From ancient times, Japanese Bobtail cats have been known in the Far East. Later, the distribution of these animals reached the Japanese islands, and from there charming creatures were taken to the United States in 1968. This is where animals got their name.
Japanese bobtail is an unusually agile and dexterous animal. Cat lovers often confuse Japanese and Kurilian bobtail. In fact, these are representatives of completely different breeds.
From the history of the breed
As we already said, Japanese bobtail is a native of Japan. The first cats came to the country with merchants on ships, but it is not known exactly where exactly. They only found out for certain that the Japanese deified these animals and were even afraid of them.
Domestication of cats occurred when Emperor Itidze ruled the country. He had some strange feelings for these small predators: he was afraid of their "demonic" nature, but at the same time believed that a tamed animal would increase its influence on subjects.
The more attention was paid to four-legged pets, the more interesting became the legends about them. The Japanese were convinced that there was a deity, or rather, a huge cat named Necromancer. He observes people and sends them all kinds of troubles. The negative force was believed to lie in the serpentine process located on the back of the animal, more precisely, in the tail.
The legend, like everything that cannot be explained, aroused fear. A person behaves quite predictably when he is scared. The Japanese solved the problem in their own way. To make a good, fluffy and good luck pet out of an evil Necromancer cat, all that was needed was to chop off the tail of the unfortunate animal. In any case, the Japanese thought so.
The new tailless cats were called maneki-neko. Today, the most common worship symbol is a black or golden Japanese bobtail, made in the form of a nodding figurine. The Japanese are confident that this figure brings wealth, prosperity and good fortune to the owner.
From the end of the XIX to the beginning of the XX century, cats born in Japan fell under the veterinarian’s knife: their tails were cut off. Over time, physical violence, which has been repeated from generation to generation, caused a gene mutation, and cats began to be born with twisted and shortened tails. The Japanese did not hide their joy - they managed to prevail over the Necromancer himself. Along with the victory over the fierce deity, a bright time came for cats: they began to honor, protect and idolize them.
Images of the Japanese bobtail, the photo of which is presented in this article, are found in the Gotokuju Temple (Tokyo), on old engravings, paintings of the imperial dynasties. And on the shelves of Japanese stores, figures of tailless cats, raising their forepaw, are in abundance.
Japanese bobtail cat breed : description
This animal is medium in size, harmoniously folded, with a short tail. Bobtail weight ranges from 3 to 4 kilograms. He has a convex back, long and slender legs, with the hind limbs slightly longer than the front. Bobtail's head, slightly flattened laterally, has the shape of a triangle. The neck is strong, proportionate to the body.
A wide muzzle is distinguished by rather high cheekbones. The long nose is slightly bent down. The ears are set high. The eyes are narrow and slightly slanting, set wide. It is interesting that in the breed Japanese bobtail more often than others, there are eyes painted in different colors. When purchasing a kitten of this breed, it should be borne in mind that animals with different eye colors are more expensive.
Hair coat
Bobtail wool is soft and silky, without a thick undercoat. She does not fall down and does not molt. The length of the coat on different parts of the body is different: on the muzzle, ears and paws - shorter, on the tail - longer.
Color
Representatives of this rare breed are two- or three-colored, with white being predominant. The main requirement of the standard is an intense, rich shade. The most common are mi-ke, combining white, red and black, and tortoiseshell.
Tail
And this, without exaggeration, is the most striking feature of the Japanese bobtail - a twisted, unusual tail. It reaches a length of 10-12 cm and looks like a rabbit's tail. This fact is explained by the presence of a recessive gene in these cats. That is why the crossing of representatives of this breed with long-tailed animals leads to the birth of long-tailed kittens.
Character
The Japanese Bobtail Cat is a faithful, intelligent, intelligent and somewhat phlegmatic animal. Representatives of the breed are quite "talkative", but never in vain do they make noise. With its habits, a bobtail resembles a dog: he loves to swim and carry out “aport” commands. These animals are smart, friendly and infinitely loyal to their master.
Usually such pets are flexible and soft, but sometimes they show impulsiveness. They quickly find a common language with other pets and communicate well with very young children. They get along with dogs. Breeders often note that tailless pets adopt the habits of other animals: bring things, execute commands, go on a leash, etc.
Japanese bobtail has a developed intellect, which often becomes the cause of its troubles. Owners should always be on their guard: sometimes even a closed door is not an obstacle for a pet. So that your pet does not get bored and does not begin to seek adventure, he needs to provide active leisure, surround his pet with attention and care.
Features of maintenance and care
These animals feel very comfortable both in a private house and in a small apartment. Bobtail doesn't need complicated care. In order for your pet to always look perfect, it is enough to periodically inspect and clean his ears, regularly comb his hair. To do this, use a brush with natural bristles and a comb with rare teeth.
Nutrition
Japanese Bobtail needs a balanced diet. Some owners indulge their pets with natural food, but breeders and veterinarians believe that all the ingredients necessary for cats are contained in high-quality dry feed of premium and super premium classes. These include:
- Hill's. The composition of the product includes high quality natural ingredients. The line of these feeds is produced taking into account the age of the pet, its breed, health status. You can easily choose a diet for healthy animals and for those who have some problems.
- Royal Canin. Feed manufacturers of this brand regularly improve the formulation, and therefore the products are distinguished by their palatability and nutritional value. The assortment includes pedigree, age, medical compositions.
- Pro Plan. These feeds are suitable for animals of different ages and with different health conditions. They include formulations designed for pets with special needs (sick, weakened, lactating cats, etc.).
If you prefer to feed your pet with natural products, then you need to know that the Bobtail diet should include:
- lean beef;
- sea fish;
- offal;
- dairy products.
In addition, with natural nutrition, animals need nutritional supplements and vitamins prescribed by a veterinarian.
Health
Japanese bobtail is naturally endowed with good health. Representatives of the breed are extremely rare for genetic diseases and other problems. The exception, perhaps, are skeleton defects.
Bobtail has good immunity and rarely gets sick. Those owners who regularly conduct preventive examinations of their pet in a veterinary clinic are vaccinated, Bobtails live long (up to 15 years) and are quite happy.
Where to buy a kitten?
Buying a Japanese Bobtail kitten is an expensive and serious process. The cost of an animal of this breed depends on the class of the kitten, on how much money the breeder spent on keeping and growing a bobtail. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the average price for such a baby ranges from 500 to 600 dollars.
If you want to buy a purebred animal, contact a specialized nursery or a breeder who has proven himself well.
Reviews
According to the owners of these animals, Japanese bobtail are very dedicated and intelligent cats. They can be started for families in which there are already pets. It is important for parents that bobtail are very tolerant of children's pranks. All conflicts with babies are resolved very simply: the cat simply hides to where no one can get it.
Bobtails almost never use their claws; teeth are very peaceful creatures. And the owners note the cleanliness of these animals: they sharpen their claws on a claw point, and use a tray for the toilet. Interestingly, the cat-mother teaches these rules of behavior to its offspring.