How to Identify an American Bobtail

The actual origin of the American Bobtail cat is debatable, but most believe it is traceable to a short-tailed brown tabby and a seal point Siamese female. These medium to large-sized cats have varying lengths of the characteristic bobtail, which give them the appearance of cats in the wild. Their affectionate nature and adaptability make them exceptional pets. Here are some tips on how to identify this breed of cat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look at the overall appearance of the American Bobtail cats. They are a powerful, muscular animal with a full, broad chest and prominent shoulder blades. The hindquarters are almost the same width but higher than the chest, giving the animal a long, rectangular, predatory stance. The paws are large and rounded with tufts on the longhair breeds.

2. Observe the head. It's a broad, slightly rounded wedge shape with a prominent, fleshy brow, which creates a soft ridge over the eyes. This ridge enhances the area across the top of the eyes and gives the cat a distinctive hunting gaze, like that of a wild animal. The eyes are large, deeply set and almond shaped. The outside corners of the eyes angle up, towards the ears. The ears are medium sized and evenly distributed on the top and side of the head. The nose is wide, the whisker pads are full and the muzzle is broad.

3. Examine the bobbed tail, which occurs naturally in this breed of cats. It is less than half the length of other breeds of cats and is usually 1 to 4 inches long. The colors of both the long-hair and short-hair Bobtail vary, without any particular pattern.

4. Notice that the coat in both the short-hair and long-hair breed has a water resistant, resiliency about it, with a downy undercoat that insulates the cat from harsh weather. The colors of both the long-hair and short-hair bobtail vary, without any particular pattern.