Currently, experts distinguish between several breeds of bobtails or short-tailed cats: Karelian Bobtail, Pixiebob, Cimrick, Japanese Bobtail, Manx, Kurilian Bobtail, and even such exotic as the Mekong Bobtail - and they are all like a selection, unconditional cute. And each of these breeds has its own devoted fans and admirers.
In this fluffy row, a prominent place is occupied by Mr. Fascinating - an American bobtail, he is also a Yankee bob. This is what we will tell you about today.
Characteristics of the American Bobtail
The cats are of medium and somewhat larger size than what is generally considered "average". Bobtail cats are larger and, of course, a little more "weighty" than cats. The weight of adults of this breed ranges from 4-7 kg.
The average lifespan of a bobtail is 12-15 years.
Breed standard
The description, compiled by the world's largest teleological organization The International Cat Association (TICA), provides the following external features of a standard bobtail:
- The head is without any sharply marked, noticeable transitions, for example, from the forehead to the muzzle and, rather, wedge-shaped, in proportion to the body. The muzzle is broad with pronounced cheeks and full mustache pads.
- The ears are medium in size with rounded tips and wide at the very base, repeating the wedge-shaped shape of the head.
- The eyes are large, almost almond-shaped, at some angle to the ears. In some cases, their color may not correspond to the color of the individual - the exceptions are the colors of colorpoint, mink, and sepia.
- The nose is described as wide, slightly curved at the bridge of the nose.
- The body is muscular, athletic, of medium length and rectangular in shape; chest and hips wide.
- The tail is noticeably short, minimum 2.5 cm - maximum 8 cm. Both straight and slightly curled at the end are allowed.
- The coat is characterized as elastic. It can be long or short.
Colors
The colors of the American Bobtail cats can be different and contain patterns, however, the most preferable is still the so-called "wild colors" tabby or tabby - it is believed that such a color in which characteristic stripes are necessarily present (for example, thin lines on the face, marble stains on the sides - classic or marble tabby, etc.), was inherent in cats from the beginning, and that is why it is called "wild".
Also, common colors are colorpoint (body of light shades, from white to cream, and darker paws), solid (lit. "solid"), tort (ie tortoiseshell), all shades of black, brown, blue, and so on.
Character
American bobtails are loving - they are able to spread their unselfish love at once to all members of their family, both adults, and children. They are open to constant communication, like to be in a large company, in a word, these cats are extroverts.
And they are also distinguished by tenderness, affection, and subtle mental organization; American Bobtails do not tolerate loneliness and easily get along even with large breed dogs like St. Bernards, which also speaks of the peacefulness of American Bobtails.
At the same time, the hunting habits pronounced in the breed do not allow the coexistence of American bobtails and small pets - hamsters, white mice, and rats.
In general, the Yankee Bob is a cross between a sanguine person and a phlegmatic person.
Possible breed defects
As elsewhere, it is not complete without flaws, which (and because of them, a decrease in the pet's rating at the exhibition is possible) include:
- underdeveloped chin;
- overly long or, conversely, too short tail;
- "Increased hairiness" and others.
Pros and cons of the American bobtail
Pros - cleanliness, ingenuity, benevolence. Cons - the high cost of kittens, a predisposition to diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Upbringing
It is recommended to start raising a pet immediately after it appears in the house: here is training to the tray, and to the scratching post. Good stimulation of the awakening of the cat's hunting instincts will be games with the use of balls directly "tangible" by the pet, various suspensions like rustling candy wrappers, and so on.
Care and maintenance
The exemplary maintenance of the American Bobtail implies periodic bathing of the pet, 3 - 4 times a year (i.e., once a quarter), and brushing its coat, especially long-haired representatives of the breed, even though their coat is not subject to the formation of tangles.
Hygiene
Owners of American bobtails are strongly advised to brush their pet's teeth - this procedure is performed at home or at a veterinarian's appointment.
An American bobtail's nails should be trimmed at least once every two weeks.
Your pet's ears are also checked visually - at least once a week.
Caring for an American Bobtail also involves gently wiping the edges of the animal's eyes with a soft, moist, warm boiled water cloth. This should be done very gently, and use your own corner of the napkin for each eye.
Haircare
During the period of inevitable molting, the neat appearance of the pet is maintained by daily combing with a fumigator (a metal device with frequent teeth on the handle, theoretically available at any pet store) or an ordinary slicker. The rest of the time, this procedure is sufficient to carry out 2 - 3 times a week.
American bobtail diet
It is strictly forbidden to include food from the common table in the diet of cats.
The basis of the daily diet of representatives of this breed should be meat and fats. But carbohydrates are directly contraindicated for them - since their abuse leads to obesity of the pet. Dry food from well-known super-premium or holistic-class producers is well suited.
Health
Despite the rather good genetics, representatives of this breed, alas, are imperfect and predisposed, first of all, to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This circumstance is explained by the peculiarities of the anatomy of their skeleton - a shortened spine and the absence of caudal vertebrae.
Possible diseases
In addition, American bobtails often suffer
- allergic reactions
- urolithiasis,
- dysplasia of the hip joints (DTBS).
And the fact that the pet is healthy is indicated by its soft tummy, clear eyes, clean coat, and absence of abrasions from combs.
Vaccinations, treatment against parasites
Like all domestic cats, healthy Yankee beans are periodically vaccinated from an early age in order to develop immunity to various diseases such as
- caliciviruses;
- panleukopenia;
- rhinotracheitis and so on.
Interesting Facts
American bobtails are still very rare. So, at the beginning of this century in the United States, there were only 216 representatives of this breed.
The tail of each bobtail is like a fingerprint - unique and inimitable, even if we are talking about kittens of the same breed and from the same litter.
The "average" American bobtail cannot be denied intelligence and ingenuity, ingenuity: for example, it does not cost him anything to independently get out of a cage locked on a latch or a magnetic lock, and even from a closed room. Hence another unofficial, but very eloquent nickname - Houdini.
Where to buy a kitten, cost
There are no nurseries specializing in breeding American Bobtails and selling their kittens in Russia and neighboring countries.
But there is also a great alternative - the aforementioned Kurilian bobtail is quite available in Russia.
By the way, the cost of pet-class American Bobtail kittens, that is, they do not have an exhibition perspective, domestic, is 600 "evergreens", while the cost of young individuals of show and breed classes, respectively, an exhibition and breeding stock, can reach up to 1000 US dollars per kitten.
For comparison, the cost of Kurilian Bobtail kittens can fluctuate between 5,000 and 15,000 rubles from the hands of a private owner - not a breeder whose cat just lambed, and up to 30,000 rubles when it comes to purchasing a show-class kitten in a cattery.
Of great importance and influence on the final cost of an individual is its age and gender - usually, cats are more expensive.
How to choose a kitten
The presence of an international veterinary passport for an American Bobtail kitten with vaccination marks and metrics with data on birth and origin is a guarantee of his, a potential pet, "authenticity."
In favor of the breed of a probable pet is also said
- short tail, flexible and not allowing any kinks or knots;
- tassels on the ears - like a probable ancestor, a lynx;
- soft, shiny, elastic coat;
- flat back; and finally
- elongated hind legs.
Common nicknames
Bobtail nicknames can be very different, both Russian-speaking and clearly "foreign", literally from "A" to "Z": Avatar, Blues, Viscount, Hector, Jumbo, and so on and so forth.
The history of the emergence of the breed
Despite the similarity, the cat breeds listed at the beginning of becoming are not closely related - they do not have a single ancestor with a short tail, from which their common pedigree would begin. And all their similarity, in addition to the well-known common features of the family, boils down to a short tail, which appeared as a result of some genetic mutation.
American Bobtail breeders trace the history of this breed to the turbulent 1960s, and the ancestor of the breed is considered to be a cat from South Arizona named Jody. But where and when exactly he came, none of them really knows. It is only known that the short-tailed kitten resembling a lynx was noticed by a certain married couple who decided to "adopt" him. Interestingly, local Indians (Jody was found on the territory of the reservation) claimed at the same time that Jody's father was indeed a representative of these forest cats.
Soon Jody himself became the father of several short-tailed pranksters who were brought to him by a Siamese cat who lived with his "adoptive parents." So, step by step, the breeding of American Bobtails began - in the 1970s they were already crossed with representatives of other domestic cats in the expectation that the short tail, as a sign of the new breed, would remain. Needless to say, these breeders' expectations were ultimately justified?
It is clear that at first there was no need to talk about the purity of the breed, because all the litters were from cats of different breeds, including "noblewomen", and, although from the very beginning they had the main distinguishing feature - a short tail, they were rather a mestizo.
Currently, this breed is officially recognized, but even in the United States, purebred individuals of this breed are still very rare.