The round cat from the Isle of Man, often tailless, with long hind legs and a sturdy body.
The Manx comes from the Isle of Man, between England and Ireland. Many Manx have no tail, or just a stump. That comes from a gene that was common on the island. It is round and sturdy, with hind legs longer than its front legs, and it is a great jumper. At home it is calm, playful and very attached to its people.
Very attached to its people, and often picks one favourite person.
Likes to sit with you, but is more of a follower than a lap cat.
Loves games, and stays playful into old age.
Calm in the house, but quick and athletic when it wants to run and jump.
Quiet, with soft trills and the odd miaow.
Learns quickly. Many Manx learn to fetch and walk on a harness.
Watches visitors first, and relaxes once it sees you are calm.
Good with children, best with ones who play gently.
Often fine with a dog it grows up with, less so with strange dogs.
Easy-going with other cats and prefers to avoid a fight.
Likes to follow you around and does not like long days alone.
Happy indoors, with toys, high places and company. Outdoors it is a keen hunter.
The Manx lost its tail when Noah shut the door of the Ark.
A nice folk tale, but not true. The tail is missing because of a change in a gene, not an accident.
Every Manx is born without a tail.
No. One litter can hold all kinds: kittens with no tail, a stump or a full tail.
Without a tail a cat cannot climb or keep its balance well.
Balance comes mainly from the inner ear. A Manx walks along narrow fences, climbs trees and jumps very well.
On the Isle of Man a gene was common that makes the tail shorter or leaves it out. On such a small island the tailless cat became the usual kind. First they were farm and ship's cats, later show cats. No one knows when the first tailless cat appeared there.
Charles Darwin writes about the tailless cats of the Isle of Man in one of his books.
A Manx is shown for the first time, at Olympia in London.
Charles Lane writes the first known breed standard for the Manx.
The American registry CFA starts, and the Manx is one of its first breeds.
The European federation FIFe recognises the Manx.
The new American registry TICA recognises the Manx in its very first year.
CFA splits the Manx into a shorthair and a longhair division. The longhairs had been shown as Cymric since 1989.
FIFe recognises the Cymric, the longhaired Manx, as a breed of its own.
Scientists find the gene changes that give the Manx its short or missing tail.
A Manx's DNA is read in full for the first time, from a tailless calico called Bonnag.
Medium-sized, solid and round, with a short back that rises to a broad, round rump. It is surprisingly heavy for its size.
The longhaired Manx: a medium-long, silky coat with a ruff, breeches and tufts on the ears and between the toes. Otherwise it is exactly the same cat, and Manx and Cymric kittens can be born in one litter.
Recognition: FIFe (since 2006), WCF and Australia's ACF list it as its own breed. CFA, TICA and GCCF count it as a longhaired Manx.
A Manx with a medium or full tail. Breeders like to use these cats, because they lower the risk of spine problems in the kittens.
Recognition: FIFe judges it at shows; the GCCF registers it for breeding, not for showing.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Black(n)
White, gold eyes(w 62)
Tortoiseshell(f)
Brown classic tabby(n 22)
Red classic tabby(d 22)
Black and white(n 03)FIFe, WCF and TICA allow these colours. Britain's GCCF does not, and neither does CFA.
FIFe and TICA allow dark points like a Siamese. GCCF and CFA do not.
FIFe recognises caramel and apricot in no breed, and the GCCF excludes them for the Manx. Amber belongs to the Norwegian Forest Cat; Australia's ACF excludes it for the Manx.
A Manx called Stubbs was honorary mayor of the village of Talkeetna in Alaska for twenty years.
Seen from behind, a Manx's ears look like the curved rocker of a cradle.
A Manx appears on Isle of Man coins, first in 1970.
The Cymric is named after Cymru, the Welsh word for Wales, but it has nothing to do with Wales.
The first full Manx DNA was read in 2016 from a tailless calico called Bonnag.
Britain's GCCF gives 12 to 14 years. There is no large study of how long Manx cats live.
The gene that takes away the tail can also make the spine too short. Then the nerves to the hind legs, bladder and bowel can be affected. It shows in the first weeks to months. It is mostly seen in tailless cats; in one old study about 3 in 10 Manx had it. In carefully bred cats it is less common.
How it is found: No test predicts it. Breeders never mate two tailless cats, use tailed Manx and have the parents checked. Kittens often go to their new home only at four months.
The large bowel does not work properly, so the cat gets constipated again and again. It can be treated well when caught early, but may need lifelong care.
How it is found: No test. See the vet straight away about constipation; breeding away from the spine problem is the best protection.
In a Manx with a short tail, the little tail bones can fuse at around five years and become stiff and sore.
How it is found: No test. Ask the vet for advice if the stump is stiff or tender.
Some white cats are born deaf in one or both ears. It does not hurt, and a deaf cat can have a good life indoors.
How it is found: A hearing test (BAER). The GCCF asks for it for every white Manx used for breeding.
Brush once a week, and more often when it moults. The thick coat changes with the seasons. A Cymric needs a bit more, but not daily.
Athletic and a superb jumper that loves tables and bookcases. Give it high places and a game every day.
A Manx grows slowly. Feed kitten food for at least the first year, because its bones are still growing.
Lift it with one hand under the chest and one under both hind legs. Do not press on the end of its back.
Checked on 21 October 2026
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