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Eurocatfancy
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| Breed profile |
The American Bobtail is a medium to large bobtailed cat,
which occurs naturally.
It is quite an athletic and well muscled, with the appearance of power. The body is
slightly longer with medium high legs, with noticable large round paws.
The head of the American Bobtail has a strong, broad modified
wedge-shape, the eye brows are very distinctive. When viewed in profile there is
to be seen a gentle concave curve between the nose and the brows, i.e. the nose
is gently curved.
The ears are medium to moderately large, set on the top following the
wedge-shape of the head. Lynx tufts and markings are desired.
The eyes are large and almost almond in shape giving it a natural hunting gaze.
The muzzle should be as long as wide with a slight whisker break and full
whisker pads, i.e. it should be clearly seen.
The tail should be clearly visible above the back when the cat is alert and
should
not exceed the hock in length. The optimum tail is articulated and nearly
straight with very slight curves.
The average length of the tail is one to four inches, but some tails may be
shorter or longer. No two tails are exactly the same.
The coat is very unique for this breed, and
comes in both a medium, semi-dense shorthair and a medium-length longhair which
is resilient and resistant to water.
In the shorthair Bobtail the coat stands slightly away from the boddy and may be
slightly longer on the belly.
In the longhair Bobtail it shows a ruff, britches and is longer on the belly and
tail.
When in motion, the cat should exhibit a natural rolling gait
giving the cat the resemblance of a bobtailed wildcat.
The American Bobtail is specially noted for its wild look, with an exceptional
disposition and adaptability.
The breed is slow maturing, taking two to three years to reach
the full type of an adult. The males are noticable larger and heavier than the
females. |
History
In the 1960s the breed was first discovered by John
and Brenda Sanders, who spent their vacation in Arizona. They named
the stubby-tailed stray Yodie. After returning home to Iowa, Yodie
mated with a domestic cat, named Mishi, a
sealpoint Siamese female. Some of the resulting offspring had bobbed tails
like their father, thus indicating that the gene governing the bobbed tail was
dominant, since only one copy of the gene was necessary to express a bobbed tail in
the offspring. Yodie and his offspring were mated to several breeds,
such as Ragdolls, Birmans and Himalayans, as well as Siamese, random-bred domestics, and
possibly Manx.
For this new breed the name American Bobtail was chosen.
But the original lines from Yodie and his descendants became
inbred, and in the mid-1980s some breeders decided to refurbish
the breed and new
bloodlines were introduced.
Originally only short-tailed longhair cats with a pointed-pattern,
with white mittens and a white blaze on the face were intended to be
bred.
But a group of new breeders worked toward cats that resembled
more the originally type of stubby-tailed Yodie, who was a large, feral-looking tabby
cat
with a shaggy coat. Breeding was done very thoroughly to get the domestic temperament.
Breeders chose short-tailed
random-bred domestics that fitted the desired type and look. No other breeds were
used in these later breeding programs.
2000 the Bobtail was recognised by the CFA. |
Temperament
The Bobtail is affectionate, incredibly intelligent and gentle.
They are noted for their dog like personalities and their devotion to their
owners, and always welcome newcomers, whether they are two-legged
or four-legged. They easily adapt to a busy or quiet environment.
They are basically quiet cats, however they do trill and chirp when they get delighted in their games
- they love to play for hours on end.
Your heart will be stolen by an American
Bobtail.
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Grooming
Despite its soft and thick coat the American Bobtail is easily
groomed. Bare in mind, that it originates from a feral stray, thus having
adapted its coat well to its natural surrounding. The longhaired Bobtail shall
be groomed from to time. |
Include
the link to the database.
 
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