The American Bobtail is a fairly recent cat, best known in the United States and still little in Europe.
However, it is an adorable cat, very gentle and delicate with his master, sometimes clumsy, who has a behavior close to that of the dog.
It does not present any health problem and its 2 varieties, short-haired and semi-long-haired, are not difficult to maintain.
Breed history:
The American Bobtail is not descended from the Japanese Bobtail at all.
Its story takes place almost exclusively in the United States.
At least, that's where we find its origin around 1965.
In reality, the American Bobtail was born from a "marriage" between a long-tailed cat and Yodi, a brown tabby cat discovered by John and Branda Sanders on an Indian reservation in Arizona.
They decided to take him home and mate him with this female.
Several kittens, from the same litter, wore a short tail.
A friend of this couple, Mindy Shultz, looked more seriously at this new breed, determined to have it recognized.
This was the case in 1989, although the breed is still being developed.
Physical characteristics:
- Its body:
the American Bobtail is medium to large in size.
He is muscular, athletic and gives off an impression of power.
It is of semi-cobby format. His body is longer than tall. It features a full chest and strong hips.
Males are usually more heavily built than females, which retain a certain femininity.
- His hair:
the American Bobtail comes in 2 varieties: a first with short hair and a second with semi-long hair.
Each time, the hair is shaggy and rather provided at the level of the collar, the tail, the belly and the hindquarters.
Tufts of hair are there on the legs for the long-haired variety.
A seasonal variation is allowed in the subject with semi-long hair, it is notable in the subject with short hair.
- Its color:
the standard of the American Bobtail is not very difficult since it accepts all colors in all possible formats in this cat.
- His head:
it is wide, without any flat surface.
Its powerful jaws are visible. In profile, we see a head with a slightly curved nose and a slight stop.
The cheeks are full and the chin is strong.
- His eyes:
they are large, quite wide, oval in shape and slanted in relation to the base of the ear.
The color is often matched with that of the dress, as uniform as possible.
- His ears:
the ears of the American Bobtail are of medium size, wide at their base, well opened and placed quite low.
A little rounded with plumes at their end.
- Its tail:
it is quite short since it measures between 2 and 10 cm.
It never exceeds the point of the hock.
Behavior and character:
With a slightly wild appearance, like the Lynx or the Bengal, the American Bobtail is very gentle, strongly devoted to its owner and his adoptive family.
He is quite playful, rather active and also likes to stroll around the apartment or hang out on the family sofa from time to time.
He loves the company of children. That of congeners and other animals does not bother him either.
Note that he has a behavior bringing him closer to the dog, which means that he is often called a "cat-dog".
Indeed, it can sometimes turn out to be a pot of glue with its owner.
He loves the latter and is ready for any sacrifice.
He knows how to adapt to all environments and lifestyles.
In any case, he does not support loneliness at all.
Living conditions:
Living in an apartment suits him perfectly, as long as it has a balcony so that he can breathe the outside air from time to time.
Of course, he will need to have accessories such as a cat tree or a scratching post, essential for his personal development. He is a calm cat who would rather laze around on a sofa than go out for a run.
Health:
The American Bobtail, in addition to being excellent company, does not present any major concern in terms of pathologies. There is no hereditary one to our knowledge. It therefore has a strong ability to resist disease. Nevertheless, it should be vaccinated against the usual pathologies of the cat which are likely to develop, namely rabies, typhus, leucosis and coryza.
Maintenance and hygiene:
Due to a fairly dense undercoat, the American Bobtail requires regular but not complicated maintenance.
Except during moulting, brushing should be done weekly, but not with a pronounced relentlessness. You have to be gentle in this exercise to preserve your coat and undercoat. You should check the condition of your ears and eyes from time to time to avoid any risk of infection.
Food:
The American Bobtail is easily satisfied with an industrial food based on high quality kibble or cat food.
Due to its low activity, it is necessary to pay attention to its diet and not to give it more than it can ingest, at the risk of falling into overweight or even obesity, which is not recommended. for his health.
It must have access to fresh, clean and regularly renewed water.
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cat breeds