Tailless Cat Breeds and their Features
Tailless cat breeds occur through random mutation almost periodically. Most of us are grown with an image of a cat with a tail and fur, but you would be surprised to know that there are a few naturally occurring tailless cat breeds or short tail cats around the world. In fact a lot of cat lovers, love cat breeds that come without a tail and they are actively looking out for such breeds out of curiosity or just passion for cats.
An important point to consider is that even though these cats don’t have a tail, they do not lack any of the qualities that cats possess. Just like any other cat they are smart, confident, intelligent and cat like beautifies. Actually some short tail cats are smarter than the average feline. Some tailless cat breeds have the athleticism of a dog along with the feline characteristics, the best of both worlds brought together.
Following are some of the best known tailless cat breeds found around the world:
Manx
Manx is a tailless cat breeds from the Isle of Man, an island off the coast of Britain. The tailless feature of the Manx is the result of a genetic mutation that was intensified by the cats remote location on the island and this breed is specifically bred for its tail free feature. This cat was discovered in 1950s, but the history of how this cat was found in the island is not known. Whether the tailless cat was born on the island or arrived on a ship and spread the genes throughout the cat population of the island, all of this is still not confirmed. Whatever maybe the story, the island is famous for this tailless cat breed and the breed also got its name “Manx”.
The cat has got recognition from the Cat Fanciers Association, The International Cat Association and various other cat registries. The Manx is a medium-sized cat that matures slowly taking about five years to reach maturity. Manx is considered a mouser and has great hunting skills and an alert personality. They are even-tempered, mellow and affectionate breeds who like to be in a quiet environment.
Manx is sociable, patient and loving breeds that love the company of children and other pets in the household. Cat registries consider this breed as a guardian cat of the house because of its dog like characteristics. They are good at guarding their territory and are extremely protective.
They love playing with toys and even play games like fetch and walk on a leash if trained. These easy-going and low-maintenance cats will speak only if they run out of food or water. Since the Manx doesn’t have any tail, you need to take care of their spine and always give support to their hind quarters when carrying them around.
American Bobtail
The American Bobtail has been developed by natural selection to be able to survive in the feral environments. The foundation breed for this cat was the feral domestic cats that had the natural bobtail. These are medium to large sized cats with a rectangular body structure. The tail is short and flexible and no one length is preferred and also no two tails are the same.
The natural Bobtail is visible above the back when this cat is alert and it should not go beyond the hind hock. This unique combination of short tail along with other physical characteristics gives this cat a resemblance to the Bobtail wildcat. This is a slow maturing cat taking about two to three years to attain adulthood. These cats come in two types of coat, dense shorthair and medium longhair.
The American Bobtail is an intelligent and loving tailless cat breed with a unique wild appearance. These are very interactive and caring cat breeds with affinity to humans. These cats have the ability to entertain and also provide warmth to their loving human friends. This short tail cat breed can play a game of fetch or hide-and-seek with a lot of ease. These wild looking cats have good hunting skills and they will display this ability by just jumping into the air and catching their prey with just one stroke.
Always get an American Bobtail from a reputable breeder so that you know that they will be able to give you the right bobtail that will gel with your personality. Be patient, you may have to wait sometimes for the right breed.
Pixie Bob Tailless cat breeds
Pixie Bob is thought to be a result of a natural mating between the domestic shorthair and the Bobcat, but Pixie Bobs are a result of a genetic mutation that gives them the bobtail, as well as the wild look. This is an unusually wild looking cat breed that has a striking similarity to the bobtail. The Pixie Bob is a medium to large sized cat with a short or long weather resistant coat. Usually they come in tabby pattern and are among those cat breeds with polydactylism, which means they can have more than the usual number of toes.
Even though they look wild, the Pixie Bobs are lively, outgoing and big cats with a lot of devotion to their human family. These cats love spending time with their family and for that they will happily learn to play tricks and walk on a leash. They will chirp, talk and keep you engaged whole day by their antics.
The Pixie Bob likes to be the centre of all the activities that are going on in the house, but also display a relaxed, calm attitude, which makes them the best cat breeds to have in a house with children and other pets. They are affectionate and are the best companions in the family. Once a week grooming is fine to keep their coat healthy and shiny.
Cymric Tailless cat breeds
According to researchers the Cymric breed was introduced to the Isle of Man an island near England by explorers and human settlers. The island is known to have no indigenous domestic cat species and there are many different theories about how domestic cat was introduced in this island. The Cymric is that cat breed that has been bred for its tailless feature. It is even jokingly referred to be an offspring of the rabbit and a domestic cat.
This particular cat was a result of a genetic mutation that was intensified due to their remote location. Though Cymric is a tailless cat breed, they come in a variety of tail lengths and types. The tail types include stumpy, longy, rumpy-riser, and rumpy. Since the tailless gene is a dominant one, the Cymric’s that has the Manx gene will have one of the four tail types. This cat takes at least five years to attain full maturity.
Despite some breeding challenges, the Cymric has won a lot of hearts because of their intelligent, loving, affectionate, and fun-loving personality. They are loyal to their human friends and enjoy spending quality time with them. Even though these cats are playful, they are not aggressive or attack anyone. Cymric are good with family and children. The Cymric is a relative newcomer to the cat fanciers association, but these cats have been around as long as the Manx.
Japanese Bobtail Tailless cat breeds
The Japanese Bobtail is the oldest naturally occurring cat breed with its roots in Japan. The Japanese Bobtail is the street cat of Japan and has featured in various portraits and paintings in Japan. The shorthair Japanese Bobtail was first accepted for the championship status followed by the longhair. The Japanese Bobtail has a bunny type tail that can be flexible or rigid with a few curves. This is a medium sized cat weighing 6 to 10 pounds. The tail is unique to each individual cat. The dominant gene that created the Short tail in these cats is true to this breed.
The back legs are a bit longer than the front legs giving the cat a very muscular appearance. The Japanese Bobtails come in many different coat colors, which include calico, bi-colors and vans. They have either tabby pattern with mackerel, classic or spotted. This cat is full of energy, playful, affectionate and caring breed. These are people loving cats and love all their attention.
Whenever a guest comes to your home, they will happily greet them at the door, will watch television and even read a newspaper with you. They are good travelers and will enjoy long journeys with their family. These are family loving cats and are hence safe for households with kids and other pets. They are masters of feline agility and will jump hurdles and leap through loops.
Kurilian Bobtail Tailless cat breeds
The Kurilian Bobtail is a tailless cat breeds with bobtail as unique as human fingerprints. Originating from the Kuril Islands, with claims from both Japan and Russia, the Kurilian Bobtail gained popularity in the late 80s when some scientists found this breed and decided to bring them to the mainland. The Kurilian Bobtail is a strong cat with a wild appearance.
They are medium to large and brawny, but are extremely gentle breeds. This is one of the thirteen natural cat breeds that have been given recognition by the TICA. These breeds are popular in Europe due to their laidback temperament, but are relatively unknown in North America.
The Kurilian Bobtail comes both in the longhaired and the shorthaired varieties. Males are larger in size compared to females weighing about 15 pounds. They have a nice soft and silky coat, which is non-matting. This short tail cat breed comes in a variety of colors, including the solid or tabby. Some stunning Kurilian Bobtails come with silver highlights.
These tailless cat breeds are intelligent, curious, clever, gentle and agile. They are loyal to their owners and will sit on their laps when called for. They get along well with kids and other pets in the household. These Bobtails are excellent jumpers and will climb on to the highest place in the house with a lot of ease.
Highlander Tailless cat breeds
Highlander is a relatively new cat breed with a short tail. Developed in the year 2004, the early name for this breed was Highlander lynx. They look similar to a Cougar and weigh around 20 pounds. No wild cat has been used to develop this breed, but the aim was to create a breed that was powerful. This is a big cat breed with a stunning and unique appearance. It has a powerful and muscular body with curled ears and long or bobbed tail. The feet may be polydactyl or normal.
The males weigh more than the females and the highlander comes in both the long haired as well as the shorthaired varieties. Even though they look big, these cats are gentle, quiet, active and caring. They need a lot of attention and are ideal for homes were the owners have time to spend with them. They hate being alone and enjoy the company of humans. These cats love activities. You will have to spend some time daily for keeping these cats active and agile so that they stay strong and muscular. These are usually healthy cats with very little shedding and grooming required.
Bobcat Tailless cat breeds
The Bobcat is a commonly known wild cat from North America. They are the only cat species that are not on the endangered list. The Canadian Lynx and the Bobcat are both from the same family, but different species. The Bobcat got its name from the black tipped tail that appears more like cut off or bobbed. The Bobcat is twice the size of the average domestic cat with long legs, large paws and tufted ears. These cats have excellent eyesight and the tufts in their ears are actually used as hearing aids.
With more than 12 subspecies the Bobcat ranges from South Canada to the North of Mexico. Not long ago these cats were found everywhere in North America. However their number has drastically decreased over the years.
These cats inhabit swamps, woodlands, forest areas and semi-arid areas. Since the Bobcats are nocturnal animals, they are rarely seen during the day. The diet of the Bobcats includes mice, rodents, fowl, reptiles, and squirrels. Rapid deforestation has reduced the number of prey for these animals, which has resulted in these cats to stray into farmlands and prey on chickens sometimes causing their death.
Lynx Tailless cat breeds
The Lynx is the cousin of the Bobcat suited for the cold weather conditions. There are many Lynx species, with the Asian and the European Lynx being larger than the North American ones, the Canadian Lynx. The Canadian Lynx is found in Canada and in the colder regions of the United States. They are found primarily in the tundra and forest regions. The Canadian Lynx is very similar to the Bobcat with a short tail and tufted ears. The bobbed tail of the Lynx is tipped in black. The lynx has more hair than the Bobcat around their face and feet. This enables them to keep their body warm during the harsh winters in these regions.
The feet of the Lynx has more fur and is large, similar to a snow shoe. The extra fur adds insulation while walking on the snow. The diet of the Canadian Lynx includes the snowshoe hare. As the population of the snowshoe hare declines it directly affects the population of the Lynx. The large-sized Eurasian Lynx will prey on small deer and other smaller animals.
Short tailed or tailless cats are a very individualistic breed, even though they all sport different lengths of tail. The tailless cats are not at any disadvantage compared to the other cat breeds with tails. They are as loving, caring, and agile and cat like as any other average domestic cat.
