Kurilian Bobtail

The Kurilian Bobtail is a naturally short-tailed cat from the Kuril Islands between Russia and Japan, and among the longest-lived breeds recorded here.

History

It is a landrace, not a construction: cats on the Kuril chain carried a short curled tail for centuries before Russian breeders documented the population in the twentieth century. The tail comes from a different mutation to the Manx and, importantly, is not associated with the same spinal problems.

Temperament

The breed is known for being calm, confident and sociable, good with children and other animals, and a notably capable hunter — an island cat that fed itself before it was anyone's pet.

Care

Both the short and semi-long coats are undemanding, needing regular rather than frequent brushing. It is an active, muscular cat that appreciates climbing space and play.

Health

Shaped by natural selection rather than for looks, it is generally robust, and its bobtail mutation carries none of the spinal risk the Manx gene does. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one cat; the measured facts and trait ratings are in the panels.