Fun American Bobtail Facts For Kids

American bobtails are a rare breed of cat also known as the 'golden retriever' of cats. These domestic cats are known for their playful personalities, affection, and friendliness. They possess short bobbed tails and are well-known for them.

Their rugged appearance is beautiful, and they love humans. The breed costs around $600-$1200 because they are rare. Their sweet and charming nature makes them ideal pets.

The American bobtail cat was a result of crossbreeding developed in the 1960s. A domestic tabby cat and a wild bobcat mated with each other, and the outcome was a new domestic cat with a short tail.

The original bloodlines of the feline were created by mating a male short-tailed tabby which was brown in color, and a female seal-point Siamese. However, most of their original bloodlines have passed away.

The improved dog-like cat breed is available in all colors and coats. The American bobtail cat breed was recognized in the year 1989 by the American TICA, cat fanciers, and CFA.

Furthermore, the short tail cat breed almost looks similar to the Japanese bobtails, but they are different. The difference between them is that the tail of the feline is dominant and half the length of a Japanese bobtail. After this, you may also check our Japanese bobtail and Egyptian Mau facts.
 

American Bobtail Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an American bobtail?

The cat is an uncommon breed of cat with an appreciative trait created from crossbreeding by reputable breeders. They originated in America in the 1960s.

What class of animal does an American bobtail belong to?

It belongs to the Mammalia class of the Animalia family.

How many American bobtails are there in the world?

It is a mixed breed of cats, is rare to find. One of the reasons for this could be that they are a costly and new breed.

Where does an American bobtail live?

The cat breeds are domestic cats. They are usually adopted as pets by people and live in households. The full-grown breeds by reputed breeders have traits like dogs and require care.

What is an American bobtail's habitat?

As per breeders, the cats are suitable for city life since they are domestic cats. They can live in apartments and flats as long as they are taken for regular walks and occasionally to parks to maintain the positive behavior that comes naturally to them.

Who do American bobtails live with?

Since they are social animals, they can easily get along with humans and other pets. They can get along well with children and other pets. They are excellent family cats who are very friendly and playful. American bobtails tend to get affectionate immediately with their members.

How long does an American bobtail live?

The American bobtail lifespan is said to be similar to that of Japanese bobtails. They live for approximately 13-15 years.

How do they reproduce?

Like other cats, American bobtails reproduce when a male cat mates with a female cat. They can mate or breed with any other breed of cat. Moreover, they tend to mate loudly and frequently. The female cat stays pregnant for two months maximum and gives birth to more than three or four litters of kittens at once.

What is their conservation status?

Since the 16 lb unusually-tail cat with a wild appearance is a mixed and new breed of cat, their conservation status is Not Listed.

American Bobtail Fun Facts

What do American bobtails look like?

The cat has a wild appearance. It has different colors and patterns. The 16 lb (7.2 kg) cat has a wild appearance but is friendly in nature.

Their chest and hips are wide, but the body is longer. The cat’s hind legs are of longer length than the front legs. The average American bobtail size is medium. They have shaggy coats, striped patterns, strong firm jaws, prominent brows, and large-length feet that are slightly round in shape.

The length of the dog-like cat’s body is one-third of its tail. Its ears are medium-sized, and eye color varies. After three years, the cats become mature.

*Please note the main image is of a Maine Coon, a species of the same cat family. If you have an image of the American bobtail, let us know at hello@kidadl.com

How cute are they?

The 16 lb (7.2 kg) cat is a very cute-looking cat breed. With long and broad bodies like Japanese bobtail kittens, American bobtail kittens are even more adorable with their bulging colorful eyes and shaggy coat. Their adorable natural silky fur is said to add up to their beauty.

The color of their fur and almond-shaped eyes varies. They have short tails, strong jaws, and medium-sized ears with personalities and characteristics similar to dogs. Their slightly similar personality, like the dog, makes them appear even cuter.

How do they communicate?

Bobbed tail cats communicate through actions and noises. They express emotions of happiness, anger, and excitement by wagging tails, running, licking faces, caressing, meowing, purring, hissing, and moving around in circles.

How big is an American bobtail?

They are longer than the Japanese bobtails. It has longer hind legs but a shorter tail with a wide torso and broad chest.

The average length of a normal bobtail is said to be medium to large, approximately nine to 10 in (22-25 cm), which can be classified as a medium to a large-sized cat, as mentioned in the article before.

How fast can an American bobtail run?

They can run just as fast as the Japanese bobtails, at a speed of about 30 mph (48.3 kph). Although, as per American bobtail history, the cat is not a very fast runner, it is very energetic, playful, sporty, and filled with excitement, so it tends to run around a lot.

Although the American bobtail is highly active, it can still adjust indoors.

How much does an American bobtail weigh?

A medium cat weighs between seven to 16 lb (3.17-7.25 kg). They are medium and lightweight cats. It is advised that the weight remains between seven to 16 lb (3.17-7.25 kg) so that there are no problems and the cat remains healthy.

What are the male and female names of the species?

This cat is like all other cat breeds, simply known as American bobtail, whether male or female.

What would you call a baby American bobtail?

Baby American bobtails are called American bobtail kittens. You can give your pet kitten a cool name like Bob, Bobby, or whatever you like! You can name your cat anything as long as it sounds appealing to you. Also, don’t forget to see if your cat or kitten likes being called that or not!

What do they eat?

American bobtail eats cat food that is high quality and rich in protein and fat. One or two cups of high-quality cat food with protein content twice a day is enough food for the bobtails.

They need to be fed according to their size and age to avoid obesity considering their medium size. Avoid giving them too many treats too often to avoid obesity, and you shouldn't feed them dog food at any cost.

Are they slobbery?

American bobtail cats do not drool because, unlike dogs, cats aren’t slobbery. However, a bobtail can rarely drool at the sight or smell of food. In some cases, they can drool because of stress or fear caused by loud events. Hence an American bobtail is not slobbery at all.

Would they make a good pet?

The short-tailed tabby and seal-point Siamese mix is a fantastic pet of medium to large size with colors and patterns. The American bobtail temperament and trait is sometimes like a dog. They are warm, loveable, playful, and like lots of attention from family members.

It is recommended to adopt or buy a bobtail from a reputed breeder. The average cost of an American bobtail breed ranges from $600-$1200. Once you get the cat, be sure to take proper care of it with love. The breeds are intelligent and mature after three years.

Dogs, like cats, do not have severe health problems. A dog like a cat needs essential care. Hence, first-timers looking to pet a cat might want to know that an American bobtail would be an ideal fit.

Did you know...

The American bobtail breed is an exceptionally beautiful breed recognized by the TICA and cat fanciers association in the 1960s, developed by breeding a short-tailed brown tabby and seal-point Siamese. The name was given to it to highlight its unique tail. The bobtail is a healthy and rare breed of cat.

It is also low maintenance and playful, unlike other cats. Moreover, they are loyal like dogs at some level. This is why they are known as 'golden retriever' cats.

The American bobtail is one of the cat breeds that needs a lot of attention and regular activity. Since they are moderately energetic and highly playful, they do not suffer from separation anxiety.

Interestingly, they love traveling and can adapt to any environment. American bobtails that are born without tails are known as rumpies. There are kittens that are sometimes born without any tails at all.

As per the feline’s history, some American bobtails act like a dog and wag their tails to express any emotions. In a full-size American bobtail, the hypoallergenic trait can be found.

Characteristics and health issues

An average American bobtail lives up to 13-15 years. They are a healthy cat breed and get along well. However, the rumpies (kittens born without tails) can face health problems like spinal issues. Moreover, there are some natural health conditions that need to be looked after.

With age, it is natural that the feline can develop a hereditary disease known as hip dysplasia. This disease causes lameness and arthritis of the hip joints with age.

Furthermore, cats that are born without tails can develop a spinal condition. This may affect their control of defecation. It is important to get them a regular health check-up done when they enter adulthood.

How to tell if your kitten is part American bobtail

There are several ways to identify if your kitten is part American bobtail. The first one would be to analyze its tail.

A bobtail cat has a short tail which is usually half or one-third the size of an average tail. The second way to know is by seeing if the tail is curved or bumpy. Another prominent feature of the feline to check would be its eyes.

If the feline has almond-shaped eyes, then it could be an American bobtail. Overall you can analyze its behavior and appearance to tell if it’s a bobtail or not.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal factors for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our Nebelung facts and the margay facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable american bobtail coloring pages.