History of the American Bobtail Cat
The
American Bobtail developed initially through natural selection. The foundation
stock for this breed was feral domestic cats possessing a natural bobtail.
Experienced breeders, using found domestic bobtails from all over the United
States, worked together to produce the gorgeous American Bobtails we have
today. One of the more intriguing phenomena of the breed is the striking
resemblance of cats with no known common heritage, from thousands of miles
apart, have born to one another. By selectively breeding the like type cats,
breeders have helped Mother Nature to develop the American Bobtail into the
big, hearty, wild-looking bobtail cat seen today. No recognized breed of
pedigreed cat has been used in the development of the American Bobtail.
American Bobtails are a very strong and healthy breed, experiencing no known
genetic predisposition to health problems.
American Bobtails are loving and incredibly intelligent cats possessing a distinctive wild appearance. They are extremely interactive cats that bond with their human family with great devotion. They can both entertain through their antics at one moment and provide their owners a warm, soft shoulder to cry on in times of distress.
American Bobtails are known for their love of games and can play fetch or hide and seek for hours on end. They will often initiate games with their owners, and they demonstrate their hunting instincts in the home by catching in mid-air flying insects that make the fatal mistake of entering their territory. They also love to stalk their toys and carry them in their mouths, as if they were a freshly caught rodent.
Basically a quiet cat, the American Bobtail is known to trill, chirp, and click when delighted. They are easily leash trained and love to go for walks with their people. An easy going breed, they get along well with most dogs and welcome newcomers, whether they are two-legged or four-legged.
American Bobtails are loving and incredibly intelligent cats possessing a distinctive wild appearance. They are extremely interactive cats that bond with their human family with great devotion. They can both entertain through their antics at one moment and provide their owners a warm, soft shoulder to cry on in times of distress.
American Bobtails are known for their love of games and can play fetch or hide and seek for hours on end. They will often initiate games with their owners, and they demonstrate their hunting instincts in the home by catching in mid-air flying insects that make the fatal mistake of entering their territory. They also love to stalk their toys and carry them in their mouths, as if they were a freshly caught rodent.
Basically a quiet cat, the American Bobtail is known to trill, chirp, and click when delighted. They are easily leash trained and love to go for walks with their people. An easy going breed, they get along well with most dogs and welcome newcomers, whether they are two-legged or four-legged.
Breed Standard For The American Bobtail Cat
GENERAL:
The American Bobtail is a medium to large, naturally
occurring, bobtailed cat. It is a noticeably athletic animal, well muscled,
with the look and feel of power. It possesses a unique natural
hunting gaze that combines with the breed’s body type and natural
bobtail to give the American Bobtail a distinctive wild appearance.
The breeds expression is one of intelligence and alertness. Females
are generally proportionately smaller than males with type a more
important aspect of the breed than size or tail characteristics.
HEAD:
Shape – broad modified wedge without noticeable flat
planes or doming, in proportion to the body. Cheekbones are apparent.
In profile slightly concave curve between nose and brow with
good length between brow & ears. Widening of the head and stud
jowls apparent in adult males.
Brow – distinctive, evidenced by a
slightly rounded forehead to eye ridge; brow border is fleshy creating
and enhancing the top line of the eye.
Eyes – Large. Almost almond in shape. Deep set. Outside corner angled slightly upward
towards the ears. Medium-wide apart. Distinctive brow above the
eye creates a top line to the eye and produces the breed’s natural
hunting gaze.
Nose – wide, being equally as wide from the inside
corner of the eye through the length of the nose into a large nose
leather.
Muzzle/Chin – Observable whisker break above a welldefined
broad medium length muzzle. Fleshy whisker pads. Chin
strong and wide in line with the nose.
Ears – Medium. Wide at base
with slightly rounded tips, wide-set, upright with a slight outward tilt.
Ear tipping and furnishings highly desirable. Lighter colored
thumbprints on the back of the ears desirable on all tabbies including
lynx points.
The American Bobtail is a medium to large, naturally
occurring, bobtailed cat. It is a noticeably athletic animal, well muscled,
with the look and feel of power. It possesses a unique natural
hunting gaze that combines with the breed’s body type and natural
bobtail to give the American Bobtail a distinctive wild appearance.
The breeds expression is one of intelligence and alertness. Females
are generally proportionately smaller than males with type a more
important aspect of the breed than size or tail characteristics.
HEAD:
Shape – broad modified wedge without noticeable flat
planes or doming, in proportion to the body. Cheekbones are apparent.
In profile slightly concave curve between nose and brow with
good length between brow & ears. Widening of the head and stud
jowls apparent in adult males.
Brow – distinctive, evidenced by a
slightly rounded forehead to eye ridge; brow border is fleshy creating
and enhancing the top line of the eye.
Eyes – Large. Almost almond in shape. Deep set. Outside corner angled slightly upward
towards the ears. Medium-wide apart. Distinctive brow above the
eye creates a top line to the eye and produces the breed’s natural
hunting gaze.
Nose – wide, being equally as wide from the inside
corner of the eye through the length of the nose into a large nose
leather.
Muzzle/Chin – Observable whisker break above a welldefined
broad medium length muzzle. Fleshy whisker pads. Chin
strong and wide in line with the nose.
Ears – Medium. Wide at base
with slightly rounded tips, wide-set, upright with a slight outward tilt.
Ear tipping and furnishings highly desirable. Lighter colored
thumbprints on the back of the ears desirable on all tabbies including
lynx points.
BODY:
Moderately long and substantial with a rectangular
stance. Chest full and broad. Slightly higher in hips with prominent
shoulder blades. Hips substantial almost as wide as chest.
Deep flank. Muscular and athletic in appearance. Allowance
should be made for slow maturation.
Legs and Feet – in proportion
to the body, of good length and substantial boning. Paws
large and round. Toe tufts desirable in longhaired varieties. Five
toes in front, four in back.
Tail – is short, flexible and expressive
and may be straight, slightly curved or slightly kinked or have
bumps along the length of the tail. Tail set in line with the top line
of the hip. Tail to be broad at base, strong and substantial to the
touch, never fragile. Straighter tails should exhibit a fat pad at the
end of the tail.
Length – Must be long enough to be clearly visible
above the back when alert, not to extend past a stretched hind
hock in length, with no one length preferred. Neck – medium in
length may appear short due to musculature.
Moderately long and substantial with a rectangular
stance. Chest full and broad. Slightly higher in hips with prominent
shoulder blades. Hips substantial almost as wide as chest.
Deep flank. Muscular and athletic in appearance. Allowance
should be made for slow maturation.
Legs and Feet – in proportion
to the body, of good length and substantial boning. Paws
large and round. Toe tufts desirable in longhaired varieties. Five
toes in front, four in back.
Tail – is short, flexible and expressive
and may be straight, slightly curved or slightly kinked or have
bumps along the length of the tail. Tail set in line with the top line
of the hip. Tail to be broad at base, strong and substantial to the
touch, never fragile. Straighter tails should exhibit a fat pad at the
end of the tail.
Length – Must be long enough to be clearly visible
above the back when alert, not to extend past a stretched hind
hock in length, with no one length preferred. Neck – medium in
length may appear short due to musculature.
COAT:
Shorthair Division:
length-medium, semi-dense;
texture non-matting, resilient with slight loft; density-double coat, hard topcoat
with a soft, downy undercoat;
miscellaneous-seasonal variations
of coat should be recognized. Coat may be softer in texture in
dilute colors, lynx points and silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray
in tabbies.
Longhair Division:
length-medium-longhair, slightly
shaggy. Tapering to slightly longer hair on ruff, britches, belly and
tail; ruff-slight, mutton chops desirable;
texture-non-matting,
resilient; density-double coat. Undercoat present, not extremely
dense;
miscellaneous-seasonal variations of coat should be recognized.
Coat may be softer in texture in dilute colors, lynx points and
silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray in tabbies.
Shorthair Division:
length-medium, semi-dense;
texture non-matting, resilient with slight loft; density-double coat, hard topcoat
with a soft, downy undercoat;
miscellaneous-seasonal variations
of coat should be recognized. Coat may be softer in texture in
dilute colors, lynx points and silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray
in tabbies.
Longhair Division:
length-medium-longhair, slightly
shaggy. Tapering to slightly longer hair on ruff, britches, belly and
tail; ruff-slight, mutton chops desirable;
texture-non-matting,
resilient; density-double coat. Undercoat present, not extremely
dense;
miscellaneous-seasonal variations of coat should be recognized.
Coat may be softer in texture in dilute colors, lynx points and
silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray in tabbies.
COLORS and PATTERNS:
any genetically possible color or combination
of colors is allowed. Preference shall be given to colors and
patterns that enhance the natural wild appearance of the breed.
High rufusing is desirable in all tabbies, including silvers, with no
penalty for lack thereof. Body patterns highly desirable in lynx points
and smokes.
RUFOUS: refers to a reddening of the coat color, especially the
ground color in tabbies. The rufous factor changes the drab beige
‘yellow’ band of the tabby to a brilliant apricot; it changes the drab
orange to a brilliant, rich red. It presents itself as a rich pale creamy
color with golden to reddish pattern to a rich pale reddish color with
golden to reddish pattern (it is not to be confused with chocolate or
cinnamon genetics).
BUTTONS and LOCKETS: allowable on any color and/or pattern.
Cats with buttons and/or lockets shall be judged as their basic color
with no penalty for such locket and/or button.
EYE COLOR: all eye colors acceptable, eye color can be copper,
gold, yellow or green; blue in bi-color/van, colorpoint, lynxpoint or
odd-eyed white cats.
any genetically possible color or combination
of colors is allowed. Preference shall be given to colors and
patterns that enhance the natural wild appearance of the breed.
High rufusing is desirable in all tabbies, including silvers, with no
penalty for lack thereof. Body patterns highly desirable in lynx points
and smokes.
RUFOUS: refers to a reddening of the coat color, especially the
ground color in tabbies. The rufous factor changes the drab beige
‘yellow’ band of the tabby to a brilliant apricot; it changes the drab
orange to a brilliant, rich red. It presents itself as a rich pale creamy
color with golden to reddish pattern to a rich pale reddish color with
golden to reddish pattern (it is not to be confused with chocolate or
cinnamon genetics).
BUTTONS and LOCKETS: allowable on any color and/or pattern.
Cats with buttons and/or lockets shall be judged as their basic color
with no penalty for such locket and/or button.
EYE COLOR: all eye colors acceptable, eye color can be copper,
gold, yellow or green; blue in bi-color/van, colorpoint, lynxpoint or
odd-eyed white cats.