The American Bobtail: Take a Walk on the Wild Side

The American Bobtail Cat Breed in Brief:

Origin: United States

Weight: 8-14 pounds

Average Litter Size: 2-3

Grooming Needs: Low for shorthair, Medium for longhair

Life Expectancy: 15+ years

Good With Kids: Yes

Good With Other Animals: Yes

If you’ve ever found your imagination captured by the thought of owning your own wildcat, the American Bobtail may be the ideal cat to join you for that walk on the wild side. A beautiful breed of cat, bred to resemble the wild bobcat, the American Bobtail is a sturdy little individual with personality to match his unique appearance.

The History of the American Bobtail

There are many different tales surrounding the origins of the American Bobtail. Perhaps the most popular one is that he is the result of a wild bobcat that has bred with a domestic cat or an offspring of one such cross. In truth, however, the American Bobtail is neither - he is the descendant of cats that were selectively bred to resemble a wandering stray cat by the name of Yodie.

Yodie was first discovered in the 1960’s, where he was hanging around by a motel in Arizona. Supposedly dropped off by a child from the reservation, many suspected he was a bobcat mix, due to his feral appearance and short, fluffy tail. A couple, named John and Brenda Sanders, would eventually adopt this unique little cat and, upon returning to their home in Clinton Country, Iowa, bred him to their seal point Siamese.

The litter produced several bob-tailed kittens and, in the early 70’s, a standard of perfection was written for the American Bobtail and the breed name was chosen. At the time, however, the standard required that they be pointed cats and that they possessed blue eyes, a shortened tail, white blaze and white mittens. In hopes of increasing the gene pool, other breeds such as the Ragdoll, the Himalayan, Birman, Siamese and, quite possibly even the Manx would be introduced to the bloodlines but, unfortunately, the standards were just too exacting for a new breed.

In attempts to create a cat that possessed the look of the standard, many breeders were forced to inbreed and carefully line-breed their feline friends. In their quest to create the “perfect cat,” the breed became weak, diseased and sickly, until the line was all but destroyed. It wasn’t until the mid-1980’s that breeders once again took on the challenge of recreating the American Bobtail. This time, instead of focusing on the color points and white, they instead sought to go back to the foundation cat for the breed, Yodie, and breed cats that would look like him.

This time around, they used short-tailed domestic cats and strayed away from the Manx, Japanese Bobtail and other short-tailed purebreds. The resulting kittens would fit the standard as we know it, today, and quickly gained popularity.

The American Bobtail Appearance

The ideal behind the American Bobtail is to take several domestic cats and, through selective breeding, produce a cat that has a uniquely wild appearance. Large and heavily-boned, these beautiful cats average between 8 and 11 pounds for females, while the males can usually be found anywhere between 10 and 14 pounds. Possessing a powerful appearance, these marvelous felines are strong and athletic, with prominent shoulder blades, like the wild cat they are preferred to resemble.

The ears of the American Bobtail should be large and tufted, with lynx colored tipping preferred. The jaw should also possess a slight ruff on the long-haired variety and both the long and short-haired American Bobtails possess a tail that is both short and broad. Ideally, this tail should be shorter than the hock but long enough to be easily seen, as opposed to nearly invisible, like the Manx cat.

While the ideal American Bobtail is a feline that closely resembles the wild bobcat, any color and any pattern is allowed within the breed. Lynx points are preferred to have ghost patterns, but little focus of points are paid to the color of these beautiful cats, the majority of their points placed, instead, on the cat’s type. Similarly, the American Bobtail may have eyes of any shade, regardless of coat color.

The American Bobtail Temperament

Despite his wild appearance, the American Bobtail has been carefully bred to promote the sweet and gentle disposition of the domestic cat. While he may be of particular interest with those who have a flair for the exotic, this gentle feline is very well suited as a pet and enjoys human companionship. While not necessarily a lap cat, he does enjoy close contact and will often join you in a spot beside you on the couch or perched along the back of your chair. He may want to be close to his human but, like a bobcat, he has that independent image to uphold.

The American Bobtail is generally tolerant of children and other animals, provided they aren’t harassed in a hurtful manner or frightened and they do enjoy their chance to play. Scratching posts, crumpled up pieces of paper, or brown paper bags all make delightful toys that will allow the American Bobtail to exercise his wild side.

American Bobtail Grooming Requirements

Both the shorthaired and longhaired varieties of the American Bobtail are relatively simple to groom. Requiring little more than the occasional brushing to help remove any dander or dead hairs from your American Bobtail kitten’s coat, it is recommended that you do this once every one to two weeks. Also remember that handling your American Bobtail when you brush him is a good way to take note of any changes in your cat’s health or behavior, often allowing you to nip potential problems in the bud.

Keeping an eye on your kitten’s ears is equally important when grooming, but only clean the outer parts of the ear with a Q-tip, if you should see any dirt. A foul odor or excessively dirty ears should be examined by your veterinarian immediately, since it could be a sign of infection or mites. The habit of clipping the toenails should be started at an early time and performed regularly; not only will this save your furniture, but it saves your kitten from painfully getting this toenails snagged on the carpeting and pulling them out.

American Bobtail Health Concerns

While the American Bobtail was almost destroyed by inbreeding and the resulting poor health conditions that followed, past outcrosses have expanded the gene pool significantly. Today, American Bobtail cats are bred together, with no outcrosses, and still manage to retain quite a bit of hybrid vigor. Occasionally, some problems still pop up, however. These problems can include the following:

• Chronic bronchial disease
• Chronic renal failure
• Diabetes
• Hyperthyroidism
• Liver disease
• Mellitus

Is the American Bobtail the Right Breed For You?

There’s not much to fault these magnificent felines on, truth be told, for the American Bobtail is a wonderfully laid-back, docile cat with a great personality. Content to entertain his faithful humans with his playful antics or happy to find a warm place on the hearth, the American Bobtail is also well-suited for families with children and/or other pets. While a little larger than the average cat, these pretty kitties don’t require any extra care because of their size and hey, who could really complain? All the more cat to love!

Shawna L. Krautheim

2007