Bobtail American Shorthair and Longhair: all about the breed, photo

The American Bobtail is a rare breed in our country. A leisurely swinging gait, a hunting look and a funny little tail make their appearance memorable. These are intelligent and attachable to humans beings with a high level of intelligence. The second name of the breed is the snow-bob. It is more often called a bobtail, which in color resembles an Alaskan lynx.

From the history of the breed

The breed of cats is a very old American Bobtail. It appeared in the sixties of the last century as a result of an accidental natural mutation of cat regdoll.

American short-haired Bobtail first appeared in North America. The history of the breed begins with a cat named Yodi. Spouses Brenda and John Sandres found this kitten in the Indian reservation in Arizona. He had a brown tabby color and a short tail. Thus, Yodi came to his masters and began to live in Iowa.

Born from him and the domestic cat cats kittens inherited from his father a short tail. The Sanders' neighbors Charlotte Bentley and Mindy Schultz paid attention to unusual offspring. They crossed short-tailed kittens with a colorpoint (long-haired cat). Thus, a real American Bobtail appeared, the photo of which was even placed in a local newspaper.

A variation of long-haired bobtails appeared later. This happened after the short-haired representative of the breed crossed the Persian cat colorpoint. In the US they are called Himalayan. Outside of North America, the species is rare. In 1989, the TICA (felinological organization) recognized the breed.

American Bobtail Shorthair: all about the breed

Just want to say that in Russia these animals are still very common. Today, there are two varieties: the American Bobtail is long-haired and short-haired. The main external difference between these animals is a short tail. American Bobtail Shorthair (as well as long-haired) - animal is short and stocky, large or medium-sized. Cats weigh between four and seven kilograms. The cat is a bit smaller.

Head

Representatives of the Bobtail breed have a large head in the form of a wedge with rounded contours. There are no noticeable protuberances. Its size is proportional to the trunk. The muzzle is wide.

Ears small, with slightly rounded tips. At the base they are wide, continue the shape of the head. By the standard it is desirable to have brushes on the ears .

The eyes are almond-shaped, expressive, large, located at a slight angle. Their color sometimes does not match the color. The exception is sepia, colorpoint, mini.

The nose is slightly curved in the bridge of the nose, wide.

Torso

The American Bobtail has a medium-length body, rectangular, with a full and broad chest and hips, a muscular and athletic build.

Paws long, proportional to the body, for long-haired representatives of the breed it is desirable that the pads of the paws have tufts of wool.

The tail is short and flexible. Its length is at least 2.5 cm, the maximum should not exceed eight centimeters. The tail can be straight, curved or slightly twisted at the end.

Cher Ity

Regardless of whether the short-haired Bobtail is in front of you or long-haired, its fur is always elastic, having a double layer. In long-haired animals there is a marked looseness on the abdomen, paws, breast and tail. In short-haired individuals, more fur is concentrated on the abdomen, the hairs do not fit too tightly to the body.

Color

American Bobtail Shorthair, like the long-haired, can have different colors and patterns, but "wild colors" - tabby are preferred. An example of this is the American Bobtail, the photo of which you see below.

In addition, the following colors are allowed by the standard:

• Colorpoint;
• All shades of brown and black;
• Cake;
• blue;
• Purple;
• Redhead;
• Cream (with and without white).

Character

It must be said that the American short-haired Bobtail is a breed that is still developing. This means that the character of the animals will also change. Meanwhile, today we can say that this is a playful and energetic animal. Many owners note that the Bobtail so cleverly can get out of the closed room, which can completely outshine any illusionist. This indicates a high intelligence of the cat.

If you evaluate the behavior of a bobtail on the scale of cat activity, where the Abyssinian cat with a score of 10 points leads, and the most calm animal, the Persian cat, completes, the bobtail will fairly receive 8 points. He is quite frisky, likes to fool around, but not so energetic as an abyssinian to "run" on the walls. Bobtails do not hide their feelings, they are very affectionate, though not as "talkative" as Siamese relatives.

The American Bobtail is easy to train, he is quick and quick. It is a friendly animal, perfectly related to man. Cats happily spend a long time in the company of the owner and members of his family, easily and naturally communicate with guests, but at the same time do not tolerate restrictions on freedom. Very fond of children. Play with them calmly, patiently. They are not aggressive to other domestic pets.

The American Bobtail is the favorite of the whole family. This pet is not attached to one person, his love is enough for everyone. Bobtails are preferred by big companies, with the crowd of people feel quite comfortable.

Care

Shorthair Bobtails do not require complex care. If they are combed once a week with a steel comb, they always look great.

Long-haired animals should be combed at least three times a week. From an early age, accustom your pet to grooming, then over time, the cat will be pleased with this procedure. In spring and autumn (during molting), the animal should be combed more often. If you notice that the coat of your pet is becoming fat, then the cat should be bathed, but not more often than once a month. Do not forget that for animals there are special shampoos, conditioners, etc.

Health

As already mentioned, the bobtail appeared in the course of natural selection. Nature generously endowed these animals with good health and lack of any predispositions to genetic diseases.

To prevent the appearance of periodontitis in your pet, the cat should regularly brush his teeth on his own or at least once a month visit a veterinary clinic for this. The bobtail claws are cut every two weeks. Inspect the eyes of your pet, if necessary, wipe the corners with a soft damp cloth or cotton pad.

Feeding

Experienced koshatniki know, and beginners will be informed that cats can not eat the same as humans. They need a special balanced feed. It does not matter whether it is natural products, or special dry (high-quality) feed.

Bobtails (as, indeed, other breeds of cats) are harmful smoked meat, sweets, salted and seasoned with spices food. They can not eat everything and still remain healthy. Therefore, the basis of their diet should be meat (if you choose a natural diet). Fats, carbohydrates are difficult for them to digest. Often it is carbohydrate-rich food provokes bobtails excess weight, and this, in turn, leads to the development of diabetes.