A shaggy cat with a wild look and a short bobbed tail, but at home friendly, clever and easygoing with the whole family.
The American Bobtail comes from the United States. Its tail is naturally short, just a third to half of an ordinary cat's tail. With its shaggy coat and tufts on its ears it looks like a small wild cat. Yet it is gentle and easygoing. It learns tricks fast, brings toys back and happily goes for a walk on a lead.
Bonds strongly with its family and picks up on how you feel.
Likes a cuddle when it feels like it, but does not need to sit on you all day.
Playful and inventive: it makes up its own hunting games and learns to fetch.
Moderately active: it likes to play, but is just as happy relaxing with its people.
Fairly quiet. It chirps, trills and clicks more often than it meows.
Clever and quick to learn tricks, fetch and walking on a lead.
Usually friendly with visitors, especially if it met lots of people as a kitten.
Easygoing and patient with children. With very young ones, stay close by.
Usually gets on well with dogs that are friendly to cats.
Usually enjoys having other cats around.
Can keep itself busy for a while, but is happiest with its family around.
Adapts well to indoor life, ideally with places to climb, a window to look out of and the odd walk on a lead.
The American Bobtail is a cross with a wild bobcat.
No. The short tail appeared by itself in ordinary house cats. There is no bobcat in the breed, even if it looks a little like one.
It is related to the Japanese Bobtail or the Manx.
No. They are separate breeds that are never crossed with each other. The Japanese Bobtail gets its short tail from a different gene. Whether the American Bobtail's gene is like the Manx one, scientists do not know for sure yet.
Two American Bobtails always have kittens with short tails.
No. Sometimes a kitten with a long tail turns up in the litter. It cannot be shown, but it makes just as nice a pet.
The American Bobtail's short tail comes from a small change in a gene that appeared by itself in house cats. The gene is dominant: one parent with the gene is enough for a kitten with a short tail. Breeders looked for short-tailed cats with a wild look all over America and Canada. So the breed did not grow from one cat, but from many different ones.
John and Brenda Sanders find a brown tabby tom with a short tail, Yodie, in Arizona and take him home to Iowa.
Yodie has kittens with a Siamese female. A few have short tails: so the gene is dominant.
Yodie's line nearly dies out. Breeders start again with short-tailed non-pedigree cats from America and Canada.
America's TICA recognises the American Bobtail for the first time.
America's CFA accepts the breed for registration.
American Bobtails may now be shown at CFA shows.
The CFA gives the American Bobtail championship status.
The worldwide registry WCF has its own standards for the shorthair and the longhair.
The CFA updates its standard. Crossing with other breeds or wild cats stays forbidden.
A sturdy, muscular cat with a wild look and a short tail. It is long and broad, and grows slowly: it only reaches full size after two to three years.
A medium-long, shaggy coat, a little longer on the ruff, breeches, belly and tail. Mutton chops are a bonus.
Recognition: Recognised by TICA, CFA, WCF and America's ACFA. Long and short coats turn up in the same litter.
A fairly short double coat that stands slightly away from the body. The hair on the belly may be a bit longer.
Recognition: Recognised by TICA, CFA, WCF and America's ACFA.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Brown classic tabby(n 22)
Brown mackerel tabby(n 23)
Red ticked tabby(d 25)
Black tortie mackerel tabby(f 23)
Silver mackerel tabby(ns 23)
Calico (tortie and white)(f 03)The CFA allows every colour that can exist genetically; only the WCF rules out the colours 'sunshine' and 'amber'. At shows, colours that bring out the wild look, such as brown tabby, are preferred.
The story goes that the breed began with one brown tabby tom with a short tail, Yodie, found in Arizona.
Its tail is just a third to half as long as a normal cat's tail, and can be straight, curved or knobbly.
It grows very slowly and only reaches full size after two to three years, much later than most cats.
Because it is so friendly and a bit like a dog, it is sometimes called the Golden Retriever of cats.
A show cat should look like a small wild cat with tufted ears, but have a gentle nature.
No study has measured it. Most sources say 12 to 15 years; take it as a rough guide.
The gene that shortens the tail is usually harmless. Now and then a kitten is born with no tail at all. In such a cat the end of the spine can be too short as well, so it may find jumping hard or have trouble holding its wee and poo. How often this happens is not known.
How it is found: No DNA test. Breeders do not use tailless cats and do not breed from cats with spine problems.
The hip joint does not sit properly in its socket. That can cause pain and stiffness and make jumping hard, usually once the cat is grown up. Several sources name it, but there are no figures for this breed.
How it is found: An x-ray of the parents' hips.
The heart wall grows too thick, so the heart pumps less well. Many cats show nothing at first; later they tire easily or get short of breath. One source names it for this breed, but how common it is is not known.
How it is found: A heart scan by a vet. There is no DNA test for this breed.
A calm, big cat that eats more than it burns soon gets too heavy. That strains its joints and heart.
How it is found: Weigh it now and then and adjust the portions.
Brush once or twice a week, whatever the coat length, and more often during the spring and autumn shed. Trim the claws and check the ears now and then.
It climbs and jumps well and loves to explore. Give it places to climb and play together every day, fetch for example.
Two to three meals a day, matched to its weight and how active it is. Watch the portions, as it easily gets too heavy.
It is not hypoallergenic and sheds a lot, especially in spring and autumn. If you are allergic, spend some time with one first.
It is happy indoors, especially with a window to look out of. Many American Bobtails learn to walk on a lead, so it can safely come outside with you.
Checked on 23 October 2026
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