A List of Bobtail Cats

Cats with shortened tails may occur naturally or are products of breeding. Some bob-tailed breeds evolve through generations of breeding domestic cats with wild cats, such as the bobcat, lynx and jungle cats, while other bobtails occur naturally. Cats with desirable traits tend to do well in cat shows and are profitable for their owners, but this does not mean they are not part of the family. In addition to physical characteristics, intelligence and personality are desirable traits, as well.

  1. American Bobtail

    • The American bobtail cat is a naturally-occurring bobtail cat that originated in North America. This medium- to large-sized cat is powerful and athletic, with the eye of a hunter. It resembles cats in the wild but has the demeanor of a domestic cat. This breed takes up to three years to reach adult maturity and has above-average intelligence. Development for the American bobtail cat began in the 1960s, with a short-tailed tabby found on an Indian reservation in Arizona. The International Cat Association (TICA) officially recognized the breed as naturally-occurring in 1989.

    Manx

    • The Manx or cymric cat has a naturally-occurring spine mutation, giving it a shortened tail. Tail length ranges from a stub, or no tail at all, to full-length. This breed originated on the Isle of Man as long ago as 300 years, where the breed was first labeled, "stubbin." Show-quality Manx have no tail -- having as much as a stub is grounds for disqualification. The Manx cat is quite playful, and its behavior is reminiscent of dogs, as they will often fetch thrown objects, like water and are affectionate toward humans.

    Japanese Bobtail

    • The Japanese bobtail cat originated in Japan over 1,000 years ago and was first imported to the U.S. in 1968. The fur-pattern on the Japanese bobtail is typically tri-colored, white, tan or red and black. This breed is intelligent and likes to carry on conversations with people, in the cat's own language, of course. They are not loud but, unlike other cat breeds, they can make a variety of vocalizations.

    Kurilian Bobtail

    • The Kurilian bobtail cat comes from the Kurile Islands that separate the North Pacific from the Sea of Okhotsk. Most of the Kurile Islands fall under Russian rule; however, some fall under Japanese rule. Because of this, the Kurilian bobtail may be a descendant of the Japanese bobtail. Humans played no part in the development of the breed; therefore, it is naturally-occurring. The short tail is a result of genetic mutation. This breed is rare outside of Russia.

    Highlander

    • In 1995, a jungle curl cat bred with a desert lynx, gave birth to a litter of highland lynx kittens. This litter, bred with other curl breeds and jungle cats resulted in the registered highlander breed of today. The TICA first registered the highlander breed in 2004. Highlander cats grow larger than other cat breeds, with males weighing 20 pounds or more. In addition to the bobbed tail, this breed sports curled ears.