Mekong Bobtail is a breed of cat without a tail. More precisely, not entirely without a tail: it is very short, and each cat has a unique curvature of its appendage.
History
The Mekong Bobtail breed counts from the time of breeding Siamese and Thai cats. In Europe, the ancestors of these three breeds were in 1884, when they were brought from Siam. Cats were introduced to the USA in 1890. Then this breed was called Siamese by the name of its native country. The animal of this breed was the wife of one of the presidents of America. In our country, the Siamese breed was introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Siam animals, the first to reach Europe, had significant tail curvatures. This became a distinguishing feature of this breed, which was also called royal Siamese, which indicates that the royal family loved these cats.
At a later time, selection was carried out, during which cats with the most curved tails began to be discarded. If there were no Russian enthusiasts left who loved cats with broken tails, this breed would have long disappeared.
Breeding the breed, called the Mekong Bobtail, began to be engaged in Iran, China and Vietnam. In Moscow there was a club of cat lovers "Korgorushi", which also developed this breed.
The Mekong Bobtail, whose photo is decorated with more than one photo album, has an amazing feature: cats of this breed live much longer than usual. Their average life expectancy is 20-25 years. At the same time, until very old age, these animals are able to bear offspring.
Legends about these cats say that the purpose of animals is to protect temples and palaces from rodents and snakes. At that time, fractures of the tail were called rings, and the squint of these cats was highly valued in the East. The skin of these cats is not tight enough to the bones, which allows you to stretch it in different directions, without causing harm to the animal. It is believed that this made it possible for fluffy guards to calmly tolerate the bites of poisonous snakes, since the poison did not enter the bloodstream.
Another legend tells how strabismus and rings on the tail appeared. Cats, guarding valuable vases in temples, covered their tails and gazed intently at the subject. This twisted their ponytails and damaged their eyesight. The Mekong Bobtail was carefully guarded by the Thais, there was even a ban on the export of animals from the city. For the abduction of the sacred animal, which these cats were considered to be, the death penalty awaited the offender.
However, sometimes animals left the country, being donated by the kings to those persons who provided some significant services to the state as a whole or its rulers personally.
Description
This cat breed (Mekong Bobtail) is unique, it is impossible to confuse it with any other species. The most noticeable feature is a short, broken tail that immediately attracts attention.
According to legend, the princess, taking a bath, hung ornaments on the fractures of the tail. In addition, this animal has many qualities that make them related to dogs. So, they are able to bring a feed in the teeth, quickly get used to walking on a leash, are strongly attached to the owner. Moreover, which is surprising for a cat, this breed is able to establish an intuitive relationship with the owner, based almost on a genetic level.
The Mekong Bobtail was isolated in a separate breed only in 2004. It was then that the standards specific to this breed were finally approved.
Thus, the Mekong bobtail, the description of which appeared not so long ago, should look like this: its body is medium, rectangular, small, rather muscular, with elegance and very slim. The back is an almost straight line, the legs are oval, legs are of medium height.
Head with soft contours and an almost flat top. Profile almost Roman, with a strong chin, pronounced.
The tail consists entirely of knots. Their number cannot be less than three. If there are fewer or fewer knots, the cat cannot be considered to belong to this breed. The length of the tail should not exceed a quarter of the length of the animal.
The Mekong Bobtail has expressive, large and very beautiful oval-shaped eyes. Preferably, the eyes are squinted.
The ears at the base are very wide, seeming larger than they should be. The tips are rounded, the ears slightly laid back.
The coat is short, tight-fitting, smooth, very pleasant to the touch, silky. Almost no undercoat.
The most common color is color point. Kittens are almost always born completely without spots, light, and acquire a standard color in adolescence.
Cats weigh about 4-6 kilograms, which is not very heavy compared to many other breeds.
Character
A unique breed of cats is the Mekong Bobtail. The character makes them unlike any other breed. First of all, their instinct for the hunter is distinguished, expressed unusually brightly. Even in a closed room, these animals are able to find a victim. It can be any bug, fly, shadow - anything that can be confidently attacked.
In addition, the Mekong have excellent musculature, they are unusually energetic and jumping. Jumping from a place one and a half meters in height is a common thing for pets of this breed.
Cats of this breed mature very early. Even at 5 months they are ready for reproduction. There is information about an individual who continued to bear offspring when she was 21 years old. In addition, despite this earlier development, animals do not make tags in the house.
The amazing parents are the Mekong (breed Mekong Bobtail). Reviews say that cats and cats are equally patient with their offspring. It is important that they take care not only of their own children, but they can also “adopt” a completely foreign kitten.
In a feline family, the head is the female. The cat is a subject, but does not lose its natural energy.
Bobtails love to sit on the hands of someone they like. In their hands they not only sit, but actively communicate, as they are able to make various sounds.
Care
The Mekong Bobtail, the breed description of which can be seen above, does not need careful care. These cats are extremely clean, so the owner can only comb the hair during molting.
Animals can only be washed as they become soiled, but not more often than twice a month. When washing, it is important to ensure that water does not enter your ears. After this, the pet should be wiped well and left to dry in the room without a draft. Sometimes it happens that the cat falls into a tantrum from the water. In this case, you just need to wipe it with napkins.
In addition, you sometimes need to clean your ears with special tools without using cotton buds. Remove contamination only from visible parts.
If the cat's eyes fester, it is necessary to rinse the eyes with the products that are sold in the pharmacy. But do not be too zealous with them, because cats can cope with minor inflammations themselves.
Health
Genetically, these cats have no predisposition. However, you need to regularly take your pets for examinations to the veterinarian and take vaccinations, which the specialist will recommend.
Breeding
They are engaged in breeding in many countries. This happens both in nurseries and in the homes of individual breeders. Having a pair of thoroughbred animals, waiting for kittens is not a problem. If a cat and a cat live in the same house, they make up a permanent couple. However, different partners will only improve the quality of the breed and the health of the kittens.
Advantages of the breed
The Mekong Bobtail, a photo of which is available in the article, has many advantages. This is excellent health, and activity, and devotion. The content of the bobtail does not require much effort: it does not mark corners, does not make loud sounds. In addition, like dogs, these animals defend their master in cases of suspected danger.
Kittens
Kittens of this breed do not differ from others in the process of adaptation to a new house. They need to allocate a place in which the kitten will spend time until it is time to introduce him to the whole house. The baby needs to be provided with a house or bedding, a tray, bowls for food and water and a toy. If there are other pets in the house, there is no need to rush to introduce them to a new resident, this should be done a week or two after the kitten has settled in a new place.
For a safe stay of the baby, you must follow the following rules:
- The balcony and window leaves in the room where the furry pet lives should be closed. If it is necessary to keep the windows open, they should have a mosquito net.
- Poisonous plants, dangerous objects should be removed from the room. Wires must be carefully masked.
- There should not be a draft in the room, it is necessary to maintain heat in the room.
- Threads and plastic bags are bad toys. Tubular bones should also not be given to a kitten.
- The washing machine should always be closed: a kitten can hide there and go unnoticed.
- It is necessary to ensure that the animal does not climb under furniture with a low bottom.
Interesting Facts
There are several interesting things that are characteristic only for this breed.
- In communication with each other, these cats do not use voice, this type of communication is only for humans.
- They are on the heels of the owner, controlling his actions.
- Paw pads sweat in the heat.
- There are 32 muscles in the ear that cats can control with ease.
- Cats of this breed do not like loud sounds. They leave the room if the music is playing too loud or the TV is working.
- First of all, teeth, not claws, are used in a fight.
- When the ears are trembling, it means that the cat is excited.