Japanese Bobtail

History
Japanese Bobtail is quite an ancient cat breed. It has been in existence for centuries. These cats were imported into Japan from Southeast Asia over 1000 years ago. In 1602, Japanese authorities announced that all cats should be set free in order to deal with rodents threatening the silk-worms. Trading cats was made illegal, and after that, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. As a result, Japanese Bobtails became the "street cats" of Japan. After World War II, American residents in Japan came across the bobtailed cats as pets in Japanese households and thereafter, American breeders began to develop Japanese Bobtail as a pedigree breed. The first pair of Bobtails, credited as part of a formal breeding programme, was imported in 1968. In 1971, the Japanese Bobtail was given provisional status in the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). It was accepted by CFA for championship competition in 1976.

Appearance
Japanese Bobtail has long torso, which is sturdy and well-muscled. Its neck is not too long and not too short, corresponding to the length of the body. It has triangular face, high cheekbones, long, straight nose, and broad ears. It has clean lines and well-developed bone structure. Japanese Bobtail cats have quite broad and round muzzle, which is neither pointed nor blunt. Their large eyes are oval rather than round. These are medium in size, though males are larger than females.

Their legs are long, slender, and high, and the hind legs longer than the forelegs. Japanese Bobtails have a "bunny-tail", the fur fans out to form a fluffy pom-pom. These cats come in most colors; the most common pattern is the tri-color, or mi-key (white with red and black) good-luck pattern, but other colors and patterns are also accepted. The coat of short-haired cat is soft and silk, medium in length; while of long-haired cat is soft, silky and of medium-long to long in length.

Personality
Japanese Bobtails are active, intelligent, and talkative cats. They are also called singing cats because they chirp melodiously, while talking. They easily adjust and adapt themselves to new people and new situations. These cats are affectionate, usually sweet-tempered and enjoy supervising household chores. Japanese Bobtail Cats has a well-defined sense of family life and love human company. Due to their human-oriented personality, they are easy to teach tricks, like walking on a harness and lead, and playing fetch.