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UPDATED 2010American Bobtail

Special thanks to the following wonderful photographers:PrestonHelmi

ChananParadox

TetsuJim Brown

AMERICAN BOBTAILHISTORY

Although the bobtail cat has been in America for manygenerations, the true development of the American

Bobtail Breed began in the late 1960’s, since that timeexperienced breeders using found feral bobtails from all

Regions of the United States including Canada andAlaska have worked together to produce the gorgeousAmerican Bobtails we have today. One of the more

intriguing phenomena of the breed is the strikingresemblance that cats from thousands of miles apart, withno known common heritage, have born to one another. By

selectively breeding these like type cats, breeders havehelped Mother Nature to develop the American Bobtailinto the big, hearty wild looking bobtail cat seen today.

Most breeders no longer use unknown parentagebobtail cats in breeding programs and manyAmerican Bobtails have a multi-generation pedigree.No recognized breed of cat has been used in thedevelopment of the American Bobtail. The AmericanBobtail is of above average intelligence as they weredeveloped by Mother Nature to survive feralenvironments. All of their combined physicalcharacteristics provides them with the look of abobtailed wildcat. This is a slow maturing breedtaking 2 - 3 years to reach full adult type.

The American Bobtail is an excellentexample of Breed development

through natural selection

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American BobtailGeneral Breed Characteristics

The American Bobtail appears to be a creature of the wild; with its aboveaverage intelligence and distinctive wild appearance, they were developedby Mother Nature to survive a feral environment.

The American Bobtail is a medium- to- large, naturally occurring, bobtailedcat. It is a noticeably athletic animal, well muscled, with the appearance ofpower. The body is moderately long and substantial, with a rectangularstance.

When in motion, the American Bobtail should exhibit a natural rolling gaitgiving the breed with all of it’s combined physical characteristics thelikeness of a bobtailed wildcat.

This is a slow maturing breed taking 2-3 years to reach full adult type.

The American Bobtail should be noted for a distinct wild look with anexceptional disposition and adaptability.

American BobtailGENERAL DESCRIPTION:

• TheAmericanBobtail is amedium tolarge,naturallyoccurring,bobtailed cat.

American BobtailGENERAL DESCRIPTION (continued):

• It is a noticeably athletic animal, well muscled,with the look and feel of power

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American BobtailGENERAL DESCRIPTION (continued)

• It possesses a unique natural hunting gaze thatcombines with the breed’s body type and naturalbobtail to give the American Bobtail a distinctivewild appearance.

American BobtailGENERAL DESCRIPTION (continued)

• The breeds expression is one ofintelligence and alertness.Females are generallyproportionately smaller thanmales with type a more importantaspect of the breed than size ortail characteristics.

American Bobtail Head40 Points

The next several pages will discussthe American Bobtail headdescription and point allocation.

With the majority of the AmericanBobtail Standard points on the Headand Body of the breed its is importantto note that an American Bobtailshould look like an American Bobtailwhether you can see its tail or not.

The head and the body of this breedare its most defining feature.

The tail is an added factor but not theonly feature that sets the breed apartfrom other breeds.

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American Bobtail Head DescriptionShape: broad modified wedge without noticeable flat planes or doming, in proportion tothe body. Cheekbones are apparent. In profile slightly concave curve between nose andbrow with good length between brow & ears. Widening of the head and stud jowlsapparent in adult males. 9 Points

Correct Head Type

Excellent eye shape, nose width,ear set and shape, muzzle and

whisker break

Incorrect Head Type

Wrong eye shape. No brow or topline tothe eye. Incorrect nose width. Ears too

large, set and shaped improperly.Muzzle too short. Lack of noticeable

whisker break

American Bobtail Head Description (continued)

BROW: distinctive, evidenced by a slightly rounded forehead to eye ridge;brow border is fleshy creating and enhancing the top line of the eye.

Excellent Brow. Good lengthbetween brow and ear. Correct nosewidth, muzzle and whisker break.Correct profile exhibiting, slightlyconcave curve between nose andbrow.

Excellent Browwith excellenteye shape, goodlength betweenbrow and ear,correct muzzleand whiskerbreak, properear set, shapeand size

8 Points

American Bobtail HeadDescription (continued)

Proper Profile, exhibiting a distinctive brow,with the correct topline to the eye and thegentle concave curve between nose andbrow

NOTE: The Brow on the American Bobtailtakes time to exhibit itself in someindividuals, however it should be apparentin cats by the age of one year

The brow is fleshy and is not evidenced bybone, it is not a structural feature but afleshing of the brow

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Eye Clarification Updated 2010•It is important to note that the American Bobtail standard calls for a very breedspecific eye and brow description with the two portions of the standard amassing atotal of 13 points.

•The American Bobtail eye is a large eye but does not dominate the face and headof the cat. Because of the depth of the eye set, the broadness of the head and thebrow creating a topline to the eye, the eye may not appear as large as what isconsidered traditionally large, however the eye must be large to balance the head.

•The American Bobtails eye may lose it’s shape in the waiving of toys as the catwill look up and widen its eye with this type of stimulus. It is best to try and viewthe cats eye shape in a natural state.

•It is very important to the overall wild apperance of the face including its naturalhunting gaze that the eye is the correct shape. The reference to the brow and eyecan be seen in not only the points portion of the standard but also the generaldescription of the breed.

American Bobtail Eye 5 Points

Eyes - Large. Almost almond in shape. Deep set. Outsidecorner angled slightly upward towards the ears. Medium-wide apart. Distinctive brow above the eye creates a topline to the eye and produces the breed's natural huntinggaze.

An American Bobtails eye is neither as heavilyslanted and narrow at the outside edge as an

almond shaped eye, nor is it as rounded in thecenter as an oval shaped eye (see rendition)

Almost almond is the correct description for thisbreeds unique eye shape. The shape of the eye iswhat gives the breed its natural hunting gaze and

its expression of intelligence and alertness.

American Bobtail Eye 5 pointsWrong Eye Shape Correct Eye Shape

The eye and the brow of the American Bobtailare unique to the breed and are synonymouswith one another.

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Basic Eye Shape Chart

American Bobtail Nose 5 Points

Incorrect Nose Correct Nose

The Nose is of great importance to the overall wild appearance of the face, it must beequally wide from the inside corner of the eye all the way through its length into abroad nose leather, any pinching, tapering or narrowing drastically affects the face andwild appearance of the head.

Nose - wide, beingequally as widefrom the inside

corner of the eyethrough the lengthof the nose into alarge nose leather.

Muzzle/Chin 8 Points

Muzzle/Chin - Observable whisker break above a well definedbroad medium length muzzle. Fleshy whisker pads. Chin strongand wide in line with the nose.

Nice ear set, Goodwidth of nose, correcteye shape, nicewhisker break above awell balanced muzzleand chin, slightdoming of the head

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Muzzle/Chin (continued)

Nice width of muzzle, but lackingnoticeable whisker break, Ears slightlylarge and set low and forward, slightlypinched nose and nose leather, Correcteye shape and set

Excellent muzzle and chin, fleshywhisker pads, Correct ear set, goodwidth of nose and large noseleather

Muzzle/Chin (continued)

Muzzle lacking noticeable whiskerbreak, head shape too narrow, earstoo large set too high on head, eyeround

Excellent head type, greatmuzzle/chin, correct eyeshape, brow and ear set

The muzzle and chin of the American Bobtail are very important tothe overall appearance of the cat, the jaw should be powerful inappearance but the chin should never be exaggerated or jutting

EARS5 Points

Ears - Ears - Medium.Wide at base withslightly roundedtips, wide-set, uprightwith a slight outwardtilt. Ear tipping andfurnishings highlydesirable. Lightercolored thumbprints onthe back of the earsdesirable on all tabbiesincluding lynx points.

Ears too small, toopointed, eye round,muzzle short, headdomed, sweet expression

Ears to large, set toohigh, eye round, headdomed, nose break

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EARS5 Points (Continued)9 weeks 4 Months

7 Months 1 Year

NOTE: It is veryimportant to notethat AmericanBobtail kittens andyoung adults earsmay appear largerthan Standard,because of the slowmaturation of thebreed, kittens andyoung adults oftendo not grow intotheir ears for aperiod of time.Correct ear sizeshould be apparentby 12 months ofage.

American Bobtail Body40 Points

•BODY: moderately long and substantial with a rectangular stance. Chest full andbroad. Slightly higher in hips with prominent shoulder blades. Hips substantialalmost as wide as chest. Deep flank. Muscular and athletic in appearance.Allowance should be made for slow maturation. Legs and Feet - in proportion tothe body, of good length and substantial boning. Paws large and round. Toe tuftsdesirable in longhaired varieties. Five toes in front, four in back. Tail - is short,being half-length or less than that of the average cat. The tail is flexible andexpressive and may be straight, slightly curved or slightly kinked or have bumpsalong the length of the tail. Tail set in line with the top line of the hip. Tail to bebroad at base, strong and substantial to the touch, never fragile. Straighter tailsshould exhibit a fat pad at the end of the tail. Length - Must be long enough to beclearly visible above the back when alert, not to extend past a stretched hind hock inlength. Neck - medium in length may appear short due to musculature.

Body Shape 15 Points

BODY: moderately long and substantial with a rectangular stance. Chestfull and broad. Slightly higher in hips with prominent shoulder blades.Hips substantial almost as wide as chest. Deep flank. Muscular andathletic in appearance. Allowance should be made for slow maturation.

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Body Shape 15Points

Neck 5 Points

American Bobtails are deceptivelyheavy cats with a brawny strongbody, they exhibit excellent widthof chest and hips. They have a deepflank and are very muscular andathletic both in appearance andfeel.

Body Shape 15 PointsNeck 5 Points

Legs & Feet 5 Points

•Boning should be substantial andlength of leg should be of good length,balancing and enhancing the catsrectangular stance.

•Allowances should be made forslow maturation as the breedgradually matures over a periodof 3 years.

Tail Clarification Updated 2010•Many exhibitors and breed council members have been expressing frustration over thejudges interpretation of the tail portion of the standard. With concerns being voiced overseveral judges offering that the optimum tail is a particular length such as 3 inches long.The American Bobtail breed standard allows for a broad spectrum of lengths to beconsidered standard and no one length is preferable.

•While the American Bobtail breed council appreciates that there is personal preferencein judging, our standard was written specifically to include most bobtail lengths as beingstandard, with a few exceptions i.e. no tail, full length tail. We allow for a variety of tailfeatures, including kinks, curves and/or bumps along the length of the tail, these featuresof the tail are a naturally occurring factor within the breed. 98% of natural bobtailedAmerican Bobtails have some sort of anomaly in their tail and our standard wasspecifically written to allow for these variations as no two tails are alike.

•It is important to note that the bobtail mutation gene is not a gene that can be controlledby breeders and approximately half of all kittens born are fully tailed making themineligible for competion. Fifty years of breeding has not been able to produce a consistenttail length or tail type. Mother Nature seems to have complete control over this aspect ofthe breed which is why there is such a broad tail description.

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American Bobtail Tail15 Points

Tail - is short, being half-length or less than that of the averagecat. The tail is flexible and expressive and may be straight,slightly curved or slightly kinked or have bumps along thelength of the tail. Tail set in line with the top line of the hip.Tail to be broad at base, strong and substantial to the touch,never fragile. Straighter tails should exhibit a fat pad at the endof the tail. Length - Must be long enough to be clearly visibleabove the back when alert, not to extend past a stretched hindhock in length.

An American Bobtails tail is always unique, always oneof a kind, and is standard in different lengths and

shapes.

Standard Tails

STANDARD TAILS

Standard Tails

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Tail Handling

Tail Handling: An American Bobtails tail should neverbe fragile, the tail should be handled gently but not withconcern. If a bobtail has tucked its tail a good scratchand or tickle on the back at the croup of the tail willusually get it upright, the tail should never be pried on acat with a tucked tail.

When judging the tail try not to over handle as toomuch handling can upset the cat.

Coat & ColorTexture & Density 10 PointsCOAT: Shorthair Division: length-medium, semi-dense;texture non- matting, resilient with slight loft; density-doublecoat, hard topcoat with a soft, downy undercoat;miscellaneous-seasonal variations of coat should berecognized. Coat may be softer in texture in dilute colors, lynxpoints and silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray in tabbies.Longhair Division: length-medium-longhair, slightly shaggy.Tapering to slightly longer hair on ruff, britches, belly and tail;ruff-slight, mutton chops desirable; texture-non-matting,resilient; density-double coat. Undercoat present, not extremelydense; miscellaneous-seasonal variations of coat should berecognized. Coat may be softer in texture in dilute colors, lynxpoints and silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray in tabbies.

Color 5 PointsPattern 5 Points

COLORS and PATTERNS: any genetically possible color orcombination of colors is allowed. Preference shall be given to colorsand patterns that enhance the natural wild appearance of the breed.High rufousing is desirable in all tabbies, including silvers, with nopenalty for lack thereof. Body patterns highly desirable in lynx pointsand smokes.

RUFOUS: Refers to a reddening of the coat color, especially the groundcolor in tabbies. The rufous factor changes the drab beige 'yellow' band ofthe tabby to a brilliant apricot; it changes the drab orange to a brilliant,rich red. It presents itself as a rich pale creamy color with golden toreddish pattern to a rich pale reddish color with golden to reddish pattern(it is not to be confused with chocolate or cinnamon genetics).

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Miscellaneous Descriptions

BUTTONS and LOCKETS: allowable on any color and/or pattern.Cats with buttons and/or lockets shall be judged as their basic color

with no penalty for such locket and/or button.

EYE COLOR: all eye colors acceptable, eye color can be copper,gold, yellow or green; blue in bi-color/van, colorpoint, lynxpoint or

odd-eyed white cats.

American Bobtail AdditionalStandard

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES: allowances shouldbe made for slower development in achieving adult bodytype as this breed gradually matures over a period ofthree years.

PENALIZE: tail too long or too short affecting thebalance and appearance of the cat. Tail kinked or knottedout of shape. Tail rigid, fragile or set low. Straight tailnot exhibiting a fat pad. Round eyes. Weak chin.Extremely short muzzle or nose break. Cottony coat.

DISQUALIFY: total lack of tail or full-length tail.Delicate bone structure. Incorrect number of toes.

RufousingThe American Bobtail has very interesting color and pattern features.High Rufousing is desirable in all tabbies including Silvers. Knownas tarnishing in breeds carrying for silver we highly desire theunique coloration which adds to the breeds wild appearance. Therufousing in our brown tabbies has been described as Carmel,Amber, Titian, Sienna or Burnished. It presents itself as a rich palegolden brown with golden brown to reddish brown pattern to a richpale reddish brown with golden brown to reddish brown pattern (it isnot to be confused with chocolate or cinnamon genetics) It is veryunique to the breed as are our chocolates. We consider our highrufoused chocolates as being “Hot Chocolates” with the color so hotas to look almost red.

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Rufousing & Pattern Pictures(continued)

Hot Chocolate Spotted Tabby LH

Rufousing & Pattern Pictures(continued)

Hot Chocolate Ticked Tabby SH

Rufousing & Pattern Pictures(continued)

High RufousedBrown Spotted

Tabby LH

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Rufousing & Pattern Pictures(continued)

Chocolate Silver, Chocolate Spotted, Chocolate Silver Spotted

Patterned Lynx Points known asSnow Bobs

Our body patterned lynxpoints are often born withfull pattern, not white asmost pointed cats and arenot to be confused with thecb/cs color of Mink. Theireye color is bright blueand not aqua. Our highpatterned lynx points areknown as Snow Bobs.

PatternedLynx PointPictures

(continued)

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Patterned Lynx Point Pictures(continued)

Seal Lynx Point Spotted Tabby SH

Additional Breed Pictures

High Rufoused Brown Spotted Tabby LH

Additional Breed Pictures

High RufousedBrown Spotted

Tabby LH

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Additional Breed Pictures

AdditionalBreed

Pictures

Gold Eyed WhiteLH

Handling & Fine Details

•The American Bobtail is a heavy cat and can be deceptive asto their athleticism and speed. They are extremely powerful andare tremendous jumpers. They are normally a relatively calmcat, but one hand on them at all times is a good rule of thumb.

•They need to be well supported when being carried due totheir size. Please do not “pin” the cat to the judging table, tryand keep all four feet on the table, this gives them an addedsense of security.

•American Bobtails do not like to be lifted, swung in the air, orstretched. The breed is too substantial for this type of handling.

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Handling & Fine Details(continued)

When removing or returning American Bobtails from theirjudging cages, please try to face them away from other catscages as they can be a very territorial breed.

• They also tend to like toys that are of a more natural type,i.e. feathers, fur, dragon flies, bugs etc. Try dragging toysacross the judging table for best effect.