How to Identify a Japanese Bobtail Cat

Japanese Bobtail cats came to the United States from Japan but are thought to have migrated originally from China or Korea over a thousand years ago. These cats are often depicted in Japanese artwork. They are known as being strong and healthy cats with low kitten mortality rates and a high resistance to disease.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Pet the cat. Japanese Bobtail coats are usually short and very soft but can be semi-long and silky as well. They frequently have rough patches around their necks.

2. Characterize the coloring. There are wide varieties of colors accepted in this breed, ranging from red and white to tortoiseshell-colored. These cats are often bright white but mixed with another dark coloring too. Many breeding organizations will not accept Siamese patterns.
   
   

3. Check out the backside. Japanese Bobtails have partial tails often referred to as stubs or bobs. The length and shape of the tail is unique to each cat. The tails do not exceed 3 inches in length, but they can still be very expressive in movement.
   

4. Take it out on the town. This breed is social. Japanese Bobtails travel well and often are not frightened in strange environments.

5. Give it a good throw. Japanese Bobtails are big fans of games such as fetch.

6. Talk back. Japanese Bobtails greatly enjoy direct human interaction and will speak back when addressed. These cats are often described as singers—they can utilize a wide scale of tones.

Tips & Warnings

• Japanese Bobtails make good pets to households with children, since they prefer highly social environments with a lot of direct attention. Homes that do not have time to give personal attention to their cats should look at more independent breeds.
• Japanese Bobtail kittens are often extremely large when newborns.