Some cat breeds aren't yet recognized by the majority of associations but may eventually attain championship status. Sometimes this lack of status is because a breed is so new. Sometimes, however, it's simply that the breed is virtually unknown. The Kurilian Bobtail fits squarely into the latter category.
The Kurilian Bobtail is a breed that developed naturally on the Kuril Islands. These stretch from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the edge of Russia. These cute cats with their little bobtails have apparently been running around the Kuril Islands for at least two hundred years, but they weren't brought to Russia until the middle of the 20th century. And they didn't make it to North American until even later than that. Even today there are less than a hundred Kurilian Bobtails in the United States. No wonder the breed hasn't been recognized.
Despite their undeniable cute factor, the Kurilian Bobtail is actually a rather large cat with an almost-cobby body shape. The coat is fluffy and soft with either long or short hair. Like many other breeds, both coat lengths are acceptable. Color is equally varied with both solid and tabby colors showing up in the same litter.
The most distinctive trait of the Kurilian Bobtail is, of course, the tail. There are dozens of different tail structures, each its own variation of a little pom-pom. The tails should be fluffy and held tight to the body.
As house pets, this breed gets along with just about everyone. Children, cats, other pets, all are accepted by the sociable Kurilian Bobtail. They like to play games, especially games involving running or jumping, so they're good cats for a high-activity household. They're not entirely happy on their own, but they do well enough with another cat or even a dog. You can also entertain them wish a fish tank, but make sure it's well secured. They are a curious breed, after all.
The Kurilian Bobtail may never become a recognized breed, but if it doesn't it's only because they're so rare. Incredibly rare might be the better way to describe this energetic breed. If you do come across the Kurilian Bobtail, you're in for a treat.
The Korat has been around a long time. The earliest known picture of this elegant breed appears in The Cat-Book Poems. Written sometime between 1350 and 1767, this is probably the oldest manuscript devoted exclusively to cats. There is an illustration within this book that features a cat that looks remarkably like the Korat. This cat, along with the other cats in that illustration, were thought to bring good luck.
In more modern times, the Korat first appeared in England. in the late 1800s. They were shown as "Blue Siamese" between 1889 and 1896, but because they didn't conform to the traditional Siamese standards they disappeared from competition by 1901.
It wasn't until 1959 that the first breeding pair of Korats were imported into the United States. Though they were not immediately accepted into championship status, several breeders persisted and by 1966 they were competing with the other recognized breeds.
The Appearance of the Korat
There is no mistaking the Korat. With their bright blue coloring (or as bright a blue as cats get), they stand out in the crowd. And though the blue color might be the only accepted color in most associations, some groups accept lilac and pointed cats as well. The coat is short, making grooming a breeze, and they are an about average shedder.
The Korat is a medium sized cat with a powerful and muscled body. Unlike many other cat breeds, the Korat can take up to five years to reach maturity. During this time, they may be lanky until they fill out. Their eyes will also change. Though blue as kittens, the eyes will eventually shift to bright amber when they are only a few weeks old. Then the eyes will change again, this time to a brilliant peridot, when the cat is between two and four years of age. When the eye color changes to peridot, the cat is nearing maturity.
The Personality of the Korat
Active and intelligent, the Korat will quickly form a strong bond with its family. They are affectionate creatures prone to cuddling or simply following at your feet. Be prepared to trip on your Korat several times a day. That or shoo him off the counter whenever he jumps up for a snuggle. This breed doesn't like to be alone, so if you're going to be gone for several hours at a time, consider getting a second Korat so they can keep each other company. For some ridiculous reason, these cats like to hang out with humans, and they like to hang out with each other, but they don't tend to like other cat breeds very much. Korats love Korats. Stubborn little brats.
Though this cat is among the more active breeds, it's also a great breed to have with children. They love to play and can handle some minor roughhousing, but they're incredibly gentle at the same time. They also like to chirp, which is endlessly entertaining for children and adults alike. Korats don't really like loud noises as a general rule, but they seem to make an exception for children.
A hardy cat, the Korat is the perfect fit for families with children provided there aren't other cats (unless they're Korats too) and dogs. Or small pets. These guys are active enough to hunt just about anything. For the cat-loving household, Korats can provide endless entertainment and love.
Many of today's cat breeds are fairly new, but some of them are truly ancient. The Japanese Bobtail has been around for at least a thousand years. Their existence has been documented in Japanese writings and paintings for at least that long. They're considered good luck in Japan and around the world.
The first Japanese Bobtails appeared in North America in 1968 when Judy Crawford sent several of the cats to Elizabeth Freret. Later, when Judy returned to the United States herself, she brought several more cats with her. The two women worked tirelessly to have the cats recognized as an independent breed, but only the shorthaired version of the breed was recognized in 1979 by TICA. The longhaired version wasn't recognized until 1991. Today, most associations recognize the shorthaired Japanese Bobtail, but the longhaired cat is still sometimes refused championship status.
The Appearance of the Japanese Bobtail
The single most distinctive feature of the Japanese Bobtail is the little bob that serves as a tail. This bob is unique to each cat and may include kinks, curls, curves, and angles. The tail should be very close to the body, appearing as no more than a pom-pom at the end of the spine. The hair on the tail should be longer than the hair on the body. The bones of the tail are fragile and require careful handling. They're also typically fused, making it possible for this delightful cat to actually wag its tail.
The coat may be either short or long, but it must lack an undercoat in either case. This is what makes the coat lie flat against the body. Even the longhaired variety isn't 'fluffy' in the traditional sense. There should be relatively little shedding and the silkiness of the coat itself keeps matting to a minimum. A weekly brush keeps the coat in pristine condition.
Coat colors are many and varied. The traditional color is a mainly white body with black and deep red markings, but other colors are also accepted. There are just as many options for eye color, but blue or even eyes of two different colors are preferred over all others.
This medium-sized cat should weigh no more than 10 pounds. The hind legs should be powerful, giving the Japanese Bobtail its extraordinary jumping ability. The body itself should be slender yet strong. The head should be triangular with large eyes and ears set high upon the head.
The Personality of the Japanese Bobtail
Many cat breeds are intelligent, but the Japanese Bobtail is exceptionally so. They are active and love to talk, so expect a lot of chirp and meows if you have a Japanese Bobtail in your home. This cat also loves to play, especially if the game involves running and jumping, so search out cat toys that allow the cat to indulge in these activities.
You'd be hard pressed to find a breed that is more loyal to their family. Despite this, they are not lap cats. They'll often be found crawling on top of cupboards or perched on top of the fridge, but they are only rarely caught snuggling up to a human. They prefer to show their love by staring at you like you're the only thing that matters.
The Japanese Bobtail is sweet, intelligent, and fun-loving. They enjoy many hours spent chasing a ball or an afternoon of climbing the curtains. If you're looking for a cat that is independent and loyal, the Japanese Bobtail might be for you.
Colorpoint cats such as the Siamese have always held a mystical quality, one that has attracted many cat fanciers over the years. But, until the 20th century, colorpoint breeds all had short hair. If you wanted a longhaired version, you had to cross a colorpoint breed to a longhaired breed and hope you got a longhaired kitten with colorpoint markings.
But in the 20th century, all that started to change. It began in the early 1930s in the United States. Clyde Keeler and Virginia Cobb began an experimental breeding program. They hoped to achieve a more stable longhaired breed that had colorpoint markings. This program had its ups and downs, meeting with only limited success. In the 1950s, however, Ben Borrett started a similar program in Canada. This program was much more successful, and in 1955 the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) recognized the Colorpoint Longhair as its own breed, but this wasn't the end of the story.
Around this same time, Marguerita Goforth began her breeding program. Her goal was to create a Persian-type cat with Siamese markings. She was also determined to have the Himalayan recognized as its own distinct breed, and not simply another colorpoint breed. Through her efforts, the Himalayan was given Championship status in 1957. Since that time, the Himalayan has been a well established breed.
The Appearance of the Himalayan
If you picture a "Persian with Siamese markings", that describes a Himalayan perfectly. This regal cat even has the bright blue eyes of a Siamese. The Himalayan is a medium-sized cat with a cobby body. Like the Persian, the Himalayan should have a large, rounded head and a thick neck. Ears should be small and set low on the head. The tail should be short, at least when compared to most other breeds, but still long enough to give the cat a balanced look.
The coat is very much like the Persian coat, long and silky. The top coat should be shiny and the undercoat just thick enough to make the cat appear quite fluffy. This combination results in many, many tangles, so consider a Himalayan only if you're willing to groom your cat daily. This breed needs it.
As for color, the body of the cat should be a uniform cream (or similar shade). The points (ears, face mask, tail, legs and feet) should be a contrasting color, and it is this color that is considered the color of the cat. The Himalayan can be found in lavender, chocolate, seal point, and several other colors. Basically, if the Siamese comes in that color, so does the Himalayan.
The Personality of the Himalayan
Loving and affectionate, the Himalayan is the ultimate lap cat. They're not all that active, preferring to cuddle instead. Like the Siamese, they are quite vocal, so expect your day to be filled with chips and meows. Maybe even a few yowls if they get annoyed enough.
Though they do like to play a little, especially with scrunched up paper, they don't do well in high activity households. A quieter home is better suited to this elegant breed. They get along with other pets and even children, but they don't like to be bothered. So if you're going to bring a Himalayan into your home, teach children and even adults how to behave around your new feline companion.
Himalayans are sweet and loving. They make great companions for the elderly or those who live alone and need a friend. But they require extensive grooming and they don't like to be home alone. If you're home a lot and don't mind brushing out your cat on a daily basis, the Himalayan might be for you.
