Orlovia
The American Bobtail has a remarkably short tail. But it also stands out from its peers in other respects. For example, the American Bobtail is known for its wide range of colors or for the fact that it likes to go on trips.
History and Origin of the American Bobtail
The history of the American Bobtail began with an accidental discovery in the 1960s. During this period, a stray cat with a stubby tail was discovered in the American state of Arizona – the later founding animal. When breeding began, different cats with short tails were crossed in (long- and short-haired cats with different coat colors), without preferring certain breeds.
By mating a wide variety of animals, the gene pool of American Bobtails is particularly large, which means that the cats are largely free of hereditary diseases typical of the breed. With recognition by TICA (The International Cat Association) in 1989, the breeders recorded their greatest success to date. The American Bobtail is also recognized as a breed in the LOOF standard (Livre Officiel des Origines Félines). However, recognition by the FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline), which applies in Germany, is still pending.
Essence and Character
As with other cat breeds, the characteristics of the individual individuals can be very different. However, the American Bobtail tends to:
- Curious
- Sociable
- people related
- freedom-loving
- peaceful
- active
- Playful
The Appearance of the American Bobtail
The American Bobtail is a medium-sized cat and reaches a body weight of around seven kilograms. Your build is athletic and muscular with a broad chest. Because the front legs are longer than the back legs, the back arches up towards the neck. The special focus of this cat is on the tail, which can be traced back to a spontaneous gene mutation and is inherited in a dominant manner. The cat’s tail does not look uniform – it can be curved, curled, and knotted. In addition, it varies in length and shortness (as a guide, the American Bobtail’s tail is about a third of the length of that of other cats).
The head is broad with a pronounced cheek and jawline. The eyes are large, oval-shaped, and in harmony with the fur. The ears are medium-sized and have a small tuft of fur on the tip. Also, the American Bobtail has fur between the toes. In general, all coat colors and patterns are recognized. The length of the coat is also left open in the standard and is not defined as binding. However, the American Bobtail always has a dense double coat that is soft and shiny.
Attitude and Care
The American Bobtail is an affectionate cat who is not good at being left alone. If the human does not have time for them, at least one other cat should be present. However, the American Bobtail also makes friends with dogs if it can gradually approach the other species. The velvet paw has no preference for a certain category of people, they like seniors and children equally. All that matters is that there is someone at home that she can interact with.
By the way: The communication of the American Bobtail is comparatively quiet. Their sounds sound less like those of a cat than those of a pigeon that is cooing.
Because the genome of the American Bobtail can be traced back to common domestic cats, there is genetic diversity. Therefore, the pedigree cat rarely gets sick. However, due to the different lengths of her legs, she can have problems with her hips and her stubby tail can cause problems with her spine. In addition, she can suffer from all diseases that are typical of domestic cats in the course of her life. The susceptibility to dental problems also seems to be slightly increased in the American Bobtail.
Outdoor cat or indoor cat?
Because the American Bobtail is lively, a large yard or unrestricted outdoor access would be ideal for them. Outdoor housing is therefore the recommended form of housing, but on the premise that the cat can enter the protected interior space in bad weather, at night, and in the event of danger. If the apartment is cat-friendly, keeping it indoors is also an option. However, the entrances must be well secured. The American Bobtail is curious and intelligent, which is why it tends to escape. She is lightning fast and smart enough to learn the mechanism of a doorknob. Therefore, to be on the safe side, lock the apartment door, even if you are present yourself.