on the Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea between England and Northern Ireland. A spontaneous mutation probably occurred that resulted in the birth of a tailless kitten that survived and reproduced on the island. These cats are famous for being good mousers and are still kept by farmers living on the Isle.
Character & Temperament: The Manx is a bit of a devil and also a little bit of a clown. These lively cats are very intelligent and playful, and can be taught to fetch balls or walk on a lead. They are accomplished climbers and hunters and remain playful until an old age. Loving and affectionate, they get along well with other cats and dogs-and tend to develop an especially strong bond with one member of the family.
Color: All colors normally found naturally in European domesticated cats.
Coat Type: Manx have either a short-haired or a semi long-haired coat.
Grooming: In general, this breed's coat does not require a great deal of care in regards to grooming. Brush it once a week-more when shedding. Claws should be trimmed and ears cleaned only when necessary.
Health Considerations: Can carry genetic deformities such as Spina Bifida and cartilage weaknesses.
Trivia: As with all ancient breeds, it is surrounded by many fanciful stories, mostly about why it has no tail. One story suggests that the Manx has no tail because it is the result of mating between domestic cats and rabbits. Another claims a pair of Manx were the last two animals to board Noah's Ark and nearly missed the boat after insisting on one last mousing trip before the ship set sail. As they hopped aboard, Noah accidentally closed the ship's heavy door and severed their tails.
This is a solution to Manx diarrhea and their digestive problems. This is very common with the breed. Many vets do not see a Manx in their practice and when they do they are not certain how to deal with it.
One night just before lights out in January, I took this photo of 6 month old Wee Ian with my cell phone. Wee Ian is one of my 6 rescued Manx cats. I also live with his half brother Owen and litter-mate Roslyn.
Peaches and Pineapple are siblings that I rescued from an old dilapidated plant nursery that was for sale. They were only 7 weeks old at the time and have never been apart from each other.
I found Smoke and Mist abandoned at a gas station. I fed them leftovers for a week and got them in a carrier. Mist turned out to be a Manx I think with no tail only a nub. Smoke is a Manx with a long tail. It is longer than other cats. Could they be brothers?
This is Chance. We think he is about 2 or 2 1/2 years old. His previous owners (how I detest that word) said he is a Manx, but in looking around I am more apt to say he is a Japanese Short-tail.
Orange Blossom is a 4 month old Manx kitten. I have the mother, she had a small litter. He likes to run around the house, and play with his sister and mom!
They were rescued from the streets. They like to run and play with anything and everything.
Our 2 Manx cats have never had a solid feces. Do they need to have special food? Have tried special dry food but does not make a difference.
There can be many reasons for non-solid feces in cats, including: cheap food, parasites, abnormal digestive tract diseases, etc. The best thing to do is have the cats seen by a vet. They will likely want a fecal sample to look for parasites first thing. Then maybe blood work will be done, along with a complete exam. If needed, the vet might want to do an ultrasound or x-rays of the abdomen and digestive tract, to look for any abnormalities.
When I was a child, we had a Manx cat that had a few litters of kittens. There were a couple over the years that had problems like this. One poor fellow had poop stuck to his butt all the time. It sounds like it is a common problem due to the breed.
I found this article on ThriftyFun that seems to go over this issue and has some suggestions. I would also talk directly to your vet as they may have some treatment options too.
www.thriftyfun.com/
Good luck! Hopefully, someone else has some good advice too.
Mr. Calhoun is a 6 years old Manx with a stubby tail, a bulls eye, and an orange and white coat. Calhoun and I became roommates, since I lived in my first place alone during my senior year of college.
