About

And a fanlisting is a .....?

The long and the short of it: a listing of fans by fans for fans. The point of these babies is for fans of whatever it may be...an anime, a character, animals, a hobby, a movie, etc ...to fuse together in a happy little place where others like you dig the same thing. Slick, ne? This site among so many other fanlistings can be found at The Fanlistings.org

About the Manx 

Manx cats originated on the Isle of Man. For several hundred years there have been records of this strange little tailless cat, and it is believed that this taillessness is a genetic mutation. This mutation may have been caused by the fact that all the cats are confirmed to this one island.   

Folklore

There are many folk tales of how the Manx came to be. Some say that a tailless cat came to the island in the 1500s with a Spanish armada, however, there are no records of such cats in Spain. It is also said that they came from Asia, and therefore a cousin of the Japanese Bobtail. However, there is a genetic (and a big physical) difference between these cats. (Bobtails have a kinked bobbed tail, which is quite different from the Manx altogether) 

The most popular story that I have heard related to Noah's ark. There were two cats in the lapse of leisure, taking their sweet time getting on the ark and Noah, in a fit of haste, hurriedly closed the giant door, cutting off their tails in the process.

A folkloric poem from the Isle of Man, explains their cat's unique attribute (or lack thereof!)

Noah, sailing o'er the seas
Ran high and dry on Ararat,
His dog then made a spring and took
The tail from off a pussycat.
Puss, through the window, quickly did fly
And, bravely, through the waters swam,
And never stopped 'til high and dry,
There, upon the Isle of Man.
The tailless earned Mona's thanks,
And, ever since, was called a Manx!

*Mona was the name given to the Isle of Man by the Roman emperor, Caesar.

Appearance

Aside from taillessness, Manx cats have a compact heavy-set body, with full facial cheeks bearing a sweet expression. The have the shortest spines of all the breeds of cats, and this spine slopes upward from the neck to its rump.   Its rounded rump is supported by long back legs, whereas its front legs are somewhat shorter. This reminds me of those old fashioned  dune buggies with larger rear wheels. The Manx's body is reminiscent of a rabbit in that respect. Manx cats have a thick double coat and come in a variety of colors (Long-haired Manx cats are known as Cymrics) 

Manx cats also have varying degrees of "tails":

"Rumpies" are completely tailless, and have a indentation where the tail could have been.  "Rumpy risers" have  no more than three spinal vertebrae. "Stumpies" have the slightest bit of tail-a stump and "Longies" have full length tails. Rumpies and rumpy risers are the only two considered for high status in the show ring. However, the longer tailed varieties are important for breeding. A responsible Manx breeder will always breed with one "longie" parent to add sturdiness and good health to the line.    

Personality

All cat have their own individual quirks and habits, but as with any breed, there is a common thread that runs through the fabric of their personality. Manx cats are loyal, trusting, outgoing and very affectionate. Generally they like to form a tight, special bond with one person in the household, but they do interact with everyone on intimate levels. In my experience, my Manx becomes more accustomed to visits from strangers than my shy, more aloof British Shorthair. Because they seem like big soft teddies bears, it's quite irresistible to cuddle them!  Manx cats, with their loving disposition, will delight you will cuddles of their own. They love following you about the house and want to participate in your current activity, be it watching TV, reading, computer and sleeping. Because of their engaging activity, they are known as the "dog lover's cat." They want to be your confidant and best friend.  

What of this site?

This site was created using Microsoft FrontPage. I am addicted. 

Graphics were photographed or scanned by your dear webmaster and manipulated in a minimalist and modest fashion using Paint Shop Pro. 

Fonts abused: Verdana, Jenkins v2.0

A humble and respective bow goes to:
My cat Maneki, for allowing me to photograph her! *squiiiish*
Marjan Swantek and Karen Commings for their books on Manx cats 

And to Dafont.com. Because we all needs fonts.

layout- v 2.0 "Cozy Maneki"  This picture of Maneki was taken as she curled up for warmth on a snowy afternoon.

Why "Stubbin"? 

This term can be found in a Manx Gaelic dictionary, and it means "tailless cat." Hehe, I know, I got out of pondering a name for this fanlisting too easily.   

But still....why Manx cats?