The American Bobtail cat breed appeared spontaneously due to a dominant genetic mutation in Arizona in the late 1960's. It is in no way genetically related to the Japanese Bobtail breed, although they do resemble each other physically, nor It is the result of mixing with another short-tailed breed. They are very intelligent, playful, adaptive, energetic and affectionate cats. They are also he althy and strong.
Keep reading to find out all the characteristics of the American bobtail, its origin, care, he alth and where to adopt it.
Origin of the American bobtail cat
The American bobtail cat, as its name suggests, comes from the American continent It has been present on the continent since the Japanese bobtail began to grow up, but it wasn't until the 60s of the last century that importance began to be given to it.
Comes from a cross between a Siamese seal point female and a short-tailed brindle male. This male was acquired by John and Brenda Sanders, who came from Iowa when they were on vacation in Arizona, and it is thought that it was a hybrid between a domestic cat and a bobtail. In the litter they had, all the kittens had short tails and they saw the possibility of a new feline breed. These kittens were crossed with Burmese and Himalayan cats.
A friend of the Sanders wrote the first standard in the early 1970s: short-tailed, long-haired cat with white face and paws. However, in the 1980s, breeders were having difficulties with inbreeding, making the line too inbred to use. For this reason, it ended up accepting a cat of all colors, that looks like a bobcat and with long or short hair.
In 1989 it was recognized as a feline breed and from then on its popularity began and increased.
Characteristics of the American bobtail cat
The American Bobtail is a medium to large cat with an athletic and muscular body. What is most striking about its physical appearance is its short tail, which varies between one-third and one-half the length of a standard cat's tail, and can be straight, curved or slightly twisted.
Continuing with the characteristics of the American bobtail, the body is long and rectangular and the thorax is broad. The hind legs are somewhat longer than the front legs and the feet are round, large and sometimes with tufts on the fingers. The head is wedge-shaped, wide and not very large in relation to the rest of the body. The eyes are large, oval to almond shaped, set moderately apart and deep set, giving it a wild look. The ears are medium, wide at the base and slightly rounded at the tips. The snout is wide, the whiskers or whiskers are prominent and the jaw is strong and large.
American Bobtail Colors
The coat can be short or long, characterized by being dense and double-layered. The pattern can be tabby (tabby), tortuga (tortoiseshell),solid (black, blue, red), bicolor or tricolor(calico). All colors are accepted in this breed.
American bobtail cat character
The American bobtail cat is characterized by being a feline energetic, playful, affectionate, intelligent and sociable As soon as it sees an opportunity, it tends to escape to explore the outside and try to hunt some prey, since he loves being away from home. For this reason, you can teach him to go on a leash and take walks with him to satisfy that instinct. To do this, don't miss this article: "How to teach a cat to walk on a leash?'".
He is not overly dependent on human affection, but if he shows affection to his keepers, he has a good nature and Gets along very well with children and other animals. It is not a very restless or hyperactive cat, on a scale of 1 to 10 they would be in position 7.
American bobtail cat care
American bobtail care is not usually very complicated, long-haired bobtails do need a brushing more frequently than those with short hair, being ideal several times a week, to avoid accumulations of hair that cause trichobezoars or hairballs that can cause intestinal obstruction.
The hygiene requirements of the American Bobtail are not far from those of other breeds. In this sense, you should attend to the cleaning of their ears and eyes using specific products to prevent the appearance of infections. Like all cats, the nutritional needs are characterized by presenting a large percentage of protein in the total of their diet and also important to maintain their good muscles. The food must be complete, covering all the essential nutrients in their correct proportion for good organic and functional development.
The vaccination and the deworming must be covered, with even more important when going outside to prevent infectious and parasitic diseases.
American Bobtail Cat He alth
It is a breed with a tendency to suffer from hip dysplasia, an orthopedic disease that consists of a poor conjunction between the articular part of the hip (acetabulum) with the head of the femur, which causes the head of this bone to move and move, this causes the joint to become inflamed and progressively weaken, which makes it a degenerative disease that usually leads to the development of osteoarthritis, discomfort or pain, lameness and muscular atrophy of the hind limbs.
In the cases of American bobtails with a short tail, problems derived from a shorter spinemay appear, appearing conditions to spinal, bladder, or bowel level.
Despite the above, it is a very long-lived breed, with a life expectancy of 20-21 years But this does not prevent that can be affected by the same diseases that affect any other cat, whether purebred or mixed. For this reason, veterinary visits and controls are very important for prevention and diagnosis of possible diseases.
Where to adopt an American bobtail cat?
If you think that this breed is for you, being aware of the needs and attention it requires, the next step is adoption. Being a rare breed, it is very difficult to find a specimen in nearby protectors or shelters, but it is always a good option to approach and ask. The next step would be to contact associations dedicated to the recovery and adoption of this specific breed, where they can report any possibility of adopting a kitten. Likewise, keep in mind that in the shelters it is possible to find mestizo cats that come from this breed, so they will have a short tail.
