Kurilian Bobtail - breed description and cat character

Such a breed of cats as the Kurilian Bobtail has appeared recently. Their character is perfect for keeping at home. These cats are loyal and savvy animals. The breed is not fully understood and is considered new, about such animals it is still little known.

Cats of this breed have short tails. At first glance it may seem that the animal is like a lynx, but still combines jumping from a hare, the devotion of a dog and the tenderness of a domestic kitten. Bobtail hair can be both long, and cats with short hair are often found. The main difference from other cats is a short tail.

How did the breed appear

By name, we can conclude that the origin of the breed began on the Kuril Islands. Japan and Russia fought for this territory, therefore, there were disagreements about who the new breed of cats belong to. After the Kuril Islands began to be considered Russian, cats of this breed, it turns out, are, including, of Russian origin.

After conducting some research, felinologists decided that this breed of short-tailed cats on these islands lived at least two hundred years. In the second half of the 20th century, these cats attracted the attention of tourists and visitors to the island, after which they began to be transported in small quantities to Russia.

Only in the early 1990s the breed became interested in breeders. Scientists involved in felinology, went to the skeleton, and returned from there with cats. Then the Bobtail breed became recognized in every international organization. After some comparisons, it turned out that the Kuril Bobtail and the Siberian cat have much in common.

Features of Kurilian Bobtail

Cats have a compact physique, medium size. If the cat is an adult, then its size will be larger than the cat. An adult cat can weigh up to 7.5 kilograms, and the cat’s weight will be no more than five kilograms.

Like any other breed, bobtail have their own standards.

1. The size of the head is large, in the area of ​​the cheekbones, the muzzle expands. The chin is wide and rounded. Mustache pads well defined.
2. The shape of the eyes of cats resembles a nut, they are widely set from the ear to the tip of the nose. The top of the eyes is oval and rounded below. The color is beautiful, bright. Usually it is yellow and green. But, if it is a cat with white hair, harlequin or bath color, then the eyes are blue or will be multi-colored.
3. The size of the ears is small, triangular in shape. On the ears, the brushes can be small or medium in size.
4. The nose of cats is wide, straight.
5. The body of the animal is compact, the size of the body is medium to large.
6. Paws are powerful, not long. The hind legs are slightly longer than the forepaws, and their ends are rounded.

Cats of this breed usually have short or semi-long hair. In animals with short hair, tails are also covered with short hair. If the wool is half-long, then the cat has woolen pants, a collar, socks and, of course, a fluffy tail.

There are several vertebrae in the tail, at least two. Outwardly, it resembles a fluffy brush or air pompom. In a short-haired cat, a tail with hair can look from 1.5 to 8 centimeters. Cats with fur longer can have a tail length of up to 13 centimeters.

Felinologists divide the tails into several species, they are distinguished depending on the length:

1. Tail stump. It has 2 to 8 vertebrae that are severely deformed and tightly interconnected. Looks straight or slightly down.
2. The tail is a spiral. It consists of vertebrae from 5 to 10.Outwardly, such a tail resembles a hook or a spiral. Such forms are most common.
3. Tail whisk. It also consists of 5 to 10 vertebrae. Its shape is straight, and is a third longer than the usual tail.
4. The tail is pushed back. The vertebrae are from 5 to 7. They are located in a straight line, but at the end they seem to twist into a loop. Typically, such a tail for a cat is a drawback.

I must say that cats with medium-long hair have a dense undercoat. And in short-haired cats there is no undercoat, but the coat is delicate and adheres to the body.

Color

You can buy a kitten of this breed in any color. They come in all traditional colors. But the most common red, gray and striped color.

In almost every international organization by standards, the number of white spots on the stomach, chest, tail and other parts of the animal’s body can be in any quantity. This is not affected by the primary color.

Animal character

This breed of cats is considered interesting, and in some ways even unusual. The nature of the bobtail is not harmful, but rather very soft and flexible. If the cat lives in a large family, then he will be friendly to each member of the family, but he will have one favorite. Choosing the one to whom he will be a devotee, the cat becomes a tail, literally steps on its heels and does not part with the owner for even a minute. Bobtail will only allow his chosen one to carry out actions with which he will never let another member of the family. It can be some kind of medical procedure, combing wool or something else.

In practice, there was such a case, the Bobtail cat fell ill, and to give him an injection, he was held by eight people. The animal was furious, rushed at people, did not let anyone in, and the owner simply did not particularly understand this, therefore, could not deal with its treatment on its own.

It is important that the Kuril Bobtail is constantly reacting to children. Despite their pranks, harassment, and torment, since the child is very fond of such a fluffy toy, animals endure all games indulgently and never offend kids. If a stranger gets into the apartment, then the cat will first sniff it and study it carefully, think about whether to attack it or not. There were such cases when cats of this breed attacked people, that is, guests who didn’t like them.

Often there are families in which not one pet, but several. Bobtail can get along with other animals, but do not forget that the cat loves freedom and always retains the instincts of the hunter. So, do not start birds, hamsters, fish. The short-tailed cat will not leave them alone.

Kurilian bobtail, when living in natural conditions, exhibits hunter instincts well. Engaged in fishing not only mice, rats, it also happens that snakes, squirrels and hares become trophies of their hunt. They can fish, are not afraid of water.

From the reviews and opinions of experts, we can say that such a cat can be brought up if you live in a house, not an apartment. Often you relax in nature, enjoy fishing, love animals and know how to care for them. You need to understand that if you decide to buy a Bobtail kitten, then the animal will not add to the hassle. It is easy to train him, such cats are sociable and smart. The animal is devoted to its owner. When kittens appear, they are responsible for caring for them.

Health Features and Care

The breed of these cats has developed independently, in natural conditions, due to this, the period of life of such cats can be from 15 to 20 years. Bobtails have excellent, good health. There is no predisposition to any disease, despite the fact that there is a gene that causes a tail mutation.

When a bobtail becomes an adult cat, he may experience some diseases: eye diseases, diarrhea, and urinary tract disease.In such cases, you need to see a veterinarian, you will need to do a few injections and undergo a course of treatment.

Cats with long hair can cause an allergic reaction in the household. When the cat molts, it needs to be combed well. Not more than two times a year is worth grooming. Many believe that animals do not need cosmetic procedures, but this is not so. The better the care for the appearance of the pets, the better their health and appearance.

Cats respond well to water, but be careful not to swim. Wool does not stray. But, when combing it, you need to take a comb, after which the wool will not be electrified. It is necessary to wipe the cat's eyes and clean the ears, but this is done as necessary.

And most importantly, that the owners do not forget to vaccinate the animal.

Kuril Bobtail Food

To feed these cats choose food only from natural products, but also allow dry food, most importantly - high quality. It will be good if they eat hard foods, such as bones, cartilage, chicken ventricles. Do not forget that bobtail is a hunter, accordingly, its menu should be as similar to natural as possible.

You don’t need to feed the cat only meat products, this can cause protein poisoning. Their diet requires poultry, fish and dry food. Be sure to pour pure water. There should be no restrictions in water, it is necessary that the cat can drink freely at any time.

How much does a Kuril Bobtail kitten cost

If there was a desire to get a pet, and the choice fell on the Kuril Bobtail, then today is not a problem. The price of a kitten of this breed in Russia starts at 10 thousand rubles. If you buy in Ukraine, you will have to lay out 2 thousand hryvnia. The price is not fixed, it can be more or less. It depends on the gender of the kitten, its pedigree and what class the cat has.

This breed is divided into several classes. And besides classes such as pet, breeding and shows, there is also a separate class called the "beginner" - appeared not so long ago, these are cats that were not bred in our country, namely, they were brought from the Kuril Islands. Outwardly, they fully comply with the established standards for such cats, but there is one drawback, cats do not have a pedigree.

Those who breed bobtails know that this breed is very different from others. Up to five kittens may appear, but they will all be completely different, not only in color, but also in the shape of their tail, long body. Breeders are very kind to keep the breed clean. The main thing is that not only the kittens appear healthy, but their mother also does not have complications after such a process. In each nursery, they try to pick up pairs of bobtail so that the offspring are purebred. Sometimes it turns out that a cat is born with a long tail or without it at all. This is influenced by the mating of the ancestors of cats and genetic memory.

Where to buy bobtail

You need to understand that a kitten bought in a nursery will cost much more than a kitten purchased elsewhere. Of course, its price is higher, but do not worry that the cat is not vaccinated, and most importantly - it will be from the pedigree. Even employees of such an institution can provide feedback from previous customers.

There are many nurseries in which you can buy bobtail in the country. After all, the homeland of this kitten is Russia. In addition to Moscow, such organizations are in St. Petersburg, Kiev, Minsk.

Video: Kuril Bobtail