There is a legend that the Manx cat was late for Noah’s ark, and the closing door chopped off her tail. Cats from the Isle of Man are tailless by nature, this is a stable gene mutation. This type of cat is very popular in the USA, UK, Scandinavian countries. Tailless cats are a symbol of good luck and happiness on the Isle of Man: they are idolized, the inhabitants of the island are proud of them, and they are also depicted on English coins and postage stamps.
Origin history
The history of the origin of Manx cats is mixed, there are several versions:
- most likely, the representatives of this breed are from Asia, because they are also found in Russia and China, but it was on the Isle of Man that the tailless gene was transmitted to all individuals inhabiting it today;
- according to another version, these cats are descendants of the Japanese Bobtail breed with a very short tail;
- according to the third version, they got to the island from a sunken Spanish ship.
The inhabitants of the island are delighted with these cats and it doesn’t matter how this breed was imported: tailless cats were reflected not only on coins, but also on jewelry, in painting and various works of art.
Description
At the very beginning of the 20th century, the club of Manx cat lovers was founded and the standard of pure breed of these animals was adopted, where the main sign is not the absence of a tail, but the special structure of the spine and, as a result, a “jumping gait”.
The most thoroughbred species is the ramp species - a cat without a single caudal vertebra. A less valuable variety is riser (such individuals have cartilage and a tuft of wool instead of a tail).Stumps are owners of a short hooked tail (they are no longer allowed to exhibitions).
Long - an ordinary tail of medium length, it turns out such a cat when crossing two ramps. Access to the exhibitions is closed to them, but they are very much in demand as partners for mating with ramp - from such a union purebred Manx cats with very good health are obtained.
Males and cats are very different in size: female representatives are unusually miniature, like 4-month-old kittens. The weight of females averages 4 kg, males - more than 5 kg.
Distinctive features of pedigree are spelled out in a special standard for the Manx breed:
- these cats have a kind of "rabbit gait";
- they have a rounded head with large round and slightly slanting eyes;
- convex cheekbones;
- short thick neck;
- high-set ears with an inclination forward;
- proper bite of teeth;
- strong double chin;
- muscular strong body;
- powerful hips and a round ass;
- hind legs slightly longer than forepaws;
- they have a strong skeleton, a wide chest and sunken sides, short hair with undercoat.
The Manx breed is considered to be short-haired, and long-haired tailless cats are selected as a separate kimrik breed (such a cat is considered unique, since it is almost impossible to find a mating pair that meets strict breed standards).
Cimrick cats are an endangered species.
Manxes live long enough - about 14 years, among them there are also individual centenarians who have lived up to 20 years.
Character Features
Mans cats resemble dogs in their character: faithful, intelligent, good-natured, get along well with children and dogs, playful, deeply attached to all members of the family. These cats like to watch the flowing water and fish, catch rodents well, and also like to climb trees, but generally do not know how to go down.
Tailless cats are also unique in that they are easy to train like dogs - can learn to bring things and run after the ball. Menks do not need to walk on the street, most of them are homebodies, however, individuals of this breed take root in a private house, where they will feel like owners of a personal garden. But they can adapt to any living conditions, up to a small apartment.
Wool color options
Variants of the coat color of Manx cats are so diverse that even in the official breed standard there is no exact description. The color of the hair of tailless cats can be almost any, with the exception of:
- Siamese and other "hybrid" drawings;
- lilac and chocolate flowers.
Much more important than the color is the presence of a thick undercoat in combination with silky hairs of medium length. Similar hair is found in rabbits, it is plush and silky at the same time.
According to breed standard the color of the coat of the Manx cat should be in harmony with the color of the eyes.
Conditions of detention
Manx cats need daily combing of hair of medium comb hardness, the use of a furminator is permissible no more than twice a week and only during seasonal molting. It is also necessary to rinse the eyes once a week or as they become dirty (if the eyes are constantly dirty, this may indicate the presence of infection, in which case the cat must be shown to the veterinarian).
Auricles should be wiped once a week with a cotton pad dipped in 3% hydrogen peroxide. Teeth should be brushed with plaque.
This procedure can be entrusted to a specialist or performed independently using a soft fingertip brush and special cat's toothpaste.
To prevent the appearance of plaque on the teeth of the pet, he can be given special dry food.
Tailless cats need to cut their claws. The first time it is better to carry out the procedure from a specialist in order to clearly understand how to trim the claws correctly and with what tools, without harming the pet's health.
Manks love to look at the water, but they are not very willing to wash themselves in the shower, so if the pet is a homebody, it is better to wash it only in case of emergency: in anticipation of the exhibition, mating or childbirth (you can use a basin and a jug of water to avoid stress in the animal). At the bottom of the bath you need to lay a thick terry towel, turn on the shower with room temperature, wash your hands with special shampoo, wash the animal and gently rinse without touching the ears. After bathing, it is necessary to wrap the cat in a towel. After 5 minutes, this towel must be changed to dry. In the room where the cat dries, there should be no drafts, it is advisable to warm the air to 25-27 degrees, ideally, the animal should be kept in a towel until it dries completely.
The tailless cat’s tray should always be clean, so it makes sense to use clumping granulate that absorbs moisture and odor as a filler. In addition, you will need a claw claw with a house and toys. Manxes are very curious, so you definitely need to install additional protection on the windows (mosquito nets only create the appearance of security, in fact they are fragile and easily tear).
Feeding
In the first 2 months of life, kittens only need mother's milk, then you can start feeding complementary foods with boiled meat once a day (the first feeding is 1/5 teaspoon), after a week you can gradually introduce low-fat cottage cheese, slightly diluted with water. It is recommended to keep such a power plan for up to 4 months.
When the kittens turn 4 months old, you can give dry food, starting with several pieces per day, gradually increasing their number to the norm by weight of the animal, according to the instructions for the feed.
Also, from 4 months it is time to start introducing vitamins and minerals into the pet's diet.
The number of feedings per day depends on the age of the kittens (4 feedings are needed at 4 months, 5 is only 2 times a day, as are adults). After acquiring a kitten for about 2 weeks, you must adhere to the food established by the breeder, then it is better to consult a veterinarian and create an individual menu.
Typically, the diets of Manx cats include:
- 1/3 premium dry feed (preferably large solid pieces that need to be cracked);
- 1/3 natural products (boiled beef and poultry meat, cottage cheese with a low fat content, boiled boneless sea fish scalded with boiling water, 1 quail boiled egg per week, 1 tablespoon of oatmeal in water per day - it is recommended to mix it with wet food);
- 1/3 wet feed of super premium and premium.
After each meal, leftovers should be discarded and the dishes washed; clean drinking water should always be in a clean bowl. It is recommended to keep cat grass on the floor so that the cat does not drop it from the windowsill. It is strictly forbidden to feed tailless cats “from the table”; they have a special curved spine, in which it is strictly forbidden to gain excess weight.
It is necessary to timely vaccinate and prevent parasites according to a schedule agreed with the veterinarian. Do not spare any efforts to find a good veterinarian, you need to constantly watch such unusual cats, visit a doctor at least 2 times a year to avoid problems with the spine, overweight, etc. If the animal has any disease (intervertebral hernia, vision problems , digestive tract dysfunction, limb dystrophy), the individual is considered culled and is not allowed to mate. Perhaps in this case, sterilization is required.
Breeding
Not all kittens in the litter are born tailless, and if two tailless crosses are born, the offspring will have normal tails (the tail gene gives such an effect as minus minus plus). Therefore, keeping a nursery for breeding individuals of this breed is extremely disadvantageous. If the kitten stops the tail, it will undermine its health, even a fatal outcome is possible.
It is impossible to cross representatives of the Manx breed with individuals of other breeds.
The most healthy, strong offspring with a minimum set of genetic diseases is born from the union of the Manx long-tailed individual and ramp. Manx has puberty at 3 years of age, it is not recommended to arrange mating up to this age.
A ramp cat can give birth to no more than 4 kittens, if an ultrasound shows 6 individuals, then a cesarean section will be required, otherwise the cat will die in childbirth.
To participate in exhibitions is allowed mainly a variety of ramp, sometimes a riser. When buying, please note that in Russia there are no official cattery of tailless cats and you can buy them only from private owners. At the cost of a ramp, a riser and a stump are different: the shorter the tail, the more expensive the kitten. Also, the price rises in the presence of champion titles from parents.
When buying a kitten, it must be at least 4 months old; a purebred individual must have a jumping gait. A healthy kitten has good coat, clean eyes, ears and nose, and is also very playful and mobile.
When buying a kitten, a package of documents is attached to it: a contract of sale, a passport (the name, date of birth, pedigree are written in it) and a vaccination certificate.
The minimum price for a kitten is $ 500, and if his parents are exhibition champions, then it can reach up to 2 thousand dollars. Purebred kittens are never sold at a discount, because it is very difficult to find a pair for breeding, and many kittens are rejected by the age of 4 months.
It is inappropriate, risky, and very costly to breed tailless cats for sale. Do not forget that such cats are often “golden” clients for veterinarians: in addition to constant monitoring, numerous hereditary diseases can be detected. It is more advisable to purchase any short-haired thoroughbred cat, it has an order of magnitude less genetic diseases and restrictions at exhibitions. However, as pets, menxes are beautiful in their own way.
About the features of the Manx cat breed, see the next video.
