Japanese Bobtail care: play, portions and the bobbed tail

The Japanese Bobtail is a slender, long-legged, very active cat whose short, kinked tail is inherited, not docked. Cats with these tails appear in Japanese art from centuries ago and are regarded as good luck in several Asian cultures. The Cat Fanciers' Association breed profile describes the breed as sturdy, with no specific health concerns known, and notes that US breeders have long been able to bring in Japanese street cats to keep the gene pool diverse. For owners, that shifts the focus to the everyday things: enough play for a busy cat, portion control indoors, teeth, and gentle handling of the tail.

Feeding an active cat

A Japanese Bobtail on the go all day may need more than a sedentary cat of the same weight, and an indoor cat without enough play will need less. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives a starting estimate: resting energy requirement (RER) is 70 times body weight in kilograms to the power 0.75, multiplied by 1.4 for an intact adult cat, 1.2 for a neutered adult and 1.0 for a cat prone to obesity. The result is a starting point to adjust by body condition.

Kittens need more per kilogram than adults. Merck gives about 2.5 times RER for growing kittens and notes that kittens can also be fed free choice. Neutering lowers energy needs, so it is a good moment to weigh the cat and review portions.

Any complete and balanced cat food, wet or dry, supplies the taurine, protein and minerals a cat needs; nothing about this breed calls for extra supplements. Wet food adds water to the diet, and a mix of wet and dry suits many cats.

Keeping an indoor Bobtail lean

The CFA describes the breed as highly active, agile and quick to get bored, and says Bobtails need a fair amount of attention and interaction. Indoors, a cat with too little to do is easy to overfeed, and a slim cat that loses its waist is easy to miss, because the change happens a few grams at a time.

• Measured meals: weigh the daily ration, split it into several small meals, and avoid a bowl that is always full.
• Food puzzles: a review of food puzzles for cats describes them as a way to use a cat's instinct to work for its food, with benefits reported for indoor cats' health and behavior, though the research is still young. Start with an easy puzzle so the cat succeeds.
• Treats: keep them to about a tenth of the day's calories. On 240 kcal a day, that is roughly 24 kcal.
• Play: several short sessions with a wand toy each day, ending with a catch. Some Bobtails learn to fetch, and the CFA notes that the breed does well in feline agility.
• Height: strong hind legs make these cats keen jumpers. Tall, stable cat trees and shelves give daily exercise without any effort from the owner.

The bobbed tail

Every Bobtail's tail is different in length, curve and kink, and the fur fans out so that it looks like a pom-pom. The CFA standard requires the tail to extend no more than 3 inches (about 7.5 cm) from the body, although the vertebrae inside it may be longer when uncurled.

• Inheritance: a breeding study found that the trait is inherited as a simple autosomal dominant, so one copy of the variant produces a bobbed tail. It is not caused by the gene behind the tailless Manx. A later genome study identified a variant in the HES7 gene, which helps set the segments of the spine during development, and found it only in Japanese Bobtails among the cats tested.
• The rest of the spine: the same breeding study X-rayed whole spines and found more variation than expected, most often one fewer thoracic vertebra than usual, misshapen (hemi-) vertebrae mostly within the tail kink, and some unusual ribs. None of these differences was linked to illness or early death in the cats studied, which fits the CFA's statement that no abnormalities are known to come with the tail.
• Handling: the CFA notes that some tails are rigid and others flexible, but all are sensitive. Never pull, straighten or grip the tail, and teach children the same.
• When to see a vet: a cat that suddenly resents having its back or tail touched, stops grooming its rear end, or has trouble with the litter tray needs an examination, whatever the tail shape.

Teeth

Periodontal disease is the most common specific diagnosis in cats. In a UK study of more than 18,000 cats under primary veterinary care, 15.2% were diagnosed with it in a single year, and age was the strongest predictor of risk. The study also linked periodontal disease to poorer overall health. Because risk climbs with age, dental care matters more each year a cat lives.

• Brushing: daily brushing with a cat toothpaste is the most effective home care. Start slowly with a finger brush and rewards. A friendly, people-oriented cat often accepts it once it is routine.
• Dental diets and treats: products carrying the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal have been tested to reduce plaque or tartar. They help, but they do not replace brushing.
• Checks: have the mouth examined at every vet visit. Cleaning under anesthesia, with dental X-rays, treats what brushing cannot reach, and tooth resorption in cats is often visible only on X-rays.
• Warning signs: bad breath, red gums, drooling, dropping food, chewing on one side, or pawing at the mouth.

Coat care and the mi-ke pattern

Japanese Bobtails come in short and long coats and in nearly every color. The best-known pattern is mi-ke (Japanese for "three fur"), the tricolor of red, black and white. Because the orange coat color gene sits on the X chromosome, a cat needs two X chromosomes to show orange and black patches together, so almost every tricolor cat is female. The rare tricolor male usually has an extra X chromosome and is typically infertile.

The CFA describes the coat as having no undercoat and shedding only minimally. Shorthairs need little more than combing a few times a month to remove dead hair. Longhairs need combing more often with a fine, long-toothed comb, but their coats do not usually tangle or mat. An occasional bath is enough.

A healthy coat depends on a complete diet and a healthy cat. A cat that stops grooming, develops a greasy or matted back, or has scurf along the spine may be overweight, arthritic or unwell, and needs a vet check rather than a new shampoo.

Sources

1. Japanese Bobtail. The Cat Fanciers' Association.
2. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
3. Food puzzles for cats: feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2016.
4. Japanese Bobtail: vertebral morphology and genetic characterization of an established cat breed. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2015.
5. Whole genome sequencing in cats, identifies new models for blindness in AIPL1 and somite segmentation in HES7. BMC Genomics, 2016.
6. Periodontal disease in cats under primary veterinary care in the UK: frequency and risk factors. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2023.