Japanese Bobtail

The Japanese Bobtail is an old bobtailed cat breed associated with Japan, where short-tailed cats appear in art, folklore, and household history. Its tail is naturally shortened and carried as an individual pom-pom rather than a Manx-style absence of tail. The breed is usually lean, high-legged, and alert, with a triangular head and expressive ears. Both shorthair and longhair forms exist, and the mi-ke calico pattern is especially associated with the breed, though many other colors and patterns occur.

Japanese Bobtails suit people who enjoy an active, people-oriented cat with a light, athletic build. Their coat is usually easier to maintain than dense longhaired breeds, but the tail should be understood as a breed trait with wide natural variation. Responsible breeding preserves tail health, body balance, and the lively Japanese type rather than selecting only for a dramatic tail. In pedigreed settings, records help distinguish true Japanese Bobtail lines from any domestic cat that happens to have a short tail.

Colors: Bicolor, Black, Black and White, Blue, Blue and White, Blue-Cream, Blue Point, Blue Tabby, Blue Torbie, Brown, Brown Tabby, Brown Tabby and White, Brown Torbie, Calico, Chocolate, Chocolate Point, Cinnamon, Classic Tabby, Cream, Cream Point, Cream Tabby, Dilute Calico, Dilute Tortoiseshell, Fawn, Flame Point, Golden, Harlequin, Lilac, Lilac Point, Lynx Point, Mackerel Tabby, Mi-Ke (Calico), Mink, Pointed, Red, Red and White, Red Tabby, Seal Point, Sepia, Shaded, Shell, Silver, Smoke, Spotted Tabby, Tabby, Ticked Tabby, Torbie, Tortie and White, Tortoiseshell, Van, Van Pattern, White