- Size: Medium-large, 8 to 16 lbs
- Energy Level: 5/5
- Talkative: 2/5
- Coat: Long with a dense undercoat
- Hypoallergenic: No
- Seeking: Anyone who can keep up with my high energy and groom me regularly
- Child Friendly: Yes
- Personality Snapshot: Very playful, smart, loyal, extremely affectionate and loves to interact
My Looks
Love big, beautiful cats? You’ll adore me.
I’m plump and curvy with a stocky physique that flaunts well-developed muscles and strong bones. All that is topped off by a thick, dense coat that’s soft and silky to the touch.
Yes, I am a truly robust cat with a strong resemblance to a fluffy bowling ball. A look that’s accentuated by my unique lack of a tail.
You see, I’m the long-haired, fluffier version of the Manx cat, which is known for its taillessness.
Like the Manx, my breed normally has four types of tail lengths, which are grouped into separate categories to make it easier for cat registries to differentiate each type of feline.
The first one is the totally tailless rumpy, which is considered by enthusiasts as the most important trait of a show-quality Cymric. A hollow depression can be seen in the place where the cat’s tail should have been. It’s pretty cool.
The second tail type is the rumpy riser. Instead of completely lacking a tail, this type shows a vertebrae or two. You can easily feel the vestiges of a tail by gently running your fingers along its ample backside.
The third type is known as the stumpy. Unlike the first two types, you can actually see a tail, but it is prominently misshapen. Apart from being really thin and small, these tails can be also kinked, flattened, curved or even knotted.
The fourth tail type is called the longie. Now while this is the longest of all the Cymric tails, it is still a bit short and rather small when compared to the tails of other felines. All in all, it has the appearance of being extremely undersized.
Like the Manx, the rest of my body is generously proportioned with well-developed hips that taper down to stocky legs that are more brawny than graceful.
My hind legs are fairly longer than the front ones, which give my ample backside a boost, further accentuating my almost or total lack of a tail.
Our facial features are similar as well – soft and round – ‘though my face is noticeable fuller, thanks to my thick fur.
Although I have a powerful build, my full face lends me a mellow, jovial appearance. I possess one of the friendliest faces in the feline world, if I do say so myself.
My Personality
I am a cat of contrasts. Although I may look buff and formidable, I am actually very affectionate and playful. As such, I’m always up for a game or two with my humans and won’t shy away when picked up or stroked.
I’m also extremely sociable and have no issues getting along with cat-friendly dogs and other pets.
I even get on with small humans, as my tolerant and patient nature rarely responds aggressively to rough-housing.
But as sociable as I am, I won’t pine or complain when left alone, which makes me easier to care for overall.
Despite my gentle, easy-going ways, I have a thing for high-activity sports. So naturally, I m an avid jumping and climbing buff.
Expect to see me launching myself into the air or scaling cabinets and other high spots in the household.
Oh, if you don’t want to sacrifice your breakables to my routine acrobatics practice, make sure to stash those somewhere I can’t finagle my way into.
That means someplace with a lock, since I’m an intelligent cat who can figure out how to use door knobs and unfasten latches. Locks and combination codes, ‘though, I haven’t quite mastered. Yet.
The last thing you should know about me is that I take on the role of a “watchcat” once I’ve determined that a particular home is mine. That means I won’t hesitate to belt out a noisy caterwaul to warn my humans when I feel something is amiss.
I am even known to threaten and attack other animals (and sometimes humans) that I think are trespassing in our territory.
Sounds a bit vicious, I know, but I’m just trying to keep us safe.
My Ideal Human
I am an ideal feline for cat buffs who won’t mind my very high energy levels. I need humans who will dedicate an hour or two for playing each day and will give me a free run of the house from time to time to satisfy my inquisitiveness.
Apart from that and the regular grooming of my thick coat, I am fairly easy to take care of. First time cat owners as well as parents with young kids and other pets won’t find it tricky to integrate me into their households.
My Roots
My breed originates from the Isle of Man and is generally considered as a long-haired Manx cat. Historians believe that my ancestors were felines who lived aboard the trading ships from nearby Wales and England that sailed all the way to Japan and other faraway routes to import and export various merchandise.
Several centuries ago, a mutation occurred in the population of Manx cats that produced long-haired kittens. Although they looked as elegant and robust as their short-haired counterparts, these kittens were usually discarded or even put down because they were considered abnormal. People can be so discriminatory.
Fast forward to the 1960’s, a very wise Canadian cat fancier named Althea Frahm took a liking to these “Manx mutants” and began to enter us in local shows. Other equally brilliant cat aficionados noticed our unique fluffy and tailless look and integrated us in their respective breeding programs.
As the fascination for the long-haired Manx cats grew, pioneer Cymric breeders, Leslie Falteisek and Blair Wright, moved to change our name to “Cymric” after the Celtic word for “Welsh” in the early 1970’s.
The Canadian Cat Association (CCA) eventually accepted the Cymric into its roster and even gave our breed its championship status in 1976. However, the CCA changed the name of the breed to Longhaired Manx because most of its members believed that we were still an offshoot of the Manx lineage.
As of today, the Cymric is recognized by a number of cat registries other than the CCA, namely the Cat Fanciers? Association (CFA), American Association of Cat Enthusiasts Inc. (AACE), American Cat Fanciers (ACF), American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), F d ration Internationale F line (FIFe) and The International Cat Association (TICA).
My breed is recognized under both the name Longhaired Manx or Cymric.
How to Keep Me Healthy and Happy
I am not a very demanding breed, which makes me a suitable pet even for newbie cat buffs. However, there are a few key pointers that fanciers looking to have me as a pet should keep in mind to really keep me happy and healthy.
First, I need to have lots of space to play, climb and snoop around. I also require regular bonding time with my human companions, preferably through interactive games. Oh, and I appreciate having an indoor cat tree, a windowsill or just some high spot in the house where I can chill out and have a complete view of my surroundings as well.
Second, my thick coat will need regular grooming at least three to four times a week to keep it as soft and silky as possible. There is a big chance that my undercoat will become unruly if regular brushing and grooming is neglected.
Third, it is not advisable to habitually poke or pinch the area where my tail should have been. Apart from causing me a lot of pain, this can also lead to injury since this part of my spine doesn’t have the same amount of protection compared to other cats. My guardians should always support my hind quarters when carrying me to prevent the same.
Fourth, my diet should be closely monitored at all times. I have a very hearty appetite and can easily put on a few extra pounds if not controlled properly. Besides agitating my spine, I can also have problems with my joints and vital organs like the heart and liver if I become overweight.
Fun Facts
- Just so you know, the proper pronunciation of my breed name Cymric is kim-rik.
- Some cat geneticists theorize that we may be a distant relative of the Japanese Bobtail since the ships that passed through the Isle of Man sailed to Asia to trade. Others also speculate that we may be descendants of cats from the Middle East that were picked up by sailors to get rid of rodents in their vessels. We’ll never know for certain but I do like to daydream ’bout the many possibilities of how I came to be.
- I am fascinated by water, but unlike the Manx, I don’t like bathing in it. I prefer to lounge around the kitchen faucet just to watch it getting turned on and off repeatedly. How’s it do that? Where does the water come from
- There is one folk legend about the ancestor of our breed, the Manx cat, that’s not only ridiculous, but also very historically inaccurate. It is said that during the time Noah was getting ready to set sail in his ark during the Great Flood, the Manx cat fell asleep and was still feeling groggy when Noah was closing the door. The cat got his tail stuck in the door’s hinges and it was cut off, thus explaining why both cat breeds are tailless. Funny, eh
i like the toyger cat