The head is somewhat rounded with typically chubby and prominent cheeks. The nose is straight with a gentle dip between the eyes. The muzzle is slightly longer than broad with rounded whisker pads. The ears are medium in size and relatively high set. The eyes are large and round.
The neck is short and strong.

The body is compact and medium long, with sturdy bone structure and a broad rounded chest. The Manx gives a solid and substantial appearance. The flanks are deep. The back and rump are rounded, giving the Manx that specific rounded appearance.
The legs are strong and the thighs of hind legs are very strong, hind legs are noticeable longer than the front legs, thus the rump appears higher than the shoulders.

The Manx has no tail.

The coat is short, dense (it is called double coated) and well padded (pillow effect). The coat is somewhat harder to touch because of its guard hairs.

See also the longhaired Manx, which is called Cymric in some organizations.

History

The Manx originates from the Isle of Man, and it is assumed that the tailless is a result of a spontaneous mutation. There are some stories, how tailless cats came to the Isle of Man. Some say the Irish brought the cats to the island, using the cats’ tails as plumes for their helmets. Other say Phoenician traders brought the cats with them from Japan and thus the Manx must be related to the Japanese Bobtail. This cannot be true, because the gene causing the curled tail of the Japanese Bobtail is different. In another story, a tailless cat swam ashore from a wrecked ship of the Spanish Armada in 1558. In other stories it is said that tailless cats came from Scandinavia, brought by the Vikings, who colonized the Isle.

One of the first pictures of the Manx exists from 1810.
The postcards of Louis Wain (1860-1939) are quite famous:

Catching the boat, 1906

The original standard of the Manx was published in Harrison Weird's 'Our Cats and All About Them' in 1889. Manx were exhibited in Crystal Palace in 1880, 1881, 1882.

The Manx was very popular and well established long before the existence of cat associations. They were exported from the Isle of Man and King Edward VIII was Manx fancier and often attended cat shows featuring the breed.
The world famous English painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) had several Manx cats.

In 1901 the first Manx club was formed in England. In the 1930’s they were imported to the US.

Temperament

The Manx has a pleasant temperament. They are even-tempered, calm, intelligent and generally very affectionate to their human companions. The Manx makes a good family pet and gets along with other companion animals very well. They like to play and are fascinated by water. They are remarkable jumpers because of their powerful back legs, no shelf is too high for them.

Grooming

The Manx does not require special grooming. Brushing its coat periodically will keep its wonderful coat shiny and will remove loose hairs.