Where does the Japanese Bobtail get its name?

Japanese means “of Japan”, and bobtail also means “docked tail of an animal” in English. It is said that they were named by combining these two.

What are the color variations of the Japanese Bobtail?

There are black, white, red, blue, cream, chocolate, and cinnamon.

・Solid color. The whole body is monochrome, such as the face, body, legs, and tail.

・Tabby. There are striped or spotted patterns all over.

・Smoke & Shaded. The tip of the overcoat is colored 1/2, and the remaining 1/2 is white.

・Parti-color. Two colors of fur are randomly mixed.

・Calico & Bi-color. Half or one-third of the body is white, and the rest is composed of two or more colors of fur.

・Tabby & White. Half or one-third of the body is white, and the rest is composed of striped or spotted patterns.

There are blue, sapphire blue, yellow, aqua, orange, gold, green, copper, hazel, and odd eyes.

Japanese bobtails have both shorthair and longhair varieties.

What does a Japanese Bobtail look like?

The shape of the head is slightly inverted triangle, but it also has a gentle roundness, and the body type is called foreign. It has large egg-shaped and slightly upturned eyes, and large ears that are set apart.

The legs are slender, but the hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs. It is a medium-sized body type that is not too big or too small, but it has moderate muscles, so it is tight overall.

The texture of the fur is soft and smooth, and it is said to be like silk. And the tail, which can be said to be the most characteristic feature, is very short because it is curled up.

Why do Japanese Bobtails have short tails?

In the basic information, we introduced the reason why the number of cats with short tails continued to increase, but why are the tails of Japanese bobtails short in the first place?

In fact, in Japan, short tails are called “hooked tails”, and one of the conditions for a cat to be born with a hooked tail is that a gene called “HES7” is involved.

It is thought that cats with this HES7 gene are more likely to have a hooked tail or already have one than cats without it.

And as we mentioned in the basic information, the ancestors of Japanese bobtails are said to be cats that came from China.

These cats often had the HES7 gene, so as a result of living and breeding in Japan, more and more cats with hooked tails were born in Japan, and Japanese bobtails were defined as cats with short tails.

How much does it cost to buy a Japanese bobtail?

When keeping animals, you may need to follow the laws set by each country. This time, we will talk about keeping a Japanese bobtail at home in Japan. If you buy from a breeder or a cattery, it will cost you 100,000 to 150,000 yen. However, as of 2021, there are unfortunately no breeders in Japan who are breeding Japanese bobtails.

It is probably thought that there is no need to deliberately breed them by human hands, because cats with short tails can be seen everywhere in Japan.

If you really want a purebred Japanese bobtail, the shortcut seems to be to find a breeder in the United States and import it.

It may be difficult to go abroad, but we recommend that you visit at least once if possible to check the environment they grew up in and what kind of cats their parents are.

It is almost impossible to get a Japanese bobtail at a pet shop.

I want to know more about the personality and characteristics of the Japanese Bobtail!

Japanese bobtails are gentle, friendly, adventurous and curious. They love to play and are active cats.

They have a slightly loud voice, so they want to communicate actively with their owners, but they don’t always want to be together, and sometimes they want to spend time at a moderate distance, so they are also independent and reliable cats. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about leaving them alone at home.

They are also smart and easy to train, making them a perfect breed for people who have a cat for the first time. They also adapt easily to the environment, so they can live with other animals, with small children or elderly people, and they don’t mind having multiple cats.

Japanese bobtails, which have been loved by various people for a long time, are cats with excellent overall balance. ※When keeping animals, you may need to follow the laws set by each country.

What are the diseases that Japanese Bobtails are susceptible to?

Japanese bobtails are said to be less prone to genetic diseases because they have various genes in their bodies.

However, cats are said to be susceptible to lower urinary tract diseases and chronic kidney disease due to their constitution.

This is a general term for diseases that all cats are prone to, not just Japanese bobtails.

Specific diseases include urinary stones and cystitis.

Cats do not have a habit of drinking a lot of water, which is a remnant of their past. Therefore, they tend to put a strain on their kidneys and often develop urinary tract diseases.

The fact that the kidneys are easily strained means that there is a possibility of developing chronic kidney disease. This is a disease in which the kidneys become inflamed due to aging or some other cause, and eventually stop functioning.

To prevent chronic kidney disease, it is desirable to have regular health checkups.

At present, there is no breakthrough treatment, so it is difficult to cure completely, but if you find it early, you can slow down the progression by symptomatic treatment.

Also, as a daily measure, you can use a circulating type of water dispenser, give wet type food that contains a lot of water, and do not give too much snacks. These daily habits may prevent the disease in some cases. Please try to keep them in mind.

※Genetic diseases are diseases that occur due to mutations in chromosomes or genes.

What is the lifespan of a Japanese bobtail?

The lifespan of Japanese bobtails is said to be 12 to 15 years. The average lifespan of cats is 12 to 16 years, so there is not much difference compared to the average lifespan.