Search results for "bobtail"

Exactly when and where the Japanese Bobtail developed is not known. It’s clear, however, that the breed has been bobbing around the Far East for at least several centuries, and perhaps much longer, since early Japanese folklore contains numerous references to short-tailed cats. One well-known tale tells of a small, short-tailed female cat named Maneki-Neko that was said to have beckoned to passersby and that was associated with good fortune. A representation of Maneki-Neko, with one paw raised in welcome, appears on the facade of the Gotokuji Temple near Tokyo.

Until recently the American Bobtail has received little attention, so most people are surprised to learn that it has been catting around America for as long as the better-known Japanese Bobtail (see page 136), first imported to the United States in the late 1960s. The American Bobtail appeared on the scene in the 1960s as well, but because of the haphazard debut of the Bobtail, the word is just now beginning to spread about this breed.