Japanese Bobtail breed guide

Japanese Bobtails get along well with dogs and children of all ages, while other cats sometimes need extra time to get used to a creature that appears to lack a tail. They need a fair amount of attention and interaction and will ask for it if they do not get enough.

Inquisitive problem-solvers, Japanese Bobtails are agile enough to excel at Feline Agility and powerful back legs launch them to great heights when a toy motivates them. CFA says a high activity level and short attention span make them entertaining.

Their soft voices produce a variety of sounds, charming conversation without noise.

Japanese Bobtails have no undercoat and shed only minimally. Shorthairs need a flea comb several times a month and longhairs need combing more often with a fine long-tooth comb, though their coats do not tangle or mat.

Expect an occasional bath and blow dry longhairs to keep the windblown look.

CFA knows of no abnormalities associated with the tail and sees no specific health concerns in this sturdy natural breed. Because the breed is somewhat rare, US breeders have always been able to import Japanese street cats to keep the gene pool diverse and genetic testing helps head off problems.

Japanese Bobtails appear in Japanese scrolls, prints and carvings from the Middle Ages and are thought to have come from Korea as far back as the sixth century. Members of the court alone owned them until an imperial edict in 1602 released all cats into the streets to fight vermin threatening the silk industry.

They spread through the country and interbred with street cats until the dominant bobtail became part of most Japanese cats' look. The first came to the United States in 1968, shorthairs achieved CFA championship status in 1976 and longhairs followed in 1993.