Japanese Bobtail

The breed, when it is tortoiseshell and white, is known as mi-ké (三毛, "three hairs", "three colors") in its country of origin, Japan, where it is considered a symbol of friendship and good luck. Very popular, the breed is associated with the effigy of the maneki-neko, that is "the lucky cat", "the cat that calls" or even "the cat that greets", supposed to ward off misfortunes and illnesses. Many Japanese temples or buildings display at the entrance a statuette representing the maneki-neko. The painter Hiroshige sometimes used it to symbolize the calm of large Japanese houses.

It is said to be friendly and sociable. The Japanese Bobtail would be a faithful cat that would follow its owner everywhere. It is also said to have a particular voice and sometimes holds "conversations" with its owners. These character traits, however, remain perfectly individual and depend on the history of each cat.

The main characteristic of the Japanese Bobtail is its tail stub, which it carries upright when moving and folded at rest. Its tail is made up of vertebrae fused together, this bone structure being hidden by the ruffled and fairly long hairs that cover the tail. Once unfolded, this tail can measure between 8 and 10 cm. It is often said to resemble a chrysanthemum flower. It is a perfectly spontaneous genetic mutation among cats of Southeast Asia for thousands of years, and which causes no harm to the cat. Despite its delicate and svelte appearance, it is a medium-sized cat, well-muscled; whereas the Manx is more stocky and has no tail, the Japanese Bobtail has longer and finer hind limbs and fine front limbs. Due to the particularly acute angle of its hind legs, it presents a horizontal profile. Its head is triangular, with large oval eyes that are slightly slanted, green, copper, blue or odd-eyed, the latter being highly sought after. Its coat is short, soft and silky, very easy to maintain. The most sought-after color is tortoiseshell (miké), which is found only in females. A tricolor male is rare, he will normally suffer from congenital deformities and will be sterile. It can also be entirely white, black, red, black and white, red and white or tortoiseshell or tortoiseshell and cream. The original breed is the short-haired Japanese Bobtail in bicolor color black and white, red and white and of course tortoiseshell. There is a semi-long-haired variety. The Japanese Bobtail remains a confidential breed in continental Europe. Because this breed is recent, no congenital malformation is known, unlike other older breeds.