American Bobtail is a rather rare breed in our country. A leisurely swinging gait, a hunting look and a funny little tail make their appearance memorable. These are intelligent and attached to humans beings with a high level of intelligence. The second name of the breed is snow bean. So often called bobtail, which in color resembles an Alaskan lynx.
From the history of the breed
The American Bobtail cat breed is still very young. She appeared in the sixties of the last century as a result of a random natural mutation of a cat ragdoll.
The American Shorthair Bobtail first appeared in North America. The history of the breed begins with a cat named Yodi. Spouses Brenda and John Sandres found this kitten on an Indian reservation in Arizona. It had a brown tabby color and a short ponytail. Thus, Yodi got to his masters and began to live in Iowa.
Kittens born from him and a domestic cat received a short tail from his father. Sanders' neighbors Charlotte Bentley and Mindy Schulz drew attention to unusual offspring. They crossed short-tailed kittens with colorpoint (long-haired cat). Thus, a real American bobtail was born, a photo of which was even posted in a local newspaper.
A variety of long-haired bobtail appeared later. This happened after a short-haired representative of the breed was crossed with a Persian colorpoint cat . In the USA they are called Himalayan. Outside North America, the species is quite rare. In 1989, TICA (felinological organization) recognized the breed.
American Bobtail Shorthair: All About the Breed
We want to say right away that in Russia these animals are still not very common. Today, two varieties are distinguished: American Bobtail Longhair and Shorthair. The main external difference of these animals is a short tail. The American Bobtail Shorthair (like Longhair) is an animal short and stocky, large or medium size. Cats weigh four to seven kilograms. The cats are a little smaller.
Head
Representatives of the Bobtail breed have a large wedge-shaped head with rounded contours. There are no noticeable bulges. Its size is proportional to the body. The muzzle is wide.
The ears are small, with slightly rounded tips. At the base, they are wide, continuing the shape of the head. According to the standard, the presence of brushes on the ears is desirable .
The eyes are almond-shaped, expressive, large, located at a slight angle. Their color sometimes does not match the color. The exceptions are sepia, colorpoint, mini.
The nose is slightly bent in the bridge of the nose, wide.
Torso
American Bobtail has a medium-length body, rectangular, with a full and wide chest and hips, muscular and athletic physique.
Paws are long, proportional to the body, for long-haired representatives of the breed it is desirable that there are tufts of wool on the paw pads.
The tail is short and flexible. Its length is at least 2.5 cm, the maximum should not exceed eight centimeters. The tail may be straight, curved or slightly twisted at the end.
Wher
Regardless of whether the short-haired bobtail is in front of you or long-haired, its coat is always elastic, having a double layer. In long-haired animals, increased shagging is observed on the abdomen, paws, breast and tail. In shorthair individuals, more hair is concentrated on the abdomen, the hairs do not fit too tightly to the body.
Color
American bobtail short-haired, as well as long-haired, can have different colors and patterns, but “wild colors” - tabby are considered preferable. An example of this is the American bobtail, whose photo you see below.
In addition, the following colors are allowed by the standard:
- color point;
- all shades of brown and black;
- Cake
- blue;
- lilac;
- ginger;
- cream (with and without white).
Character
It must be said that the American Bobtail Shorthair is a breed that still continues to develop. This means that the nature of the animals will still change. Meanwhile, today we can say that this is a playful and energetic animal. Many owners note that the bobtail is so cleverly able to get out of the enclosed space that it may well outshine any illusionist. This indicates a high intelligence cat.
If we evaluate the behavior of the bobtail on the scale of feline activity, where the Abyssinian cat leads with a score of 10 points, and the calmest animal, the Persian cat, completes it, then the bobtail will rightly get 8 points. He is playful enough, likes to fool around, but at the same time not as energetic as an abyssine to “run” along the walls. Bobtails do not hide their feelings, they are very affectionate, though not as "talkative" as Siamese relatives.
American Bobtail is easy to train, he is agile and jumping. This is a friendly animal that treats people very well. Cats with pleasure spend a long time in the company of the owner and members of his family, easily and naturally communicate with guests, but at the same time they do not tolerate restrictions on freedom. They love children very much. Play with them calmly, patiently. They are non-aggressive to other pets.
American Bobtail is a favorite of the whole family. Such a pet does not become attached to one person; his love is enough for everyone. Bobtails are preferred by large companies, when crowding people feel quite comfortable.
Care
Shorthair bobtails do not require complicated care. If they are combed out once a week with a steel comb, they always look great.
Longhaired animals should be combed out at least three times a week. From an early age, teach your pet grooming, then over time, the cat will be happy with this procedure. In spring and autumn (during molting), the animal should be combed out more often. If you notice that your pet’s coat is becoming oily, then the cat should be bathed, but not more often than once a month. Do not forget that for animals there are special shampoos, conditioners, etc.
Health
As already mentioned, bobtail appeared in the course of natural selection. Nature generously endowed these animals with good health and the absence of any predisposition to genetic diseases.
To prevent periodontitis in your pet, your cat should brush his teeth regularly or visit a veterinary clinic at least once a month. Bobtail claws are trimmed every two weeks. Inspect your pet’s eyes; if necessary, wipe the corners with a soft, damp cloth or cotton pad.
Feeding
Experienced cat owners know, but for beginners we’ll inform you that cats cannot eat what humans do. They need a special balanced feed. It doesn’t matter whether it is natural products or special dry (high-quality) feed.
Bobtail (as, indeed, other cat breeds) is harmful to smoked meats, sweets, salty and seasoned foods. They can’t eat everything and stay healthy. Therefore, the basis of their diet should be meat (if you choose natural nutrition). Fats, carbohydrates are difficult for them to digest. Often it is carbohydrate-rich food that provokes excess weight in bobtail, and this, in turn, leads to the development of diabetes.