For most ordinary people, a cat is a four-legged meowing creature that lives next to a person. Basically, they differ only in appearance: color, type of muzzle or long hair.
The variety of cat breeds is multifaceted, among them there is a breed of cats with short legs, with long or completely lost hair (see what is the name of a cat breed with short legs). But there is a very unique breed with a tail that is in its infancy, or completely missing.
It is not stopped at birth like in dogs, but is a distinctive elite feature. Many clients are willing to pay big money for this originality.
Description
The tail is not only a gorgeous property of the entire cat family. It is a versatile body part that helps with maneuvers and balance while climbing fences. It is also necessary to express the prevailing mood and effectively combat rising anxiety. How then do cat breeds exist without a tail in this difficult and hectic world? The lack of continuation of the ridge is not a simple whim or deceit of nature; such injustice is inherent in the genes of graceful animals. Such pest genes are dominant, and a fetus that has two identical carriers dies without seeing the world. To produce offspring, one of the parents must have a tail.
Hunting character
Short-tailed cats lived on the Kuril Islands for about 200 years; it is not surprising that they are considered hereditary hunters of rats, snakes and hares. There are also canine traits: animals love to run after a toy and return it to its place.
While still a kitten, the bobtail clearly demonstrates its curiosity, sociability, intelligence and ease of learning.
For hyperactive and proactive Kuril cats, it is better to live in private houses with large free spaces and a pond nearby.The animal is not afraid of water, loves to play in it, swim and catch fish with its claws.
The hunting instinct does not prevent cats from being devoted to people and their offspring. Most often, from the entire family environment, animals choose 1-2 owners, to whom they become strongly attached.
Cat without a tail: breed, photo and description
A coveted item among avid collectors is the American Bobtail. This is the real athlete of the cat world. Such a graceful, resilient and athletically built individual can amaze anyone. This marvelous animal has enviably thick fur (short or medium length). The continuation of the ridge is either presented to the world as a laconic outgrowth, or is absent altogether. The animal's muzzle has a predatory appearance, but its attractive, non-conflicting character neutralizes this feature of the kitten. The animal is quite sociable, quickly gets used to its surroundings and requires attention.
Some owners in their reviews emphasize the cats’ sociability and complete lack of anger. In their opinion, it is not difficult to win over an animal - you just need to take a closer look at the habits and preferences of the animal, and its love will be ensured for life.
Japanese breed
Now let's look at what the Japanese breed of cats without a tail is. This purr is a relative of the American Bobtail. Nosy creatures are charismatic, coquetry and radiant. The body of Japanese tailless cats is distinguished by endurance, athletic build and long legs. Refinement and nobility are qualities assigned to this breed. Due to the elongated hind limbs, the gait of individuals is slightly frivolous, which is their calling card. The animal's eyes resemble beautiful almonds, so graceful features of the triangle of the muzzle attract the eyes of even the most evil critics. The cat has large, but nobly drawn ears.
Fans of the Japanese breed talk about the animal’s mobility and unprecedented thirst for life. The pet needs constant monitoring, because curtains and other tinsel can easily be damaged by the agile paws of the colorful beast.
Bobtails
The most famous representatives of tailless cats are bobtails. There are a number of varieties of this breed, among which the most famous are the following:
Kurilian Bobtail
They have a slightly arched back shape, reminiscent of an arc, as well as characteristic tassels on the ears. Due to the fact that the front legs of such cats are shorter than the hind legs, the gait of the animals is very unusual - they always seem to walk in a “half-squat.” Color can vary from tortoiseshell to brindle and merle.
Despite their harmless appearance, Kurilian Bobtails are very active and have a wayward character. They are excellent hunters, and they test their skills not only on rats, mice and other rodents, but also on all kinds of insects and even fish. The specific structure of the ears allows animals to dive without fear of taking water into the auricle.
Cats are distinguished by their friendliness not only to people, but also to other pets living in the same territory as them. They get along well with children, are loyal, sociable with their owners and at the same time wary of strangers. They are unobtrusive and delicate, but will never miss an opportunity to receive an additional portion of affection.
Japanese Bobtail
Graceful cats with soft silky fur, beautiful physique and unusual coloring. Most often, there are white individuals with tortoiseshell “spots” on the head and back of the back. The short fluffy tail is a bit like a hare's, which gives the bobtail an even more toy-like appearance.
The absence of thick undercoat, which is prone to matting, gives cats a neat appearance. Moreover, they do not need to be brushed regularly, especially during the molting period. The animals are very active, can jump high and are extremely curious. The combination of these character traits leads to the fact that they are able to quickly learn to open interior doors, drawers, climb into cabinets and other household containers.
Natural stubbornness does not prevent them from being loyal to their owner, amenable to training and contact with other pets. Japanese Bobtails are characterized by excellent health and the absence of genetic diseases. They live long and are unpretentious in maintenance.
American Bobtail
Quite large animals with a strong build and a short tail resembling a brush. Unlike other representatives of the breed, the “Americans” are able to move it. There are short-haired and long-haired bobtails, so there are certain nuances for their care. The former do not need frequent combing, the latter, on the contrary, require a lot of attention to their person, especially during the molting period.
The most common form of color is spotted, which makes the cats look like lynxes. Character traits include sociability, energy, agreeableness and emotionality. They clearly grasp people's moods and know how to adapt to the situation. They are easy to train and are extremely clean. They love to be the center of attention and do not accept loneliness.
Thai Bobtail
Short-haired, handsome cats with blue eyes, resembling Siamese cats in appearance. The cream color on the face, paws and tail smoothly turns into a chocolate shade, casting a satin shine. Due to the fact that the nails on the hind legs of this breed do not retract into the pads, a silent gait is not the strong point of the Thai Bobtail.
Maintenance and care
Kurilian bobtails are not afraid of water, but they still do not like water procedures. And there is no need to wash them more often than 1-2 times a year. If your cat regularly goes outside, it is enough to rinse her paws with warm water after a walk or get a special shampoo for her paws.
It makes sense to wash a cat before a show, during shedding (this happens twice a year - in autumn and spring) or if it is very dirty in something. For short-haired bobtails, it is enough to brush them once a week with a furminator or a rubber brush. Semi-longhaired dogs can be carefully combed with flat combs or a natural bristle brush, paying special attention to the throat, tail and panties areas.
Cats of this breed love to walk outside. In a country house, you can let your pet go for a walk alone; in the city, for safety, you need to walk it on a harness with a leash. It is also worth considering that Kurilian bobtails have not lost an ounce of their wild hunting instincts. If there is a pond with fish in the local area where the cat is allowed to walk on its own, then the cat will pose a serious danger to the fish. This also applies to fish in home aquariums (the aquarium must have a tight-fitting lid).
Inspect and clean your cat's ears, eyes, and teeth as needed, about once a week. The Kurilian Bobtail, as a rule, wears down its strong, non-retractable claws well on its own during games, walks and sharpening the scratching post, but if this does not happen, it is enough to carefully trim them with a nail clipper once every 3 weeks.
Cymric
Every Welshman knows the name of a breed of cat without a tail. Cymric is a local landmark with a friendly fuzzy head. The long-haired animal has prominent cheeks, round, meaningful eyes and a rather stocky body. Representatives of the breed have long hind legs. This feature of the physique allows you to adjust the aerodynamics of the animal’s movement, which is why the Cymriki compares favorably with the ease of gait from the American Bobtail.
Owners of Cymrics note the inimitable practicality of this breed - taillessness fits perfectly into the life of a large family: apart from the noble mustache, there is nothing else for the animal to pull on. Children quickly get tired of catching the cat's face, and the pet very quickly gets used to freedom.
Dream Interpretation - Cat as a symbol
According to Indian myths, a cat is an animal that belongs to the great goddess, the guardian of all newborns. This goddess is usually depicted riding a cat, which is why in India she is revered as a sacred animal. According to the beliefs of the ancient Germans, a person who loves cats will be happy in marriage, while one who has an aversion to cats will marry a grumpy and angry woman. In any case, he will not have children. In all fairy tales, myths and legends, cats accompany witches, goddesses and fairies. The cat represents femininity, softness and charm. However, later (in the Middle Ages) this animal began to be considered a companion of witches, so cats were persecuted. In dreams, a cat symbolizes feminine attractiveness, magnetism and sensuality. In Indian mythology and fairy tales of different peoples of the world, the forest is the habitat of the creator god. However, there is another interpretation. In Vaishnavism and Krishnaism, the world is a “forest of eternal joys,” a place of mystical experience. Symbols have a similar interpretation in dreams. Look in any dream book - the forest has many meanings, but we are interested in a different interpretation. There are many dangers in the forest, but those who go through it to the end can experience sensual joys, love and desire.
Read with this
- Why does a cat need a tail?
- My gentle and affectionate cat: 15 breeds
- An expression of love or a way to relax: why do cats purr?
- Bobtail cats: characteristics, colors and care
- Why do cats bury food? Why do cats bury food next to the water bowl after they eat? why do cats do this every time?
- Cat tongue under a microscope
- Leopard cat
- How long do cats sleep per day?
- How to choose a cat breed
- How did cats originate?
Breeding difficulties
Kurilian Bobtail kittens, the price of which varies depending on their purebred and the availability of documents, can be purchased in nurseries or from private individuals.
The reproduction of “Kurilians” is not much different from the reproduction of other breeds. There are up to 5 kittens in a litter, which may differ from each other in the length and shape of the tail. For those who do not aim to preserve the purity of the breed, this does not matter. The main thing is that the kittens are born healthy and that their mother does not have postpartum problems. For breeders, the purity of the breed is of great importance. Each Kuril Bobtail nursery tries to select ideal pairs in order to obtain purebred offspring. But even with careful selection, there are often cases of kittens with long tails or tailless ones appearing in the litter. This happens because the ancestors of the parent cats had matings with long-tailed relatives, and the genetic memory preserved this.
Legends of the Short Tail
Today it is not known exactly where the breed without a tail came from. There are several legends about where tailless cats came from. One of them comes from the Isle of Man. According to this belief, kittens had their mother's tails chewed off at birth, thereby preserving the lives of their babies. After all, Roman legionnaires lived on the island, who used the tails of newborn kittens to decorate their helmets.
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Another story tells that cats' tails were cut off so that they could pass through doors faster. This legend came from Bulgaria. The owners didn’t like the fact that while the cat slowly walked through the door with a fluffy long tail, heat escaped from the home, so they decided to make the tail short.
Manx cat
The world is graced by another flirtatious cat without a tail. The breed (photos of representatives are presented in the article) has an intriguing name - Manx cat. Due to the limitation of the genetic factor, such an individual must be crossed with someone with a tail. It would seem that this is a significant complication for professional breeders. But due to the constant dilution of the gene pool, the color of the cat is varied and allows everyone to find their own Manx individual. Fans of this breed praise the mischief of the kittens. Thanks to its openness and thirst for knowledge, the animal finds fans among adults and very young children.
Pixiebob
There is also another breed of cat without a tail. Its name is pixie bob. The progenitors of this species are wild forest and peaceful domestic cats. The goal of working with such material for breeders was to obtain domesticated lynx. The result of the process was a breed of cat that resembles a wild animal; the animal’s tail has the appearance of a stump. A significant disadvantage of the pixie bob is the frequent presence of extra toes on its paws. This anomaly does not affect his health or communication skills in any way. The cat fully meets the standards of a pet. The pixie bob has avid friendly relationships with children; the pets do not show any aggression or malice.
What to feed and pamper
For short-tailed cats, natural or high-quality dry food is preferable. A large amount of hard and hard food is desirable in the diet: bones, chicken stomachs and cartilage.
Feeding a cat raw, clean meat is dangerous; it is better to combine fresh chicken, fish with dry food. Your pet's bowl should always be filled with unboiled water.
Brave and courageous bobtails will become a devoted friend for a person and even an excellent nanny for small children.
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With their boundless affection, they are more like a purring dog: they are also faithful, do not leave their home without their owner and follow on his heels everywhere.
