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American Bobtail Cat Breed Introduction
The American Bobtail is a rare breed of domesticated cat that derived in the US in the late 1960s. This cat is commonly known for its short bobbed tail which is roughly one-third to one-half normal length of a cat’s tail. They are also commonly referred to as the Golden Retriever of the Cat World. American Bobtails are highly adaptable cats, a trait that makes them fit for travelers. Their short tail is caused by a feline body type genetic mutation that impacts their tail development.
Although they are domesticated, these cats have a more wildcat look. They are social, affectionate, and submissive to their owners. They are quite open to strangers and are always up for a play session. American Bobtails can also be taught to walk on a leash and love to play games like fetching toys. Due to their highly social and affectionate nature, they can live in homes with kids and other pets and make good companion cats for single people. American Bobtails can also serve as good therapy cats due to their friendly personality.
They have moderate energy levels and hence require moderate exercise for about 30 to 60 minutes every day to keep them healthy and happy. American Bobtails are generally healthy cat breeds although they can still suffer from health conditions like spinal issues, especially for those with no tails. They are also generally easy to maintain in terms of grooming.
Origin
This cat breed originated in the USA where they were developed and acknowledged as a breed in the late 1960s. Urban legend believes that these cats were formed by cross-breeding a wild bobcat and a domestic tabby cat. Their short tail is caused by a natural and harmless genetic mutation in the domestic cat population. A seal-point Siamese female was mated with a male short-tailed brown tabby named Yodie to form the American Bobtails’ initial bloodline. However, most of the original bloodlines have since died.
Following their original litter, other breeders began carefully breeding cats for sweet temperaments, shortened tails, wild markings with different colors, and sturdy bodies. American Bobtails were first acknowledged in 1989 by The International Cat Association in the USA. This cat breed has since been accepted for championship competitions by CFA based in the US, TICA, and ACFA.
American Bobtails are strictly permitted in the Cat Aficionado Association of China by righteousness of the CAA having embraced all of ACFA’s breed standards. However, it is quite unclear whether there are any American Bobtails in China. This breed is acknowledged as American Bobtails shorthair and American Bobtails longhair in the World Cat Federation in Germany, although they are not permitted to take part in competitions that have no WCF breed standard.
American Bobtail Lifespan
These cats have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years, although they can live for more than 15 years if healthy and maintained properly.
Grooming
Trim your cat’s nails at least twice every month to prevent overgrowth that may cause pain to your cat and result in other serious health conditions. Use sharp pet nail clippers, special scissors, or even a human nail cutter for your cat’s nails. Ensure you brush your cat’s coat once or twice a week, especially during shedding. Use a slicker brush like rubber curry to remove all the loose and dead hair, and remove mats and tangles. Remember to clean and check their ears every week for any infections, pests, parasites, etc.
Use a moist cloth, half cider vinegar, and half warm water when cleaning your cat’s ears. Avoid using cotton balls since they can damage your cat’s ears. Cleaning their ears helps to remove any dirt and wax accumulation. Bath your American Bobtails once or twice every two months using cat-friendly shampoo and conditioner. Ensure you rinse them properly until the water runs clean to prevent irritation and serious skin conditions. clean their face with a wet cloth with no shampoo or soap. Dry your cat thoroughly and gently using a towel and ensure their skin is dry.
Brush their coats after a bath to remove any tangles and mats that may have formed. Start brushing your cats’ teeth as early as possible when they are still kittens to establish a routine. Brush their teeth with their preferred feline toothpaste and a feline toothbrush at least thrice every week. This helps promote their dental and overall health and remove all accumulated plaque and tartar. Keep their litter box clean by cleaning it once or twice a day.
Shedding
These cats are moderate shedders but shed more in the fall and spring as they prepare for winter and summer.
Coat
These cat breeds have a long and shaggy or a dense and thick double coat that is either long-haired or short-haired. American Bobtails coat has a “wild” tabby appearance and comes in various patterns and colors like brown, blue, black, fawn, chocolate, cream, lilac, and red with or without white fur on their underside, chest, legs, or neck.
Hypoallergenic
American Bobtails are not hypoallergenic since they can cause allergic reactions in people with cat allergies. These cats produce dander as they shed which is very notorious for triggering allergies.
Training
These are very smart cats that require to be mentally stimulated and challenged to keep them fascinated in day-to-day life. You can achieve this by providing them with puzzle toys that need problem-solving and teaching them new tricks. When they manage to solve the puzzle, they can get a reward or praise and affection. American Bobtails are also good at playing games like hide and seek and running off from closed rooms.
You can also use positive reinforcement techniques to teach them command words like sit, lay, down, come, no, and yes. Provide your cat with a litter box and teach them where they can potty when they are still young. Allow them to spend some time in the litter box when you start training and let them dig whenever they want to. Clean their litter box frequently, at least twice a day.
American Bobtail Characteristics
– Playful.
– Social.
– Smart.
– Affectionate.
– Friendly.
– Energetic.
– Adaptable.
– Easygoing.
– Loyal.
– Confident.
– Docile.
Exercise
American Bobtails have moderate energy levels and moderate energy needs. They love playtime and exercise for about 30 – 60 minutes a day with games like fetching small items such as faux mice, playing with toys, and trying their paws at puzzle games. Most of them enjoy going on a leisure walk on a leash. Provide them with scratching toys or posts in the house in case they need to exercise their muscles. This prevents them from scratching on your furniture. American Bobtails also love to climb and jump like other cats. Providing them with a room or space to climb and jump while in the house is recommended.
Meow
These are not very vocal cats, however, they will occasionally let out a meow, purr, or chirp if they want your attention. They might also follow you around the house when you are busy and curl up in your lap when you’re resting.
American Bobtail Size
Molly American Bobtails weigh between 8 – 12 lbs ( Approx. 4 – 5.4 kg ) while tomcats weigh 11 – 16 lbs ( Approx. 5 – 7 kg ). They both have a height of 8 – 10 in ( Approx. 20 – 25 cm ).
Other cat breeds include:
Height
Both female and male cats of this breed have a height of between 8 – 10 in ( Approx. 20 – 25 cm ).
Weight
Molly American Bobtails weigh between 8 – 12 lbs ( Approx. 4 – 5.4 kg ) while tomcats weigh 11 – 16 lbs ( Approx. 5 – 7 kg ).
Health Issues
American Bobtails are normally healthy cats, but can still suffer from various conditions like spine issues, particularly those with no tails because of their shortened spine. Some of these cat breed health issues include:
– Hip dysplasia.
– Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
– Polycystic kidney disease.
Names
These cats can also have other names based on their personalities, colors, and their parents’ preferences. Some of American Bobtails names include:
– Alexa.
– Daisy.
– Nala.
– Arthur.
– Scooter.
– Maximillian.
– Jasmine.
– Diana.
– Mack.
– Aslan.
– Monarch.
– Smokey.
– Rocco.
Food
Your cat’s diet highly depends on their activity levels, age, and general health. American Bobtails should have a diet with high-quality, high-protein food since cats are carnivores by nature. As a cat parent, you can try mixing some wet food with dry food a couple of times per week to add some variations to your cat’s diet. Give moderate treats while training and follow your cat’s feeding guidelines strictly since these cats are quite prone to be obese.
Ensure your American Bobtail diets have carbohydrates, healthy fats, minerals, vitamins, and fiber, with a high percentage of high-quality protein. Give them water to stay hydrated especially if they are feeding on dry foods. Kittens should only feed on suitable kitten food throughout their first year of life to help them in their development and growth. Feed your American Bobtails with one cup of food every day divided into two meals at the same time.
Collar Size
The collar size of your American Bobtails depends on their age. Adult American Bobtails have a collar size of between 10 – 12.2 in ( Approx. 25 – 31 cm ).
Japanese Bobtail Vs American Bobtail
– Japanese Bobtails are quite talkative cats that will often talk to you in various ranges of chirps and meows while American Bobtails are more quiet cats that will occasionally communicate to you using a purr, meow, or a chirp when they want your attention.
– American Bobtails have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years while Japanese Bobtails can live between 11 to 18 years.
– Japanese Bobtails have medium to high exercise needs while American Bobtails have moderate exercise needs.
– American Bobtails have a tail that looks half the length of a normal tail while Japanese Bobtails have shorter tails that look like docked tails.
– Japanese Bobtails ears appear to face sideways more than the front while American Bobtails ears face forward.
– Japanese Bobtails have large oval-shaped eyes while American Bobtails have large almond-shaped eyes.
Colors
White
There are purely white or snow-white American Bobtails while some have white on their body and some brown on their tail, face, and legs. Other American Bobtails are white with some black tabby patterns.
American Bobtail Black
Black American Bobtail cats and kittens mostly have a solid black color. Others mostly have a white color on their bodies with some black patches. These cats can also have black with other colors like grey and brown.
Orange
Most orange-colored American Bobtails’ have tabby pattern coats with white on their chin, neck, or underside. Most of these orange cats and kittens have green eyes.
Black And White
Black and white American Bobtails can have more white than black and vice versa. Those with more white color tend to have some black patches on their bark, legs, face, and tail and have black ears. Those with more black have a black color on their face, ears, legs, back, and tail, with white on their chin, neck, legs, and their underside.
Grey
Grey American Bobtails have tabby patterns with black markings. Their underside has a plain color that is mostly grey.
Types
There are two types of American Bobtails which are:
– Long-haired with a long and shaggy coat.
– Short-haired with a dense and thick coat.
Shorthair
Shorthaired American Bobtails have a medium-length coat that is dense and thick.
Longhair
Longhaired American Bobtails have a long and shaggy coat.
Long Tail
These cat breeds are born with generally short tails and others with no tails. However, American Bobtails born with tails vary in length. Some may have a tail that is very short and appears like it has been docked while others can have a tail that is half the length of a normal cat’s tail length.
Nose
They have a large nose that is passably straight with a little curve between the eyes.
American Bobtail Maine Coon Mix
American Bobtails Maine Coons mix is achieved by crossbreeding American Bobtails with Maine Coons. These cats are bigger and can weigh 14 – 20 lbs or more ( Approx. 6.4 – 9.1 kg ) with a length of about 35 – 40 in ( Approx. 89 – 102 cm ).
Tabby
These cats mostly have a tabby coat pattern, especially those that have grey, brown, or orange-colored coats. Their tabby patterning looks like that of a wild bobcat or lynx.
Kitten
They can litter between 2 to 5 kittens at a time.
American Bobtail Price
American Bobtails are quite rare and expensive and their prices varies depending on breeders. Their price ranges between $600 to $1,500.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Big Do American Bobtail Cats Get
Molly American Bobtails weigh between 8 – 12 lbs ( Approx. 4 – 5.4 kg ) while tomcats weigh 11 – 16 lbs ( Approx. 5 – 7 kg ). They are all 8 – 10 in ( Approx. 20 – 25 cm ) tall.
Are American Bobtail Cats Hypoallergenic
American Bobtails are not hypoallergenic cats since they produce dander while shedding. Dander is known to cause allergic reactions hence they are not suitable for people with cat allergies.
How Long Do American Bobtail Cats Live
These cats have a life expectancy of between 12 to 16 years although they can live more than 16 years.
Do Bobtail Cats Have Health Problems
American Bobtails are generally healthy and strong cat breeds, but can still suffer some health conditions like polycystic kidney disease, hip dysplasia, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Those born with no tails are more likely to suffer from spine problems due to their short spine.
American Bobtail Quick Facts
- They have short tails compared to other cats.
- Some American Bobtails can be born with no tails or shorter tails and are quite susceptible to spine health issues.
- American Bobtails are found in various colors and patterns, especially tabby patterns.
