The first recorded appearance of the Manx cat occurred in 1810 however they have probably been in existence for several hundred years and undoubtedly rank as one of the oldest breeds. There are four main categories of the Shorthair Manx Cat which are: 1. The "Rumpy" which is completely tailless. 2. The "Riser" which has a small bit of cartilage at the base of the spine. 3. The "Stumpy" which has a small stump of a tail. 4. The "Longy" which has a visible short tail.

There are many stories of how the Manx cat evolved including one that Noah closed the door of the Ark and caught the tail of a cat which had been late to board. However we do know that the Manx cat came about through a spontaneous mutation which caused kittens to be born without the vertebrae which form a normal cat tail. This occurred on a small island - the Isle of Man - so successive years of inbreeding have caused the dominant genes which make up the Manx breed.

The Manx cat closely resembles the British Shorthair in type with the obvious exception of the tail. The head tends to be longer than the British, being large, round and has prominent cheeks . The muzzle and chin is firm and strong and the nose is broad and straight. The ears which tend to be taller than the British are set high on the head and are angled slightly outwards. They taper from a broad base to a rounded tip. The eyes are large and round and the eye colour is in keeping with the coat colour. The body is compact and solid, with a broad chest and short back. The rump is rounded and should be higher than the shoulders. The legs are short and powerful, with the back legs being slightly longer than the front resulting in a higher rump. In the show cat there must be absolutely no tail and the rump should be completely rounded. The coat is a double coat, a short thick undercoat with a slightly longer overcoat.

Manx cats enjoy human company and make ideal pets. They are often a "one person" cat and once this bond is formed they find it difficult to adapt to a new home however there are some whom will accept attention from any human! They are extremely playful cats and exhibit many dog traits such as burying and retrieval skills. They are also powerful jumpers and are often found perched on the highest object in a room.