This is a part of the Pictures of cats.org website where I like to present photographs in large format. That means they can’t go on the main site as it is too small. Here are some of the best pictures by Helmi Flick of this cat breed and a summarized reference the CFA breed standard. A slide show is loading…..please wait for about 3-4 seconds.
The pictures of this cat breed that are used to illustrate the American Bobtail cat page can all be seen here in a slide show except the format is larger and their may be more of them. In fact when the album which supplies these photographs is updated the slide show is updated automatically so there may be fresh photographs that you won’t see on the other page(s). This is one of the rarer and heavier cat breeds in research presented on this website. It is also a breed that is well liked coming just outside the top 10 in this sites popularity poll.
I go over the CFA breed standard in outline on this page. The general description confirms what I have said above. This a natural cat breed, medium to large in size. People generally like the larger cat breeds (e.g. Maine Coon) and a lot of people favor, I believe, the natural breeds (e.g. Abyssinian). Cats that have evolved without interference from people. Of course the naturalness of this cat refers only to the time before the breed was discovered in 1960.
The CFA clearly indicates that the American Bobtail Cat should show that she was a cat that was once feral and as the author describes the cat “a thing of the wild”. This concept is carried forward to the breed standard as this cat should be alert, muscular, have a “hunting gaze” and a wild look. The concept of a cat having a wild appearance is commonly found in the wildcat/domestic cat hybrids such as the classic Bengal.
A Bengal should have a wild appearance to reflect his wild cat roots. The same is demanded of this cat although the background is simply feral as opposed to half wildcat ( for the F1 generation). In other words there is no genetic evidence that this cat breed is a wildcat hybrid but there, however, are stories of American Bobcat hybrids.
All the adjectives describing the desired body conformation indicate that this cat breed is meant to be muscular and athletic (in line with her hunting skills). The “flank” (sides of the body) should be “deep” and the legs should have good boning. The tail, of course, is the defining characteristic. Each bobtailed cat has slightly different bobtails and for the American Bobtail cat the tail should be half the normal length tail or least. The tail should be visible above the line of the back when the cat is alert. This must mean when the tail is upright. The length must not be longer than an extended hind hock (figure that one out). The hock is the lower portion of the hind leg and includes the ankle joint. The tail is a working tail so it can express the cat’s feelings and/or be a means of communication as in normal length tails.
The coat is medium or medium-long in length and can be in any color and pattern. It is double coated and matting resistant. When the coat is dilute in color the texture should be softer to the touch. The shape of the head is (to use that well won phrase) a broad modified wedge.
