Cat Japanese Bobtail

The Cat Japanese Bobtail comes from a very old natural selection. Its origins are said to be Chinese, but it is most common in Japan where its name comes from, Bobtail meaning it has no tail or almost no tail. In Japan they are considered to be good luck charms, attracting good people, which is why in many shops in Japan there is a statuette depicting this cat with a raised paw as a sign of greeting. These figurines are called Maneki-neko and are also depicted on many greeting cards as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

Widespread in Japan, however, it is almost unknown in the rest of the world. Until 1600 this cat was exclusively the property of the Emperor and only he could keep it. They lived inside temples and in royal households, but around that year the Emperor was asked to release them to protect the silkworm plantations, which at that time were particularly threatened by rodents, and so they spread all over the country and became good domestic cats in many households.

A few specimens arrived in America in the late 1960s and in Europe around 1980.

Character of the Cat Japanese Bobtail

The Cat Japanese Bobtail has a very sweet and affectionate character. It is very intelligent and learns to respond to its name, bring back objects and even go out on a leash. They love to be among people and play, so much so that they will never stop.

They are skilful jumpers, so in the home it is a good idea to provide them with places where they can jump to their heart's content They are very curious and their intelligence leads them to be able to open doors and fridges and even doors, which can even lead to them escaping outside, although this is not very frequent as this cat takes possession of its environment and takes possession of all its parts. It is a cat that does not like solitude, if left alone a lot it gets bored and tends to amuse itself with what it finds, sometimes causing trouble.

It is very affectionate with its family members, but is not a cat that likes to spend a lot of time on its owner's lap, preferring when it feels like it to sit next to him on the sofa or even on the bed. He is known to be a great talker and tries to make himself understood by modulating his voice in delicate vocalisations.

He is suitable for children as he needs to play a lot, similarly, he is not suitable for the elderly as he is not really a lounge cat. It is not shy with strangers, on the contrary, it approaches them immediately, it gets on well with cats, especially of its breed, and also with dogs, but it tends to be the leader of the group.

Appearance of the Cat Japanese Bobtail

It is a medium-sized cat, weighing no more than 5 kilograms. The body is slender and elegant with a strong and well-developed musculature, the paws, which are also slender and long, are proportionate to the body, the hind ones being visibly longer than the front ones. This allows him to make very high jumps.

The shape of the face is triangular with well pronounced and angular cheekbones. The eyes are large, oval and very expressive. The colour may be blue, green, golden yellow and also uneven, i.e. two different colours, but always in harmony with the colour of the coat. The ears are large, well spaced and slightly bent forward.

The coat can be either short or long, but in both cases it has a soft and silky texture, with no undercoat. The colours can be varied, from white, to tiger, to two-tone, black, red, blue, cream.

But its special feature is its tail. In fact, it has a small piece of tail, usually no more than 10 centimetres. It looks like a pompom whose hairs go in all directions. In Japan it is called a chrysanthemum because it resembles this flower.

Care and health of the Cat Japanese Bobtail

This cat is very easy to keep as it hardly sheds any hair and only needs to be brushed once a week to keep it shiny and silky.

As far as health is concerned, the Cat Japanese Bobtail is considered to be a very healthy and robust cat. It has a fairly long life expectancy, around 16 years. The dominant gene responsible for the tail length is not associated with spinal column abnormalities.

As it has no undercoat, it fears the cold, but its waterproof fur allows it to appreciate water. Diet must be controlled as he is always hungry and is prone to obesity, especially if he does not get as much exercise as he should.