Kurilian Bobtail | |
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Other names | Kuril Islands Bobtail, Kurilean Bobtail Kuril Bobtail, Curilsk Bobtail |
Origin | Russia |
Breed standards | |
FIFe | standard |
TICA | standard |
WCF | standard |
Notes | |
Some registries divide Kurilians into separate shorthair and longhair breeds. | |
Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
Nicknames | pumpkin |
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Traits | |
Weight |
|
Coat | double layered |
Color | red to grey to yellow to brown |
Litter size | 2 to 3 |
Lifespan | 15-20 years |
Fur type | short to semi-longhair |
Bobtail | 2 to 5 inches |
The Kurilian Bobtail is a cat breed (or breed group, depending on registry) originating from the Russian Kuril Islands, as well as Sakhalin Island and the Kamchatka peninsula of Russia. [1] [2] Short- or long-haired, it has a semi-cobby body type and a distinct short, fluffy tail. The back is slightly arched with hind legs longer than the front, similar to those of the Manx. [2] The breed is also called the Kuril Islands Bobtail, Kuril Bobtail (both often misspelled "Kurile") and Curilsk Bobtail, and may be referred to without "Bobtail". It is sometimes also spelled Kurilean. [3] The original short-haired variant is a natural breed, [2] [3] known on the islands for over 200 years. [2] As selectively bred pets, they have been popular in USSR and to some extent other parts of Europe, especially for their rodent-hunting abilities, since the middle of the 20th century, [2] but remained rare in North America [2] as of 2011 [update] .
Kurilians are recognized as a breed group of a pair related short- and [semi-]long-haired breeds by The International Cat Association (TICA), which considers them "Advanced New Breeds" ineligible for championship status, [4] as of 2011 [update] ) and by the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe). The World Cat Federation (WCF) recognizes them as a single breed.[ citation needed ]As of 2011 [update] , the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) did not recognize the breed at all.
While possibly closely related to the Japanese Bobtail breed – both share the same kind of kinked, short tail, but the Japanese is leaner, more angular and less cobby [1] [5] – the Kurilian originated on the opposite side of Eurasia from the similarly named Karelian Bobtail of western Russia and Finland, and is thus unlikely to be a near relative. Genetic studies may eventually demonstrate the breed's connection to others. Just as the Japanese Bobtail and tailless-to-short-tailed Manx arose independently on islands a world apart, the Kurilian's bobbed tail may be an isolated spontaneous mutation that became common on the Kuril and Sakhalin islands because of the limited genetic diversity of island biogeography (an example of the founder effect and, at the sub-specific level, of the species-area curve).
This new breed is not well known outside of its native territories. Though it is a native to Japan with a long history on a chain of islands, known as the Kurils, that runs from the easternmost point of Russia to the tip of Japan's Hokkaido Island. Also known as the Kuril Bobtail or the Curilsk Bobtail, because the Kuril Islands are Russian-owned, this breed is being developed and promoted as a Russian aboriginal breed that is separate and distinct from the Japanese Bobtail. There are several versions of the origin of the breed. The main origin of the breed is considered to be from a mixture (crossbreeding) of Japanese Bobtail cats with Siberian cats brought by sailors to the Kuril Islands. It was adopted by the WCF in 1994.
In the wild, this cat is an excellent fisher and hunter, which may explain why the Kurilian loves to play in water. The Kurilian's wild look is not reflected in the temperament of the breed. It is known for its clever and gentle nature.
The variety is mostly known for its distinctive "pom-pom" kinked, short tail. Short- or longhaired, it has a distinct short, fluffy tail ranging from 2 to 10 vertebrae. The back is slightly arched, with hind legs longer than the front,. [1] It has a medium to large, substantial, [1] muscular build and rounded-rectangular, wide face. [1] Eye colors conform to the color of the coat. The colors yellow, green, and yellow-green are preferred. There are semi-longhair and shorthair Kurilians. All colors without colorpoint and solid are allowed. Part of the reason for its rarity is that there are just two or three kittens in a litter. The most common coat colors are in red, to grey, to bobtail stripes. [1] The lifespan of a Kurilian Bobtail ranges from 15 to 20 years, owing to their breed's being developed in the wild.
The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, pineapple eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint.
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The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely tailless; this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with elongated hind legs and a rounded head. Manx cats come in all coat colours and patterns, though all-white specimens are rare, and the coat range of the original stock was more limited. Long-haired variants are sometimes considered a separate breed, the Cymric.
The Cymric is a Canadian cat breed. Some cat registries consider the Cymric a semi-long-haired variety of the Manx breed, rather than a separate breed. Except for the length of fur, in all other respects, the two varieties are the same, and kittens of either sort may appear in the same litter. The name comes from Cymru, the indigenous Welsh name of Wales, even though the breed is not associated with Wales. The name may have been chosen to provide a "Celtic" sounding moniker for the breed. While the breed's Manx bloodline originated from the Isle of Man, the long-haired variant is claimed to have been developed by Canada. The breed is called the Longhair Manx or a similar name by some registries.
The American Bobtail is an uncommon breed of domestic cat which was developed in the late 1960s. It is most notable for its stubby "bobbed" tail about one-third to one-half the length of a normal cat's tail. This is the result of a cat body type genetic mutation affecting the tail development, similar to that of a Manx cat. The breed is not related to other short-tailed breeds, such as the Cymric cat, or the Japanese Bobtail or Kurilian Bobtail, despite the similar name and physical type—the breeding programs are entirely unrelated, and the genetic mutation causing the bobbed tail are known to be different, as the mutation causing the American Bobtail's short tail is dominant; comparatively, the Japanese Bobtail, for example, has a tail mutation that is recessive.
The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of domestic cat with an unusual bobtail more closely resembling the tail of a rabbit than that of other cats. The breed was first developed in Japan, and registered officially in the 1960s. The breed has been known in Japan for centuries, and it frequently appears in traditional folklore and art. Japanese Bobtails are believed to be derived from domestic and feral populations of kinked-tailed cats widespread throughout Southeast Asia and southern China.
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