Domestic

Type

9 - 13 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

3 - 5 kg

Weight

25 - 30 cm

Height

Placid, sweet-natured, playful

Temperament

30 - 60 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

Manx cats are sociable and friendly. Some might be a bit reserved with strangers, but they&rsquo;ll make friends in no time.

Manx cats come from the Isle of Man, a small island between England and Ireland. The word Manx means relating or belonging to the Isle of Man.

According to one myth they were late to board Noah&rsquo;s Ark and when Noah closed the Ark&rsquo;s door, the tail of the last cat was cut off. Another theory is that a tailless cat swam from a ship that ran aground off the coast of the island. Or, because of their characteristic hopping gait, a cat bred with a rabbit to produce a &lsquo;cabbit&rsquo;!

Manx cats are tailless because of a genetic mutation likely caused by inbreeding among the small population of British Shorthairs on the Isle of Man. The M-gene is autosomal dominant but doesn&#39;t always show its full effect which explains why different tail lengths can be seen in the breed.

True or &#39;rumpy&rsquo; Manx cats just have a hollow where the tail should be. Those born with residual tails are called &lsquo;stumpies&rsquo;, &lsquo;stubbies&rsquo; or &lsquo;longies&rsquo;, depending on how long their tails are.

No cat is completely hypoallergenic. All cats produce the glycoprotein Fel d1 in their saliva that is responsible for cat allergies. Manx cats may shed less than some other breeds, but they&rsquo;ll still shed during spring and autumn.

The average lifespan of a Manx cat is around 12 to 14 years, though some may live longer with proper care and a healthy lifestyle.

<ul>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Manx. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/breeds/articles/manx/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Manx Cat page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/breeds/articles/manx/</a></li>
	<li>Kyle Braund, Laurent Garosi (online) Sacrocaudal dysgenesis of Manx cats. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/neurology/articles/sacrocaudal-dysgenesis-of-manx-cats/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's sacrocaudal dysgenesis of manx cats page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/neurology/articles/sacrocaudal-dysgenesis-of-manx-cats/</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Spina bifida. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/musculoskeletal/articles/spina-bifida/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat spina bifida page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/musculoskeletal/articles/spina-bifida/</a></li>
	<li>Ed Halls, Phil Nicholls (online) Megacolon. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/surgery-soft-tissue/articles/megacolon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat megacolon page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/surgery-soft-tissue/articles/megacolon/</a></li>
	<li>Eithne Comerford, David Godfrey, Melvyn Pond (online) Arthritis: osteoarthritis. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/surgery-orthopedic/articles/arthritis-osteoarthritis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cats arthritis osteoarthritis page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/surgery-orthopedic/articles/arthritis-osteoarthritis/</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

Manx cats are easy to care for, have sweet and placid personalities and make great companions. They&#39;ll get along with everyone in the family as well as <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's cat breed guides">other cats</a> and cat-friendly <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>. They make great pets for first-time cat owners, families and busy households.

Manx cats are easy to care for, have sweet and placid personalities and make great companions. They&#39;ll get along with everyone in the family as well as other cats and cat-friendly dogs. They make great pets for first-time cat owners, families and busy households.

Manx kittens mature slowly and may not reach adulthood age until the age of five. This doesn&#39;t mean that they&rsquo;ll need to be fed kitten food until then though - they can <a href="/all-things-pet/switching-from-kitten-food-to-cat-food" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on switching from kitten to adult cat food">move on to adult cat food</a> when they&rsquo;re around 12 months old. Like all <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kittens</a>, make sure your Manx is well socialised so they grow up to be confident, happy adults.

Manx kittens may be born tailless or have a partial tail. The variations in tail length are known as:

<ul>
	<li>Dimple rumpy or rumpy (no tail whatsoever)</li>
	<li>Riser or rumpy riser (a bump, or rump of a tail)</li>
	<li>Stumpy (small partial tail up to about 3cm)</li>
	<li>Stubby (short tail)</li>
	<li>Tailed or longy (half-length to normal tail length)</li>
</ul>

If two tailless Manx <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-mating-and-sexual-behaviour" title="Link to Everypaw's article on cat mating">cats are mated</a>, the kittens may be born with severe defects and may not survive. Breeders will not breed two rumpies together.

Manx <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-games-for-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to games for cats">cats love to play</a>, jump and run about as well as curling up on their favourite person&rsquo;s lap. They might even have a <a href="/all-things-pet/understanding-cat-language" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to understanding cat language">conversation with you</a>, albeit in a quiet trill. They were originally bred to be mousers, so keep in mind that they have a high prey drive.

If you <a href="/all-things-pet/buying-a-kitten-heres-what-you-should-look-out-for" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to buying a kitten">buy your kitten from a breeder</a>, ask for the feeding schedule that they used and feed at the same time every day. If you change their diet, you can avoid any digestive upsets by changing it gradually. Your vet can also recommend the best cat food to fit the needs of your Manx, and how much to feed. Manx cats can have hearty appetites so follow the recommended amount to make sure you don&rsquo;t overfeed them.

Manx cats have short, double coats. They&rsquo;re seen in all colours and all patterns apart from colourpoint. Their thick and dense coats <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cat grooming">need grooming once or twice a week</a> with a comb, brush or grooming glove.

This will remove any dead hair and keep their coats in good condition. More frequent grooming will be needed during the shedding seasons of spring and autumn.

Longhair Manx cats are known as Cymric cats.

Manx cats are intelligent, and toilet or <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-litter-training-tips" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on how to litter train a kitten">litter training</a> should be picked up quickly (always have least one litterbox per cat in the house and make sure these are kept really clean). They can be trained to play fetch, and some have been known to be able to open doors and cupboards.

Manx cats don&rsquo;t have <a href="/all-things-pet/your-guide-to-cat-exercise" title="Link to Everypaw's cat exercise guide">high exercise needs</a>. They enjoy playing and can be kept entertained with lots of interactive toys. They&rsquo;re good jumpers despite not having a tail for counterbalance and can run around at speed.

A hopping, <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">bunny rabbit</a>-like gait is common due to their front legs being shorter than their hind legs. This also makes their rumps higher than their shoulders.&nbsp;

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

With their characteristic tush, it makes the Manx cat a distinctive breed. Unfortunately, as cute as they may be, there are <a href="/all-things-pet/10-common-cat-illnesses-and-symptoms" title="Link to Everypaw's blog listing the most common cat health problems">common cat health conditions</a> that affect them. Which means it&#39;s wise to think about insurance for your Manx.

There are a range of cover levels to choose from with <a href="/cat-insurance" target="_blank" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&#39;s Cat Insurance</a>, so you can decide on the vet fee limit that will suit you and your Manx the best. For a breed with health issues, it&#39;s also good to know that all our policies give you unlimited access to our <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a> vet helpline. Where you can discuss your Manx&#39;s health, care and well-being with a RCVS qualified vets and vet nurses.

With their characteristic tush, it makes the Manx cat a distinctive <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breed</a>. Unfortunately, as cute as they may be, there are common health conditions that affect them. Which means it&#39;s wise to think about insurance for your Manx.

There are a range of cover levels to choose from with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance" target="_blank" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&#39;s Cat Insurance</a>, so you can decide on the vet fee limit that will suit you and your Manx the best. For a breed with health issues, it&#39;s also good to know that all our policies give you unlimited access to our <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a> vet helpline.

Where you can discuss your Manx&#39;s health, care and well-being with a RCVS qualified vets and vet nurses.

A Manx cat lying on a chair against a wooden wall

Manx Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The feature that sets Manx cats apart from other cat breeds is their lack of tail. The breed was developed from tailless cats that originated on the Isle of Man. Manx cats have been around for several centuries but how they arrived on the Isle of Man is unclear. What is likely, is that the Manx breed resulted from inbreeding among the small population of domestic cats on the island, and their lack of tail is due to a genetic mutation. Find out more about them now.&nbsp;

Sacrocaudal Dysgenesis is an inherited abnormality. The condition is due to a malformation or defect in the sacrocaudal vertebrae in the lower part of the cat&rsquo;s spine. This can lead to a form of spina bifida that results in hindlimb paresis/paralysis and incontinence.

The signs are noticeable shortly after birth. The condition may progress or remain static in some cases. There is no cure, and the outlook is often poor.

The Manx mutation that causes the lack of or shortened tail can result in spina bifida. This is an abnormal development of the spine where the vertebral arch that surrounds and protects the spinal cord doesn&rsquo;t fuse together properly.

The malformation puts pressure on the nerves involved with limb movement as well as those linked to the muscles involved in bowel movement. It can cause paralysis of the legs and lower body, an abnormal bunny-hopping gait and both urinary and faecal incontinence if the nerves controlling the bladder and colon are affected.

Mild cases will need extensive veterinary care and lifelong supportive management. Those more severely affected will have a very poor quality of life and are unlikely to live very long. Unfortunately, there&rsquo;s no known cure for this condition. 
&nbsp;

Tailless cats like the Manx can be affected by megacolon as the spinal deformities caused by M-gene can affect the nerves to the colon. Hard stools can accumulate in their large intestines causing pain, discomfort, and <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-spot-dehydration-in-dogs-cats-and-rabbits" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to spotting dehydration in pets">dehydration</a>. Severe and chronic constipation can be life-threatening. If the condition doesn&rsquo;t respond to medical management, surgery may be needed.

Stumpy cats (those with a shortened tail) can have <a href="/all-things-pet/arthritis-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to arthritis in cats">arthritis</a> in their remaining vertebrae. This is a slowly progressive condition that causes swelling, inflammation and stiffness in the tail. It can be very painful. Medication can help to reduce symptoms, but amputation of the tail may be necessary.

Common Manx Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Manx cats are susceptible to a few breed-related health problems as the genetic mutation that causes them to be tailless can have other serious consequences. The collection of problems associated with the Manx gene is known as Manx syndrome. But, good breeding practices mean these problems aren’t seen very often. We've got together with veterinary experts Vetstream to give you an idea of what to keep an eye out for in your Manx.

Manx kittens mature slowly and may not reach adulthood age until the age of five. This doesn&#39;t mean that they&rsquo;ll need to be fed kitten food until then though - they can <a href="/all-things-pet/switching-from-kitten-food-to-cat-food" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on switching from kitten to adult cat food">move on to adult cat food</a> when they&rsquo;re around 12 months old. Like all <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kittens</a>, make sure your Manx is well socialised so they grow up to be confident, happy adults.

Manx kittens may be born tailless or have a partial tail. The variations in tail length are known as:

<ul>
	<li>Dimple rumpy or rumpy (no tail whatsoever)</li>
	<li>Riser or rumpy riser (a bump, or rump of a tail)</li>
	<li>Stumpy (small partial tail up to about 3cm)</li>
	<li>Stubby (short tail)</li>
	<li>Tailed or longy (half-length to normal tail length)</li>
</ul>

If two tailless Manx <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-mating-and-sexual-behaviour" title="Link to Everypaw's article on cat mating">cats are mated</a>, the kittens may be born with severe defects and may not survive. Breeders will not breed two rumpies together.

Manx Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

Get a quote for your  Manx cat's insurance

Manx

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The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions</a>. 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/lifetime-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-insurance-for-older-pets">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/all-things-pet" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

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Everypaw is proud to sponsor David Baddiel: Cat Man, a brand-new Channel 4 series that celebrates everything we love about cats. Hosted by David Baddiel, Cat Man explores the quirks of cat behaviour, shares heartwarming stories from cat owners across the UK and brings you fascinating feline facts you won&#39;t want to miss.

Don&#39;t miss out and join us in celebrating the wonderful world of cats! You can stream all three episodes now on Channel 4 now.

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Manx Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Manx Cat Facts

Is a Manx Right for Me?

What are Manx Kittens Like?

Life with a Manx

Caring for Your Manx

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Manx Cat Insurance

Common Manx Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Sacrocaudal Dysgenesis

Spina bifida

Megacolon

Arthritis

Quick Manx Q&A

Are Manx cats friendly?

Where do Manx cats come from?

Why do Manx cats have no tails?

Are Manx cats hypoallergenic?

What is the average Manx cat lifespan?

References