brief information
- Weight: 3-7 kg.
- Cost (price) of a kitten: $500-1300 (in America).
- Life expectancy: up to 13-18 years.
- Breed diseases: hip dysplasia, dermatitis, allergies and oral diseases.
- Country of origin: USA (Florida).
- Time of birth of the breed: 1989
American Bobtails are cute and playful cats with adorable short tails. In this article we will try to tell you as much as possible about this breed.
History of the American Bobtail breed
The emergence of the American Bobtail as a specific cat breed is unclear, despite being very recent history. According to one legend, they appeared from the crossing of a domestic cat and a lynx (which has a short tail by nature), but in fact they are the result of the work of nature.
In 1965, in Arizona, John and Brenda Sanders discovered a kitten with wild habits and an unusual appearance: the kitten had a very short, curled tail. This kitten was tamed and named Yodi.
When Yodi grew up, he gave birth to kittens from an ordinary domestic cat, Misha. Interestingly, they inherited their dad's short tail. Soon, the kittens were noticed by family friends - Mindy Schultz and Charlotte Bentley, who saw a chance to get a new breed. However, the lines coming from Yodi and his descendants began to degenerate, and in the mid-1980s a group of breeders decided to inject fresh blood into the breed.
By selectively breeding, they eventually bred a large, dense, wild cat-like cat, distinguished by excellent health and the absence of genetic diseases.
This is due to the fact that during the selection, none of the hybrid cat breeds were used, only ordinary domestic and wild cats. Thus, they have strong genetics, not distorted by previous mutations. Initially, cats were long-haired; short-haired bobtails appeared by accident, but the standard was rewritten for them.
The breed received official recognition in 1989.
Today the number of American Bobtails is still very small. Crossbreeding of bobtails with domestic longhaired and shorthaired cats is still permitted to maintain the health of the gene pool. Despite rumors that the breed originated from the mating of a lynx with a domestic cat, the breed is considered to have arisen naturally as a result of spontaneous mutation rather than hybridization.
Feeding the cat
High-quality nutrition is the key to the proper development and health of the American Bobtail. Therefore, a short-tailed cat needs to be provided with balanced feeding.
Complete diet
The American Bobtail cat will not refuse either industrial or natural food. When choosing drying, it is advisable to give preference to super-premium or holistic-class products, which contain all the necessary nutrients.
The following foods are best suited for short-tailed Yankee beans:
- AATU;
- Carnilove;
- Now Natural Holistic;
- Acana.
On a note. A cat who eats dry food should have easy access to fresh drinking water.
The natural diet for the American Bobtail is composed so that it is dominated by lean, fresh meat. Also on the menu of a short-tailed cat must include:
- pureed vegetables;
- raw quail eggs;
- dairy products;
- lean sea fish.
On a note. The serving size is calculated so that there are 20 g of food per 1 kg of Yankee bean weight.
It is strictly forbidden to give the American Bobtail:
- fresh milk;
- vegetable proteins;
- sweets;
- onion;
- garlic.
Feeding frequency
The kitten eats less and more often than an adult American Bobtail. Therefore, the number of feedings directly depends on the age of the short-tailed pet:
- up to 8 weeks – 5-6 times a day;
- 2-5 months – 3-4 times a day;
- from 6 months – 2 times a day.
It is advisable to feed the American Bobtail at the same time so that the cat gets used to the regime.
Vitamins and minerals
When fed naturally, the American Bobtail does not receive all the necessary microelements. Therefore, vitamin and mineral supplements are introduced into the diet twice a year.
Typically a Yankee bean is given:
- AniVital FeliDerm;
- 8 in 1 Excel Brewer's Yeast;
- Nutri-Vet Probiotics Salmon Oil;
- Beaphar Laveta Super;
- Petvital Energy (Canina);
- VetExpert VetAminex.
Important! Before giving your bobtail vitamin and mineral supplements, you should consult your veterinarian.
Appearance and description of the bobtail
American Bobtails grow slowly and will take two or three years to reach adult size. Typically cats are smaller than females in size. Males weigh 5.5-7.5 kg, and male cats 3-5 kg. They live for about 11-15 years. They are quite large cats with a muscular body.
The tail is short, flexible, wide at the base, and expressive. It can be straight or slightly crooked, have creases or knots along its entire length; no two tails are alike. It feels firm and strong, never brittle. The tail should not be longer than the joint of the hind leg, and should be clearly visible from the front when raised. There is no preferred tail length, but the absence of one or a long tail is a reason for disqualification. The combination of a short tail with a large size and striped coloring gives us a cat that closely resembles a wild animal.
The head is wide, almost square, with widely spaced, almond-shaped eyes. The shape of the eyes, coupled with the wide muzzle, gives the cat a hunting expression, which also reflects intelligence. Eye color can be any; there is no correlation between eye color and coat color. The legs are short and powerful, muscular, with rounded pads, as befits a heavy cat.
The breed comes in two varieties: short-haired and long-haired. Long-haired bobtails look a little like a lynx. Short-haired ones have medium-length, elastic hair with a thick undercoat. Long-haired ones have slightly shaggy hair, dense, slightly longer on the collar area, panties, belly and tail. Any colors and colors are allowed, although preference is given to those that resemble a wild cat.
Interesting Facts
Despite the youth of the breed, many interesting things have been associated with it:
- American bobtails are considered a rarity even in their historical homeland. At the beginning of the 21st century, only 216 cats of this breed were registered there.
- According to the unofficial version, Yankee beans appeared as a result of a mutation that occurred during the breeding of ragdolls.
- It is impossible to find two cats of this breed with the same tails. Even among bobtails from the same litter, they differ in shape, length and width.
Character and temperament of the American Bobtail
The American Bobtail is an ideal pet for those who prefer a quiet lifestyle and love comfort and regularity. Cat independence and isolation are alien to them. After all, the main qualities of a bobtail are affection, good nature, friendliness and strong attachment to family members. A sociable bobtail easily finds a common language with everyone and is happy to be friends with dogs.
Despite the calm temperament and craving for silence, the bobtail has a hard time withstanding loneliness. He gets great pleasure from simply lying on his owner's lap or being close to him while he is busy with business. The main thing to remember is that they perfectly sense the mood of the owner; they are even used in the treatment of depression. A large, warm, purring cat will help disperse any blues and bad thoughts.
He really doesn't like being left at home alone for a long time. They are average in activity and do not turn into either lazy couch cats or a perpetual motion machine that destroys the entire house. In addition, they can be taught to walk on a leash if you live in an urban environment.
American Bobtails love to go for walks and travel, so if left unchecked, they may run outside. They do not like to be in closed spaces and locked cages, showing miracles of ingenuity to get out of them. Not aggressive. They quickly find a language with guests who come to your house.
Very jumpy. Good hunters. They are fully formed only by 2-3 years of age. They sense a person’s mood subtly, which is why they are used in therapy to treat depression in people. Most of the time these cats are silent.
American Bobtails have a manic craving for everything shiny. Therefore, small shiny objects and jewelry that your pet can carry away in his teeth should be kept under a secure lock. Otherwise, the item or thing will either be damaged or hidden in a secret place.
Possessing high intelligence, bobtails easily learn various commands and tricks. They love to chase toys and carry them in their mouth. In general, this is an affectionate and devoted pet that is always ready to brighten up any (even the most cloudy) day.
Health
American Bobtails have good health. Life expectancy on average is 15 years.
Some bobtails suffer from hip dysplasia, or congenital dislocation. This is an inherited disease that, although not fatal, can be very painful, especially as the cat gets older. It leads to lameness, arthrosis and deprives the joint of mobility.
In addition, some bobtails, due to problems with the spinal cord, cannot control bowel movements. Therefore, when purchasing a kitten, the breeder must provide a written guarantee of the health of the purchased animal.
Features of behavior
The American Bobtail is considered an active breed; on the activity scale it has an 8 out of 10 points. They like to walk down the street. especially in fresh nature. This way they can fully demonstrate their hunting skills. You need to buy a lot of toys for them so that he has something to spend his time with. From time to time they need to be replaced with new or more interesting ones.
Maintenance and care
Grooming does not seem to be extremely difficult, but since this is a breed with long hair, it needs to be brushed twice a week. Especially in spring and autumn, when the cat sheds.
It is rarely necessary to bathe them, although they tolerate water, but it is better to wipe their eyes once a week, using cotton swabs. Moreover, there is a separate one for each eye, so as not to spread a potential infection. The same procedure must be performed for the ears.
Ears are cleaned and nails are shortened as necessary. A balanced diet and adherence to a healthy diet are of great importance. Bobtails should not be overfed: due to their constitution, they are prone to obesity.
Specialized feed
The choice of food is an important criterion for a cat’s health. Here you should also follow some rules:
You can't skimp on your pet's health. Cheap dry food can cause digestive problems, cause urolithiasis, lead to vitamin deficiency, and problems with hair and skin. Preference should be given to premium food.
It is necessary to alternate dry and wet food. For example, give dry food during the day, and offer soft food for dinner.
IMPORTANT: dry and wet food must be from the same manufacturer.
There should always be clean and fresh water in the bowl.
How to choose a kitten
The American Bobtail is a favorite of many cat lovers. This is a very beautiful, interesting and playful species. Seeing a photo of this cute pet, many immediately fall in love with it. But how to choose a kitten, and what to look for?
First, you need to decide on the sex of the cat; the behavior and care of your pet will depend on this. In addition, it is worth deciding on the type and class of the cat. Today there are several classes: breed, pet and show, which differ in the principle of breeding.
The important thing is why exactly you want to have a pet. If just for home living, then you can choose any of the classes. If the cat attends exhibitions, then the owner better pay attention to the show class, this is a special species with a full set of striking characteristics of the breed. The breed class is intended for breeding purebred kittens and is best suited for those who want to breed pets for themselves or for sale.
The American Bobtail is a very independent and intelligent cat. But it is worth noting that the best period for purchasing an animal is about three months old. It is better to make a purchase exclusively in specialized nurseries; the pet must have a passport with all the data about it.
Sources
- https://hvost.news/animals/cats-breeds/amerikanskiy-bobteyl/
- https://catfishes.ru/amerikanskij-bobtejl/
- https://zooclub.ru/koshki/porody-koshek/amerikanskiy-bobteyl.shtml
Purchasing a kitten
The main nurseries for breeding the American Bobtail are located in its homeland - the USA. In Russia there are only private breeders of this breed.
A pet-class kitten costs an average of $500, while the cost of show cats and cats for breeding starts at $1,300.
In Russia, you need to look for short-tailed kittens at exhibitions and message boards on the Internet. The latter method is quite risky; with a high probability you can buy a mongrel kitten with tail defects, so when choosing, you must be guided by the following criteria:
- good health;
- pedigree or metric;
- vaccinations and veterinary passport;
- healthy pure breed parents;
- the opportunity to conclude a purchase and sale agreement with the seller.
Unscrupulous sellers may sell kittens with tail defects, passing them off as American Bobtails
Kittens can be safely weaned from their mother when they are at least 3 months old. When buying a new pet, be sure to ask previous owners about its habits, including preferences regarding the use of a tray and the choice of food.
In order to create more comfortable conditions for the kitten to move, it is recommended to take a sample of the used litter (if the animal is accustomed to it) and put it in the new litter box. This way, the pet can easily find a new place by smell.
