Cymric Grooming

About the Cymric

A Cymric is a Manx with a long coat, appearing naturally in Manx litters rather than coming from a cross, and in some registries it is not treated as a separate breed at all.

Everything on the Manx page applies here without exception, including the serious part. The taillessness comes from a mutation affecting spinal development, and it does not stop neatly at the tail: some cats have a shortened spine, and problems ranging from a sensitive rear end to genuine neurological difficulty with the bladder, bowel and hind legs. That is why the tail site is handled with care and never pressed or pulled.

What this page adds is a great deal more coat over exactly that area, which makes the britches and the rear both harder to keep and more important to keep.

The tail site, and how the rear is handled

Cymrics vary in how much tail they have, from none at all through a small rise of cartilage to a partial tail, and the amount matters for handling.

The rump end can be sensitive, and in some cats the vertebrae stop abruptly with nerve tissue closer to the surface than it would otherwise be. Pressing, pulling or manipulating the tail site can hurt, and there is no reason to do it.

So: support the cat under the chest and hindquarters when lifting, never pick one up by or near the rump, and tell a groomer, a vet and a cattery the same thing. It is not an obvious instruction and handling a cat's back end firmly is an ordinary reflex.

Some cats have a bony rise at the tail site that can develop arthritis with age and become genuinely painful, so a cat that starts objecting to being touched there needs examining rather than avoiding.

Combing the area still has to happen, gently and with a fine comb rather than a slicker, because it is the hardest area for the cat to reach and the easiest to neglect.

The serious version of the syndrome affects bladder and bowel control, so a Cymric that is soiling itself or straining needs a veterinarian promptly, and it is not a litter training problem.

The coat, and where it mats

The coat is a genuine double coat: a dense soft undercoat under a longer glossy outer coat, medium to long, thickening noticeably over winter. There is a full ruff, a fringe on the belly and heavy britches on the hind legs.

The britches are the heaviest coat on the cat and they sit directly over the area that is already sensitive and hard to reach, which is why this breed mats there more than anywhere else.

Comb every two or three days with a fine metal comb, working right to the skin. The order that works: britches and rear first while you and the cat are both fresh, then the belly fringe, then behind the front legs, then the ruff.

Doing the difficult area first rather than last is a small thing that makes a real difference on a cat that will only tolerate so much.

Daily through the seasonal changes, which are pronounced on a double coat.

Never scissors on a mat, on this breed least of all, since the mats are over an area where the skin is loose and the anatomy is not standard.

Keeping the rear clean

This is more of a job on a Cymric than on almost any other cat and it is worth being direct about it.

A cat with no tail, heavy britches and a long belly fringe has more coat around its rear and less ability to keep it clear. Some Cymrics also have reduced sensation or control in that area because of the underlying mutation.

The result is that faeces and litter can catch in the britches, and a cat that cannot fully clean itself develops matted, soiled coat that quickly becomes sore skin.

Check the rear and the britches every few days as a routine, not only when something looks wrong.

Keeping the hair immediately around the anus and on the inside of the britches trimmed short is genuinely helpful and is the one place a Cymric benefits from scissoring, done carefully by a groomer or vet rather than at home near sensitive anatomy.

A cat that is persistently soiled, straining, or leaving damp patches where it sleeps needs a veterinarian, since that is the neurological form of the syndrome rather than a grooming failure.

Build, jumping and the rest of the routine

A Cymric is a compact, rounded, muscular cat with hind legs longer than the front, which gives it a rabbity gait and a genuinely powerful jump.

They are heavier than they look, and the coat adds to the impression, so feel for ribs rather than judging by outline.

Weight matters more here than usual, because a heavy cat with no tail for balance and a possibly compromised spine is asking a lot of its back end.

Claws want tipping every two to three weeks. Provide a sturdy post and never consider declawing.

Ears and teeth get the ordinary weekly attention.

Cymrics are generally placid, people oriented and tolerant, which makes the frequent handling this breed needs realistic if it starts in kittenhood.

Because the breed can carry real health problems, buying from a breeder who is open about the risks matters, and any kitten with difficulty walking, or with bladder or bowel problems, needs veterinary assessment rather than reassurance.

What to tell your groomer or vet

Say the tail site must not be pressed, pulled or manipulated, and that the cat is lifted with support under the chest and hindquarters.

Ask for the britches and the rear combed first, gently, with a fine comb rather than a slicker.

Ask for the hair around the anus and inside the britches kept trimmed short, done by a professional.

Say the coat is not to be clipped unless it is genuinely pelted.

Mention any history of soiling, straining or hind leg weakness, because it changes what they are looking at.

Say never scissors on a mat.

Keeping the coat between grooms

Common Questions About the Cymric