Manx Cat Health Problems

People who do not know much about cats can still recognize a Manx cat. Many Manx cats are tailless, or have only a stump of a tail. Although this feature is ideal for Manx breeders and showers, it can cause several health issues that do not appear in many other purebred cat breeds.

  1. Prenatal

    • Genes can cause a lack of tails in all cats, but happen to show up in Manx more often than in most other breeds. Tailless cats get this gene from only one of their parents. If a kitten gets this gene from both parents, the mother cat aborts long before the kitten can survive outside of the womb. This condition is sometimes called homogenous Manx syndrome. Two tailless Manx should never be bred because of this condition.

    Misconception

    • Not all Manx cats are born tailless or with tiny stumps of tails. Some are born with a short tail about half as long as a regular cat̵7;s and some are born with full tails. Tailless Manx cats are called ̶0;rumpies,̶1; those with tiny tails are called ̶0;stumpies,̶1; those with half-tails are called ̶0;shorties,̶1; and those with a regular tail are called ̶0;longies.̶1; Rumpies are the most prone to having tethered spinal chord syndrome.

    Symptoms

    • Tethered spinal chord syndrome, commonly known as Manx syndrome, can happen in any breed of cat, but appears in Manx most often. This causes paralysis of the hind legs, spina bifida, an inability to pass stool, birth defects and chronic infections of the urinary tract and being born with malformed vertebrae, which makes moving about or excreting normally impossible.

    Time Frame

    • Tethered spinal chord syndrome appears in kittens as young as three months old and usually is apparent before the kitten is five months old. The prognosis is grim at best. These kittens are usually euthanized. Since Manx breeders have now recognized that they should not breed two tailless Manx cats together, not as many Manx kittens are born with tethered spinal chord syndrome. Manx kittens should not be purchased or adopted until they are at least five months old.

    Expert Advice

    • Many Manx cats walk with their front legs but hop with their hind legs. They often have trouble moving the hind legs independently of each other, but can still groom themselves and defecate normally. This rabbit-like hop is not a potentially lethal medical condition, but still should be monitored to see that it does not get worse.