More recently, an important event has taken place in the world of cat lovers - a new breed has appeared. Her name was given to the Kurilian Bobtail. The character of these cute creatures is best suited for home content. The hosts are especially pleased with their quick wits and extraordinary devotion. Unfortunately, little is known about this wonderful breed because of its novelty. Let's get to know her better.
The history of the breed
Short-tailed cats have lived on the Kuril Islands of Kunashir and Iturup since time immemorial. There is a version that they led a wild existence there, formed flocks like
lion prides, hunted, fished. Other researchers believe that they got to the islands with immigrants from Japan, and that this is Japanese, adapted to new living conditions, and not the Kurilian Bobtail. Photos of animals partially confirm this. Locals didn't care. They loved their pets, not bothering the breed. It so happened that the Kuril Islands, despite all their uniqueness, are not a “mecca” for tourists. From the continent come only scientists and the military. It was they who brought the unusual seals they loved to the mainland.
Only in the eighties of the last century did people finally discern a separate species in the “smokers”. Felinologists have developed standards for a breed called the Kurilian Bobtail. The nature of newcomers, as well as habits and behavioral characteristics, began to be studied intensively.
Breed standard
It is believed that the "smokers" combine the features of
Japanese bobtail and
Siberian cats. According to the latest changes adopted by WCF (World Cat Federation) and FIFe (International Cat Federation), the Kuril Bobtail standards are as follows:
- The tail is short (the main difference of the breed). Only a length of 3-8 cm is allowed. It must be omitted and bent in the form of a pompom.
- The body is muscular, the back is slightly arched, the croup is raised. Paws are strong and strong, with the hind legs slightly longer than the front.
- The head is in the shape of a trapezoid, but with smooth outlines, not small. The muzzle is not flattened, but wide, of medium length.
- The ears are medium, wide at their base, set high, slightly rounded at the ends.
- The eyes are wide, have a rounded or slightly almond-shaped and harmonize in color with the color of the coat.
- The color of the Kuril Bobtail is allowed in a variety of combinations, with the exception of acromelanic, chocolate, purple, faun and cinnamon.
Two subspecies of the “smokers”
The above characteristics should be maintained by all representatives of the "smokers". But according to the length of their hair, there are two options - long-haired bobtail and short-haired. The first should have a medium-length coat, dense undercoat, the so-called “collar” in the neck, “panties” in the croup and hind limbs. In the second, the undercoat is not strongly developed, the coat is short and tender, adjacent to the body.
Sometimes cats are found that resemble a lynx in color. Needless to say, how desirable are such specimens of the Kurilian Bobtail breed. The price for them is always higher, especially if on the ears there are brushes characteristic of a lynx. In nurseries for kittens, it ranges from 400 to 1000 cu You can buy a kitten from private individuals even for 50 cu, only there will be no guarantee of clean breed.
Disadvantages of the breed
Now Kurilian Bobtail take part in all international exhibitions, where they always receive awards. Nevertheless, the requirements for the breed are quite high. So, cats get a lower score if the following disadvantages are found:
- the tail is straight, longer than 8 cm or shorter than 3 cm;
- excessively arched back.
If there is no tail at all, or if it is longer than 12 cm, the animal is not classified at all.
The body sizes of females and males are different, and this is considered the norm. Grown in nursery conditions, representatives of the Kurilian Bobtail breed cats weigh up to 4 kg, cats - up to 6. Their wild representatives are somewhat smaller. Females reach a weight of only 2.5 kg, and males 4 kg. Deviations of breeding bobtail in weight are not a disadvantage of the breed, but undesirable.
Kuril and Japanese Short Tails
Although the Kurilian Bobtail, a photo of which can be seen in the directories, is highlighted in a separate breed, many are still convinced that this is just a variation of their Japanese relatives. The Japanese, who believed that evil and witchcraft were gathering in the cat's tail, for centuries diligently selected kittens who had this “vice" as short as possible. They worshiped such animals. Fans of Russian bobtail say that the genetic origin of the tail in their favorites and the "Japanese" has genetic differences. True, while this is not confirmed by anything. Some opponents of the breed generally do not see the difference between the "smokers" and the "Japanese". But she still is.
So, our ears are slightly rounded, while those of “not ours” are pointed, which is very much appreciated by the Japanese. Their cats have medium-length coat of any color, eyes are more slanted (“Japanese” nevertheless), their body is slim. A special charm to the breed gives them the so-called samurai stand. In translators, it disappears somewhere.
Tail features
The slightly unusual and beautiful word “bobtail” means, in essence, “short tail” or “pompom tail”. Some believe that both the Japanese and the smokers inherited its deformation from Chinese short-tailed cats. This length is due to deformation of the vertebrae. According to the standard, pedigree cats should have from 2 to 8, and the number of vertebrae in kittens is not necessarily the same as their parents, but can vary slightly. But the vertebrae must be curved by all means. True, in any direction. Another indispensable requirement is that the tail must be omitted, and more than the rest of the body.
No matter how short the tail of the bobtail is, several of its forms are distinguished. Among them are bean, stump, panicle, spiral.
Character
A very interesting breed is the Kurilian Bobtail. The nature of its representatives has many remarkable features. So, all the “smokers” are unusually friendly to members of the family in which they live, but love only one! And they are devoted to him like a dog. Who will it be, the cat decides for himself. With a chosen one, the “smoker” will be inseparable, will become his “tail” and his “shadow”. Only the cat will allow him that he will never allow with others, for example, medical procedures. There was a case when a sick Bobtail cat was kept by 8 people to give an injection! She, like a tigress, rushed at people and didn’t let anyone in, and the owner was ignorant of medicine and could not treat her.
But the "smokers" are quite tolerant of children. No matter what the kids do with them, they will never raise their paw on them. But they treat strangers with caution, always sniff them, deciding whether to attack or not. There have been cases of “smokers” being thrown at guests who didn’t like them.
It is very important to know how Kurilian Bobtail gets along with other animals. His character is not only freedom-loving, but also preserves hunting instincts. Therefore, those who decided to make this cute short-tail should forget about fish, birds, hamsters and so on. All of them are waiting for a sad fate.
Intelligence
According to the capabilities of the mind, a very amazing breed is the Kurilian Bobtail. The reviews of the owners repeatedly confirm the unusual ingenuity and understanding of their pets.
So, they do not need to repeat ten times why they need a pot, that the sofa is not intended for sharpening claws at all, and the curtains do not hang in order to climb the ledge on them. The Kuril people understand the first time what is possible and what is not.
The second curious feature is their conversation. Scientists believe that all cats are able to pronounce individual sounds and even words. This confirms the fact that representatives of different breeds meow differently. For example, bobtail in “meow” pronounce “m” quite clearly. They also know how to squeak, clatter, bleat like a goat and growl like real predators.
And they know how to execute commands, almost like dogs, especially the aport team. You can play with the “smoker” for hours, throwing him a wire or a wand. He will run after her, take in the teeth and bring to the owner. True, for this the cat must want it himself. Many sitting bobtail can raise their paw. The Japanese are sure that such a gesture of a cat attracts luck to the house.
Behavior
The Kurilian Bobtail cat inherited a lot from its wild ancestors. The character of each of these cute creatures is individual. However, they all have the traits of hunters. For example, male “smokers” never mark corners in an apartment. This is based on a simple natural instinct - not to give your potential enemy his whereabouts. Indeed, in the wild, stronger predators could easily find adult bobtails and their cubs by smell.
Another amazing feature is the love of water. Wild short tails preyed not only on birds and mice, they perfectly fished. Pets don’t need to get their daily bread, but nature’s inherent ability to swim and dive remains in them. Therefore, they tolerate water procedures with pleasure.
Those who keep bobtails in the private sector really appreciate the pet’s ability to hunt rodents. The strong paws of the “smokers”, their lightning-fast reaction, and high jumping ability do not leave a chance for the victim. These cats are not afraid even of dogs and never run away from them. Bobtail owners need to be careful, because no cat can cope with large dog breeds, especially fighting ones.
Care Features
Kurilian Bobtail are very hardy and strong cats, therefore they rarely cause problems for their owners.
However, so that pets always feel good, you need to pay special attention to their nutrition. It is not recommended to feed them with natural products and canned food at the same time, because it violates the balance of the gastrointestinal tract. Kurilian Bobtail kittens must receive cottage cheese, boiled yolk and vitamins.
In the future, if it is decided to feed the cat with natural products, you need to choose the food that he could get on his own. That is, include more fish and meat, especially poultry. Of course, all food should be boiled.
If the choice is stopped on artificial feeds, the animal needs only good quality canned food.
The overwhelming majority of "smokers" like to swim, and the owners have no problems with this. But combing them is not necessary, because their hair never gets off. If you still wanted to smooth his hair, you need to take a comb, the teeth of which are not electrified. Otherwise, the pet will be unpleasant.
As necessary, you need to clean the cat's ears and wipe it with a damp sponge. And of course, vaccinate.
Breeding difficulties
Kurilian Bobtail kittens, the price of which varies depending on their thoroughbred and availability of documents, can be purchased in nurseries or from private individuals.
Reproduction of "smokers" is not much different from reproduction of other breeds. There are up to 5 kittens in the litter, which may differ from each other in the length and shape of the tail. For those who do not aim to maintain the purity of the breed, it does not matter. The main thing is that the kittens are born healthy, and their mother does not have postpartum problems.
For breeders, cleanliness is of great importance. Each Kurilian Bobtail Nursery tries to find the perfect pair to get purebred offspring. But even with careful selection, the appearance of kittens with long tails or tailless in the litter is not uncommon. This is due to the fact that the ancestors of the parent cats had mates with long-tailed relatives, and this genetic memory has been preserved.