The origin and standard of the Kurilian Bobtail's appearance, description of health, advice on care. Features of selection and kittens. Price when buying a smoker kitten. The Kurilian bobtail is the "little lynx" of the Kuril Islands: Kunashira and Iturup. This is how this domestic cat is characterized by all those who are closely acquainted with this interesting and unusual short-tailed breed. And he is also a wonderful fisherman, crabs and rat-catchers of the Far East, perfectly helping his owners to cope with the vicissitudes of their island life. Now this amazing pet is available for communication on the mainland of Russia, as well as successfully and in the Far East, slowly mastering the expanses of North America and Europe.
The origin of the Kurilian Bobtail breed
If there are legends and myths about many other breeds that are directly related to the antiquity of their feline genus, then with regard to the origin of the hereditary “smoker”, it is more correct to compose a fairy tale that begins with the most fabulous words: “Once upon a time there was one cat on the fabulously beautiful islands of the Kuril ridge, I lived happily ever after, and now lives there …”. And this cat would have lived for a long time, completely unknown to the rest of the world, but very curious people-scientists from the Great Earth came to the islands, greedy for everything new, reserved and undiscovered. And they opened it. And taken to the mainland. And from this very moment the real history of the Kurilian Bobtail breed, which is so popular today among cat fans, begins.
True, the work on the breed did not start suddenly. And more than once enthusiastic breeders came to the islands for new cats. They did not immediately succeed in proving that the brought cats are not at all Japanese bobtails, but represent something new, still unknown in the feline world.
And only in 1991, Soviet felinological scientists managed to complete work on a preliminary standard for the Kurilian Bobtail breed and register it with the Soviet Felinological Federation (SFF).
By the end of 1994, already in the new Russia, the standard for smoking cats was finalized and prepared for approval by the WCF as a new breed of cats. In 1995, the WCF finally approved the breed standard and the Kurilian Bobtails finally gained worldwide recognition.
The existing breed standard was additionally refined at the Coordination meeting of felinological associations of the CIS clubs in 2001.
The external standard of the Kurilian Bobtail cat
The Kurilian Bobtail is not a very large, but strong, muscular and graceful cat, with a compact flexible body, rich hair and a short pompom-like tail. Bobtail, in general, is literally translated from English as - "with a short cropped tail." Although, in the old days, bobtails were called a shepherd's dog with a short tail, but the word, as we see, was just right for cats:
- Head often small, proportional to the body, wedge-shaped in shape with smooth outlines. The muzzle is rounded, with well-defined mustache growth zones, with strong jaws. The cheekbones of the animal are low, the chin is not wide, the cheeks are full. Forehead with a slight transition to the nose, low cheekbones, full cheeks. The nose is medium in length, straight and wide, with a pronounced lobe. The chin is not wide and strong.
- Neck the Kurilian Bobtail is of medium length, strong, muscular (in relation to the proportions of the body), but sometimes it is more massive. In shape, it resembles a rather wide, peculiarly elongated wedge with rounded outlines, in the form of an equilateral triangle of rounded lines.
- Ears medium in size, alert, set wide and high. The tips of the ears are rounded, possibly the presence of "tassels", like a lynx. The eyes of the "smoker" are a medium-sized cat, beautiful almond-shaped, somewhat slanting. By color, yellow-green of all shades or in a suit with color are allowed.
- Body type strong, firm but flexible, distinctly muscular but not heavy. The body is dense, elongated, with a strongly developed chest and a slightly raised back line to the pelvis. The limbs of the Kurilian Bobtail are of medium length, strong. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front ones. Legs are oval, rather wide.
- Tail fluffy, short (numbering from 2 to 10 vertebrae in length), with creases, resembles a "bob", "pompom" or "spiral" in shape. The tail is the "calling card" of the bobtail. It is on this sign of the tail that a special standardization is even taking place - this is a very important element of the appearance of the Kuril cat. When assessing the pedigree of an animal, not only the visible part of the tail is taken into account, but also the number of vertebrae, the number of creases, their mobility and some other parameters. Breeders also divide bobtail tails into their own categories: "stump", "spiral", "whisk" and "retracted bobtail" or "squiggle". All these "terms" depend on the number of vertebrae "used" in the anatomy of the tail, all kinds of creases, curvatures and mobility of the tail-navel.
- Smoker's wool can be medium or long, depending on the subspecies (at present there are long-haired and semi-long-haired versions of the Kuril cat). The quality of the coat is, in any case, dense with a noticeable undercoat. The hair of the bobtail is very thick, well-fitting to the body, soft-silky to the touch. A fur collar is expressed around the neck. In the lower and back of the body, the length of the coat is increased. The tail of a bobtail is well furred.
All types of color of a cat are allowed by the standards, except for "Abyssinian", "color-point" and any combinations thereof with a white color. When assessing, preference is given to the colors "agouti" and "bicolor".
The nature of the animal
The Kurilian Bobtail is a wonderful cat in all respects, kind and friendly, affectionate and playful, intelligent and inquisitive, but at the same time very independent and wayward, which is noted by almost all owners of this animal. He needs a special approach and the ability to find a common language with him. And it is also a very cautious creature that rarely goes into the hands of strangers, preferring to independently choose both the person and the owner.
"Kurils" are very sociable and constantly demanding attention animals, fidgets that never give rest. Not everyone can withstand their energetic onslaught, and therefore, for people who love animals less persistent in communication, it is better to immediately choose a calmer breed. Kuril cats are unusually intelligent, curious and have a high intelligence, which allows them to very quickly learn and learn from other animals. That is why they are easy to train. Teaching a bobtail some fun tricks is pretty easy, especially if the training is more like a fun game or their favorite hunt. These cats run after the ball with great pleasure and bring abandoned toys, almost like dogs. Although, of course, these are not dogs, but real cats, inheriting from the ancestors of the islanders not only the original tail, but all their "wild" cat skills. She loves to play hide and seek, catch and catch.
They are excellent hunters and fishermen, not afraid of water, forest, darkness, or unfamiliar smells. And although it is quite problematic to show your hunting talents in a city apartment (and you can also suffer a lot for fish caught from an aquarium), getting out into nature, Kurilian Bobtails will definitely show you how to fish correctly and hunt birds and mice. Rest assured, this is where you will learn a lot about your pet.
In ordinary life, bobtails are very peaceful and sociable, they easily converge with other pets, but they still like to communicate with humans and their relatives, "kurils" more. Therefore, quite often people who are really "stuck" to these amazing cats have several such extraordinary short-tailed pets. But do not forget that not all pets can be safe in the neighborhood with a Kuril cat. The hunting instincts of these cats are very strong and domestic hamsters or budgerigars can easily become prey for these seemingly peaceful and affectionate, but still predators.
"Kuriles" are very distinctive cats striving to live by their own rules. Therefore, it is necessary to teach them order and discipline from childhood. Otherwise, you yourself risk falling into the power of this cat, who suddenly imagines himself the master of the house. In this case, it is extremely difficult to retrain an adult bobtail or "drive under the bench", he never gives up the once won positions. And if the situation changes not in his favor, then he simply begins to take revenge - to mark, spoil things, hang on curtains and blinds, sprinkle cereals (sugar, salt) in the kitchen, in general, do every possible dirty trick. Here is such an irreconcilable character.
In general, with the right upbringing, affectionate and respectful treatment of this independent cat, there are almost no problems. This is a loving and devoted animal to the owner, never without good reason trying to scandal or be capricious. It's just that the Kurilian Bobtail requires respect and understanding. And he totally deserves it.
Kurilian Bobtail health
It is common knowledge that "smokers" are an exceptionally healthy breed of cats. And this is not so much the merit of enthusiastic breeders, as of centuries-old natural selection, which eliminated all weak and sick individuals in the process of evolution. That is why there are no genetically inherited diseases or predispositions behind the “smokers”.
Nevertheless, parasitic, and especially modern infectious diseases are as dangerous for these cats as for any other. And even the excellent "wild" immunity of your pet is not always able to cope with them on its own. Therefore, timely vaccination and preventive measures against parasites (ticks, fleas, etc.) is also relevant for this cat breed. The regularity of these events will allow you to protect your cat from serious problems and maintain his iron health for many years.
The good health of the "smokers" had a noticeable effect on their life expectancy. "Kurilov" can be safely attributed to the category of long-lived cats. The average lifespan of Kurilian bobtails is 15-17 years, but cases when these animals survived to the most "gray hair", up to the age of 20 and even 23 years, are not so rare.
Kurilian Bobtail Care Tips
Caring for a Kuril cat with a tight-fitting coat is surprisingly minimal. Standard brushing once a week and occasional bathing is what the cat needs and is always convenient for its owner. Moreover, bobtails like to swim since when they were wild and caught red fish in the Iturup and Kunashira rivers. So, there are no special problems with this.
They also shed not as intensely as the same Persians or Siberians. Yes, and their wool does not have a special smell (the wild origin affects). It is also important not to house two cats of this breed at the same time, which will intensively mark the territory, competing with each other.
Quick adaptation to different living conditions and other inhabitants of your home, as well as good fur protection from drafts and cold, does not require any specially equipped place to live in the house. But do not forget about the scratching post, without this cat "trainer" in the case of the Kurilian Bobtail is indispensable. Otherwise, you will have to constantly deal with hauling sofas and wallpapering.
In nutrition, the optimal option for the owner is to feed the bobtail with premium food from a quality manufacturer. You can also completely feed the "smoker" with natural products, but this always creates certain problems for the owner (not everyone is able to correctly determine the diet). It is highly undesirable to give food from the table or mix types of feeding, all this can negatively affect the health of your bobtail.
Bobtail kittens
Cats "smokers" grow up early enough, but crossing them before the age of two is still undesirable, for their own benefit. Pregnancy cats - "smokers" tolerate well, without problems and pathologies. The good health of the genotype affects. The moms are also great.
Up to 6 kittens are usually born in a litter, completely blind and deaf (they begin to hear and see in the second week from birth). The weight of a newborn Kurilian Bobtail kitten is on average from 100 to 140 grams.
Kittens try to get up on their paws already at the age of a crescent, but finally begin to walk at the age of about a month. From this period, an active period of communication begins with the mother-cat and her brothers and sisters, as well as with the owner.
By one and a half months, kittens "smokers" are already able to eat on their own and are quite familiar with the litter box (if, of course, you have not forgotten about it). From birth to 6–7 months of age, kittens have the most active growth period. By the age of 7 months, they are already gaining significant weight. Young seven-month-old cats weigh about 4-plus kilograms, and cats weigh more than 3 kg. By the size, size and quality of the tail at this age, you can already estimate how thoroughbred, large and beautiful your cat will be as an adult.
Price when buying a Kurilian Bobtail kitten
A few breeds of short-tailed bobtail cats have become extremely popular in the modern world. Kuriles are no exception. Their unusual appearance, cute and sociable character with hunting and fishing inclinations, are gaining more and more fans around the world, which did not fail to affect the price of the kittens sold.
The starting price for a real Kurilian Bobtail is around $ 300. The price of the most expensive kittens (here it all depends on the sex of the kitten, its pedigree and the amount of "wild" blood, compliance with the standards of appearance and color) reaches 1200 US dollars.
Without a doubt, the most expensive kittens of this young breed are individuals brought from their historical homeland - the islands of Iturup and Kunashir, straight from the wild. And here the price, as they say, is only negotiable. The difficulty lies in one more thing - these "savages" still need to be officially registered, nature, as you know, does not issue certificates and passports.
Description of the Kurilian Bobtail breed in this video:
[media =
