What Breeds Make an American Bobtail?

The American Bobtail is a playful, friendly cat breed known for its short tail of 2 to 4 inches. The breed has many colors and patterns, and can be either long- short-haired. Although the short-tailed gene is dominant, occasionally some long-tailed kittens will be born with a litter -- and, on rare occasions, kittens will have no tail at all. Only cats with the short tails are allowed in competitions.

  1. Breed Recognition

    • Though the American Bobtail has probably been around for generations, it has only recently been awarded recognition by cat breeding organizations. The American Cat Fanciers Association recognized the breed for purebred registration in 2000. Championship status was obtained from the organization in 2006.

    Origins

    • The first documented Bobtails developed in the 1960s as a cross between a seal point Siamese female and "Yodie," a short-tailed brown tabby of unknown parentage. That original bloodline was then mixed with Birman, Himalayan and Himalayan/Siamese cats to give the breed its characteristics: a short tail, Himalayan coloring and long coat and white spots. Eventually, this bloodline grew to be too inbred. In the 1980s, some breeders began adding other cats with short tails to the bloodline to expand the gene pool. Bobtails now come in all colors and patterns, though the preference among breeders is for a cat to resemble a bobcat in coloration. Manx cats and Japanese Bobtails are not bred into the American Bobtail bloodline.

    Feral Background

    • Feral cats play a prominent role in the bloodline of the American Bobtail. Yodie was apparently feral, and many of the short-haired cats added to the bloodline since then also have been feral. The proximity of feral cats in the bloodline may help to ensure the genetic health of the breed, as the more recent bloodline seems to have had relatively few health problems.

    Bobcat Controversy

    • Since the 1960s, some speculation has been made about bobcat genes in the Bobtail bloodline. This speculation apparently persisted because of the prevalence of feral cats in the lineage, the short tai, and the resemblance of many Bobtails to bobcats in their coloration. This is highly unlikely, though, since bobcats and domestic cats belong to different species and any offspring would probably be sterile. No bobcat matings into the bloodline have ever been documented.