The history of the origin of the Mekong Bobtail breed, a description of the standard of the cat's appearance, characteristics of the character and health of the pet, the rules for keeping a thoroughbred pet, the price of a kitten. The Mekong bobtail is a representative of the feline world with a rich history, extraordinary appearance, good health and golden temperament. These cats quickly become loyal friends and companions for each family member.
The origin story of the Mekong Bobtail cat
Historical information and stories of people about the representatives of this species of cats are more like stories about some hero and sacred knight, and to some extent this is true. These excellent purrs are considered a very ancient cat breed. The lands of Indochina are considered their native landmarks, but no one outside this state has ever heard or knew anything about them. The thing is that the locals loved, appreciated and protected their aboriginal murks so much that they did not agree to take them out of the country for any money and wealth. According to a lot of scientific information, the Mekong bobtails had their own special life purpose - they were considered the keepers of the temples. This is probably why Mekong bobtail was so prized and held in such high esteem among the inhabitants of Indochina.
But, fortunately for cat lovers all over the world, a couple of these unusual animals still managed to make a "trip abroad." Around the middle of the 19th century, the Englishwoman Anna Crawford worked as a governess for the Siamese royal family. The woman liked the local pets so much that before returning to her homeland, she nevertheless took with her a couple of purring babies. No one can reliably say whether such a "emigration" of cats was done with the permission of His Majesty, or the governess did everything in secret, but this, however, is not so important. But what is curious is that the inhabitants of Foggy Albion, having spotted such "foreign cats", were simply delighted. And soon the representatives of the new breed were buying them up at a breakneck speed and at fabulous prices.
But such a feline business was widespread on a small scale, until one of the kittens served as a present for the English ambassador, Owen Gould. The official was fascinated by his pet and this incident became significant for the Mekong bobtails. From that day on, rumors about unusual animals began to spread at the speed of light, and not only rumors, but the kittens themselves. The area of such popularity at first covered most of the countries of the European continent, and a few years later, pretty purrs set off to "conquer" American fans of the feline world. In Russia, Mekong bobtail, oddly enough, appeared much later and they did not make such a furore.
Surprising is the fact that although representatives of this species were very popular, prestigious and expensive animals, there was no talk of any pedigree. When a cat with an unusual tail was presented for the first time to members of the commission of one of the large feline organizations, it did not end well. At first, everyone considered their tail process to be nothing more than an anatomical defect, but later, with a lot of effort, the Russians, in alliance with the Asians, still won the right to exist for the Mekong Bobtail and its unusual tail. Moreover, at the beginning of the XXI century, these cute cats still received a certificate of their "pedigree" from many feline organizations of the world scale.
Mekong Bobtail: description of the standard of appearance and photo of the breed
Many scientists and amateur felinologists argue that the extraordinary appearance of Mekong bobtail pets is nothing more than a natural phenomenon, but there are also those who are more inclined to the fact that some similarity with Siamese cats is due to the fact that they, and other cats lived in the same area. Maybe these "tailed" kittens are actually some kind of distant relatives of the Siamese?
- Frame. Mekong Bobtail cats have a medium-sized body, the mass of an adult male is rarely more than 6 kg. The body of the animal is shaped more like a rectangle with slightly rounded, soft outlines. The cat is very slender and fit, with well-developed muscles.
- Limbs Mekong bobtail is not too big in length, but strong and stable. Ends with rounded legs. The peculiarity of this variety of cats is that the claws on their hind legs do not have the ability to hide in the pads. In this regard, when the animal walks on hard surfaces, you can hear a characteristic clatter, as if the cat is shod in high heels.
- Head its configuration resembles a slightly modified wedge, devoid of sharp corners and sharp lines. The upper part of the skull is a little flat. If you look closely at the profile of the animal, then you will not be able to notice a single notch or hump. Interestingly, according to the breed standard, in purebred Mekong Bobtails, the transition from nose to forehead should be well below eye level. The chin is strong, well visualized, the cheekbones are not pronounced. Moreover, clearly visible zygomatic arches are considered a disadvantage of the breed. The muzzle is neat and pretty.
- Eyes these exotics are not too large in size, located at a slight slope. Most kittens suffer from strabismus, but, oddly enough, the more the cat's visual organs are mowed, the more demand for it and, accordingly, the higher the cost. And the whole point is that there is a legend that since the representatives of this breed in ancient times were the guards of temples, squint was formed only in the most professional and attentive animals, when they looked in all directions, so as not to miss any then a valuable attribute. Accordingly, this feature is not a disease or defect, but indicates the intellectual abilities and purebredness of the animal. As for the color of the iris, according to the standard it can be exclusively blue.
- Auricles the Mekong bobtail is medium in size, tapering slightly from a wider base to a gently rounded tip. The ears are located at a great distance from each other, it is important to take into account the fact that the duration of the space between the ears should in no case exceed the height of one ear.
- Tail process - the most remarkable and memorable body part of the Mekong Bobtail. Many call these purrs as "tailless", but this judgment is extremely erroneous. They have an organ of balance, even if it is not the same as that of most cats, but it even adorns the purr. The tail of each individual Mekong individual is unique in its structure and size; for each cat, the tail process consists of a different number and different shapes of bends, knots and kinks. Their tails may vary in length, but not a single case has been recorded that the tail consisted of less than 3 vertebrae. But there are also maximum limits on the length of the tail. Disqualified from a number of pedigree animals in which the length of the tail exceeds a quarter of the length of the body.
- Wool the Mekong Bobtail is soft, silky, shiny and rather short. They do not have an additional undercoat, if in front of you is a cat with a thick layer of undercoat, then it is clearly not who it claims to be. If we consider the colors, then the breed standard allows almost all color-point color options, with the exception of white. The most common are individuals with red-point, seal-point and tartle-point fur coats. It is best to buy a kitten from reliable and trusted sellers, as there may be some nuances with color. The thing is that newborn babies are all covered, as one, with snow-white fur. Only after a while the shade of the fur coat can change, and only at the age when the pet reaches puberty, the coloring is already completely transformed.
Character of the cat Mekong Bobtail
Keeping such a pet in your house, you can be sure that you will be surrounded by a huge amount of attention, love and feline tenderness. These pets very quickly get used to a person and love to spend time with him, while the purr never chooses one, he loves and respects all family members. You can have fun with the Mekong, both in the house and far outside it, he will happily go for a walk on a leash and even for impressive distances.
By their nature, these short-tailed cats are professionals in the hunting craft, so do not be afraid that your friend will bring you a mouse or a bird from the walk as a sign of gratitude for your good attitude. Such skills of the animal create some problem for those who, in addition to the Mekong Bobtail, have a hamster, a parrot or a fish in their house. These pets are more likely to become a delicious meal for the cat. As for other cats or dogs, there are no problems with them. Usually they are friends and entertain each other in moments of melancholy and despondency.
The temperaments of cats and cats differ significantly, male bobtails are very phlegmatic, balanced and more patient, while the fair sex is much more active, perky and more characteristic. With small children, for example, a cat can play for a long time, and even forgive the child for some small pranks, but the cat will not allow this, she can easily release claws in relation to the child. The male can always be cuddled, carried in his arms, while the "lady" decides for herself when she needs your attention and when she does not need to touch her.
Nature has endowed these purrs with a very developed mind and consideration; it is easy to teach such a pet the basic rules of behavior in an apartment, to teach them how to use a tray and a scratching post. Also, these cats easily learn to perform simple tricks, for example, to bring a ball or string, especially if you promise them some yummy as a reward.
Mekong Bobtail Health
We can safely say about these amazing cats that they have excellent heredity, they do not have genetic diseases. The natural powers of the Mekong bobtail cat's body can also only be envied, and if they are also supported by timely vaccination, with the correct dosages and high-quality drugs, as well as good care, balanced nutrition, walks in the fresh air and active entertainment, then such an extraordinary pet will accompany you in life for 20-25 years. And in some cases, these figures are far from the limit.
But you should not rely only on genetics, you must always remember that to a greater extent the health of a pet and its well-being in general depends on its owner. The Mekongs also have weak points. First of all, these are teeth and soft tissues of the dental cavity. These cats have a fairly high predisposition to tartar deposition and to gingivitis and periodontal disease. To prevent these problems, your pet needs to brush its teeth and gums. But there are some symptoms that can tell you that your friend is having some problems. These include: an unpleasant odor from the animal's mouth, increased saliva production, discolored or bleeding gums, and decreased appetite. As for the latter, Mekong bobtail wants to eat, and even very much, but because of the inflammatory process, it hurts the cat to do it.
These cats also have a chance of developing hearing loss, which is also up to you. It is necessary to regularly clean the ears from the accumulation of dust particles, dead epidermal scales and earwax.
If you often let your pet go outside, then when the cat returns home, it is recommended to examine the coat and skin for external parasites such as fleas and ticks. Internal parasites also rarely "come to visit" the body of the Mekong Bobtail, so the prevention of helminthiasis should be carried out regularly. It is also necessary to show your pet to the veterinarian at least once every six months, for a general examination and delivery of all the necessary tests.
Grooming a Mekong Bobtail cat at home
- Hair care. Since the Mekong bobtail has a short coat and no undercoat, it is a pleasure to care for it. In normal times, it will be more than enough to smooth the pet's fur coat with a damp palm, and during the shedding period it is recommended to remove unnecessary hair elements using either a soft massage brush or a special rubber glove. As for bathing the Mekong Bobtail, experts unanimously advise not to test the nervous system of cats at all, since these animals are very neat and tidy and keep their fur coat clean on their own quite well. But situations are different, so you can wash the cat as needed, but for this it is recommended to use a high quality shampoo based on natural ingredients. When choosing a detergent, it is better to give preference to shampoos and conditioners designed for skin prone to dryness.
- Hygiene. Mekong bobtail cat regularly clean the ears with cotton swabs equipped with a stopper in order to protect the sensitive eardrum from mechanical damage. It is not advised to use folk remedies as auxiliary substances, since the animal may have unwanted skin manifestations. It is best to buy a special liquid for cleaning the ears of your cat from your veterinary pharmacy. Teeth also need regular care, you can brush them with a cat toothbrush, but in order to clean the Mekong gums, it is better to use a dense, clean, lint-free cloth wrapped around your index finger. Dental powders or pastes for animals are also available at pharmacies. About once a week, you need to wipe your pet's eyes with cotton pads soaked in either boiled water or tea leaves.
- Claws also should be pruned. The optimal frequency of this procedure is once every 3-4 weeks. This must be done extremely carefully so as not to inflict hellish pain on the animal. Remember that you can only cut off the transparent tip of the claw; outside of it there are a huge number of sensitive nerve endings. To trim the claws, you need to use very sharp forceps, otherwise, you risk splitting the claw, which greatly injures your companion.
- What to feed? Ready-made food or natural homemade food - that's up to you. But it should be borne in mind that if the food is premium, if it is homemade food, then your pet's lunch should contain all the vitamins and minerals it needs. The list of products for Mekong bobtail should include the following: lean meats, offal, sea fish meat (no more than 2 times a week), dairy products, cereals, vegetables, chicken and quail eggs. If you are feeding your cat homemade food, then do not forget about periodic vitamin courses. Before choosing a drug and its dose, you need to consult a veterinarian.
Price of Mekong Bobtail kittens
The average cost of a purebred Mekong is about 5,000 rubles, but the price may vary depending on gender, pedigree and class of the animal. In Ukraine, the price of a Mekong Bobtail kitten is from 1500 to 2000 UAH.
