DESCRIPTION

Body
The most distinguishing feature of Manx cats is their lack of a tail, or one that is short. Manx cats are known for their solid stature. Their bodies are usually broad, with wide chests. They have big round eyes, which can be a variety of colors. Their back legs are long, in comparison to their front legs, which is different than other breeds of cats. Their leg structure causes some to believe Manx cats are related to rabbits, which is not true. Manx cats can be long or short-haired and their fur can be a variety of colors. The long-haired cats were formerly called Cymric.Their hair sheds three times as much as short-haired Manx cats. The most common patterns for Manx cats are tabby or bi-colored.
Manx cats have round heads, which make their ears look big, especially as kittens. The ears also are more pointed than other breeds of cats.
Manx cats usually weigh between 8-15 pounds. In general females weigh less than males.

Manx cats have distictive, pointy ears.

Types of Manx
There are four different types of Manx cats. The tail length is what determines the type. A Rumpy is completely tailless. They have no additional tail vertebrae at the end of the spine. In contrast, the Rumpy Riser, looks like it has no tail, but it has one to three tail vertebrae at the end of the spine. The Stumpy is named for the stump-like appearance of its tail that has one to five vertebrae. Their stubby tails are moveable. Finally, a Longy Manx has a longer tail than other Manx cats, but still have a shorter tail than other breeds of cats.

Behavior
Manx cats make wonderful pets. They get along with other animals, especially other cats. They grow attached to their owners, so they do not like to be alone. They are affectionate, friendly, and playful. Manx cats often follow their owners around the house, just so they don’t have to be alone. They also try to talk to humans, with meows or thrill sounds.

Some would describe Manx cats' behavior as dog-like, since they can fetch and bury their toys. They also can be easily trained to walk on a leash. Their powerful hind legs let them jump to heights most cats can not reach. Their legs are used to pounce on prey or toys. They were once known as great mouse hunters and their powerful, quick legs enabled their success.

Even at five-weeks old, a kitten loves to eat.

Eating Habits
Manx cats have the same diet as all domestic cats. They should have a variety of wet and dry food. Some veterinarians recommend 1/4 wet to all the dry food they consume. The only difference with Manx cats is, like dogs, they usually like to beg for human food. It is not advised to give them any though, because of bowel and nutritional problems.

Medical Conditions
The most known medical condition of Manx cats is called Manx Syndrome. It is a gap between the vertebrae, after the pelvic bone. It is a fatal defect, which is falsely believed to only be caused by the Manx gene. However, Manx syndrome is a condition that affects all breeds of cats. When the spine develops without a tail, it may shorten the spine too much, causing the gap that leads to severe spinal defects.
Manx kittens may show signs of Manx Syndrome as early as four-weeks old or as late as four-months old. It is recommended not to take home a kitten that is less than four-months old. The symptoms of Manx Syndrome include difficulty walking and excretion dysfunction.
It is most often developed by the breeding of Rumpy cats. Breeders try to breed other Manx cats that have tails in cycles with Rumpy cats, to prevent a litter being born with Manx Syndrome.