Is my cat a Manx cat or a short hair please help

[Pudner1]

hI
My cat does not have much of a tail - it tapers as you can see in the photo. He was a feral. Could anyone help to determine breed - his coat is very thick and dense and he has short stubby legs. Thank you - Pudner

 

[Pudner1]

more photos showing his fur and build

 

[goingpostal]

To be a Manx he'd have to be from a Manx breeder, with a pedigree showing lineage. A random bred cat would be a domestic shorthair, tailless is a common gene that pops up in feral colonies because of inbreeding. His coat would be thicker if he lives outside. Love the pic with him in the flowers!

 

[Pudner1]

Thanks very much for replying - I never knew that (about ferals having shortened tails) but where I am from a cat looking like him - i.e. with a traditional shorthair build is extremely unusual which is why I thought i would ask so thanks for elucidating it.

 

[GoldyCat]

Most likely your kitty's short tail is a natural mutation, not from any specific breed. Manx have no tail at all, not even a stub.

 

[StefanZ]

All that said by my collegues forumites, your cat is a decent look alike to a british shorthair. (aside of the short tail, but this may be a spontan mutation as mentioned)

 

[Holistic Cat Mama]

hI
My cat does not have much of a tail - it tapers as you can see in the photo. He was a feral. Could anyone help to determine breed - his coat is very thick and dense and he has short stubby legs. Thank you - Pudner

He looks Manx to me! You can tell by his round body and shape of head. His back legs look longer than the front which is another trait. They are smart and can me dog like-you can easily teach them to fetch and other tricks. I've got two Manx now and I've had several throughout the years. Manx Cymric (long hair Manx) has been in CFA cat shows entered as a Household Pet because I did not get him from a breeder. The judges say he is the perfect example of a Manx.

 

[Holistic Cat Mama]

To be a Manx he'd have to be from a Manx breeder, with a pedigree showing lineage. A random bred cat would be a domestic shorthair, tailless is a common gene that pops up in feral colonies because of inbreeding. His coat would be thicker if he lives outside. Love the pic with him in the flowers!

Not true! See my answer to her!

 

[Holistic Cat Mama]

Most likely your kitty's short tail is a natural mutation, not from any specific breed. Manx have no tail at all, not even a stub.

I'm sorry but you are mistaken. I have two Manx now and have owned several. They don't have to come from a breeder to be a true Manx and true Manx do most often have a bit of a tail.

There are 4 types of Manx:

RUMPIES: Manx cats that have no tails at all and instead only have a dimple at the base of the spine.

RUMPY RISERS: Those that have stubby tails with only one to 3 bones.

STUMPIES: have a tail that is short or kinked.

TAILIES: Manx born with tails.

Other Manx Traits:
Male Manx and sometimes females have a muscular and a stout but compact body. They have a wide chest and varies from medium to large when it comes to size. Males are often larger than females. They have round torsos and their hind legs are longer than the front legs and they are powerful jumpers. They are smart and easily trained to do tricks. They are often dog like and will play fetch.
Manx cats have a unique trilling meow or sound.

 

[Meowmee]

Whether he is manx or not I do not know. He looks a lot like one of my formerly outdoor and now indoor guys cinnamon… I will post a pic. His face does look flattened so he could have some heritage from any of those breeds like the British shorthair. Otherwise without any paperwork or history is a domestic shorthair ginger tuxedo. His hair is very fluffy, and so is my Merlin’s who also came in from outside, he is is a ginger tuxedo tabby who has ear tufts and paw tufts. They both have normal tails. In all of the outdoor cats here I have never seen any who had shortened tails. Cinn is a classic tabby.

 

[Pudner1]

He looks Manx to me! You can tell by his round body and shape of head. His back legs look longer than the front which is another trait. They are smart and can me dog like-you can easily teach them to fetch and other tricks. I've got two Manx now and I've had several throughout the years. Manx Cymric (long hair Manx) has been in CFA cat shows entered as a Household Pet because I did not get him from a breeder. The judges say he is the perfect example of a Manx.

Wow - that is interesting. His back legs are much longer than his front legs and he runs like a rabbit. He kind of bobs up and down like a rocking horse. It's actually very funny to watch. I have had cats as a child before but I have never had a cat like him. He follows me if I go for walks. If he is not being paid attention if I have a visitor he will find anything and throw it up in the air and catch it and pounce on it like he is playing with a mouse. He loves to play with a long fishing rod with feathers on it. If a new person comes into the house he will check them and size them up and walk up to them if I am talking to them just to let them know that his is involved in the conversation. If I am arguing with someone in the house he will get out of his cat bed and come over to me and meow to get me to calm down. If I am digging in the garden he will sometimes dig beside me. If I hear intruders in the garden he will climb up the apple tree in the garden and act as look out. . He has a huge range of meows and chirping sounds to communicate with me - well I have had four cats before including a Siamese - never had anything like this cat. He is the smartest cat I ever met.

 

[Pudner1]

Whether he is manx or not I do not know. He looks a lot like one of my formerly outdoor and now indoor guys cinnamon… I will post a pic. His face does look flattened so he could have some heritage from any of those breeds like the British shorthair. Otherwise without any paperwork or history is a domestic shorthair ginger tuxedo. His hair is very fluffy, and so is my Merlin’s who also came in from outside, he is is a ginger tuxedo tabby who has ear tufts and paw tufts. They both have normal tails. In all of the outdoor cats here I have never seen any who had shortened tails. Cinn is a classic tabby.

View attachment 444697

Beautiful photo of your cats - they have found the warmest and most comfortable place to lie on (on the bridge) in complete disregard of anyone else that might want to cross it.

 

[Meowmee]

Beautiful photo of your cats - they have found the warmest and most comfortable place to lie on (on the bridge) in complete disregard of anyone else that might want to cross it.

Thanks….They are both inside together now, but still scared of people I’m trying to tame them down a bit..

 

[goingpostal]

I'm sorry but you are mistaken. I have two Manx now and have owned several. They don't have to come from a breeder to be a true Manx and true Manx do most often have a bit of a tail.

There are 4 types of Manx:

RUMPIES: Manx cats that have no tails at all and instead only have a dimple at the base of the spine.

RUMPY RISERS: Those that have stubby tails with only one to 3 bones.

STUMPIES: have a tail that is short or kinked.

TAILIES: Manx born with tails.

Other Manx Traits:
Male Manx and sometimes females have a muscular and a stout but compact body. They have a wide chest and varies from medium to large when it comes to size. Males are often larger than females. They have round torsos and their hind legs are longer than the front legs and they are powerful jumpers. They are smart and easily trained to do tricks. They are often dog like and will play fetch.
Manx cats have a unique trilling meow or sound.

A Manx is a pedigree cat so yes to be considered one there needs to be verifiable lineage. You said yourself you cannot register your tailless domesitc cats as Manx, that is because they are not Manx. It's a common mutation in cats and yes there are plenty of lookalikes to purebred cats, this doesn't make them that breed.