Breed Profiles

The American bobtail turned up at a campsite in the rain, walked into our tent like he owned the permit, and fell asleep on my sleeping bag before I had finished arguing with him about it.

Bobtails are a made-in-America breed, deliberately built to look like a short-tailed wild cat, with a natural bobbed tail, a sturdy body, and a face that is all cheekbone and watchful eye. The story goes that a stray bobcat-type tom was crossed with domestic cats and the look stuck, and whatever the truth, the result is a cat that reads part woodland, part living room, and wholly unbothered by either. Mine, named Tent because of the circumstances, behaved from the first night as if the campsite were a hotel he had booked.

The coat comes short or long, dense and water-resistant, in every colour the cat world allows, and the long version needs a weekly comb or it mats behind the ears and under the legs. The tail is the signature, a stub of three to ten centimetres, never docked, always there, and Tent waved his like a flag of ownership over every bench and branch he claimed. People stopped to ask if he was a lynx. He encouraged the rumour.

The body is more substantial than a typical moggie, broad-chested and muscular, a cat built for a hike rather than a windowsill, and that is the surprise. This is not a decorative lap cat that happens to have a short tail. It is an athletic, outdoor-leaning cat that also likes the sofa, and the blend is unusual enough that visitors assume he is part wild until he demands a belly rub.

A cat that expects to come along

Most cats tolerate a plan. The bobtail inserts itself into yours. Tent learned the harness in a day, walked the campsite paths like a small dog on a lead, greeted strangers with a chirp, and climbed the leased canoe because he plainly felt excluded from the water. The breed is known for this dog-like attachment, the following, the fetching of small toys, the greeting at the door, and none of it felt like a trick with him. It felt like his personality, which happened to overlap with a retriever's.

They are talkative in a soft, almost conversational way, not the loud opinion of a siamese, more a running commentary on the day's events, and Tent narrated the packing, the drive, and the rain with equal interest. They are also famously sturdy and even-tempered, a good fit for families and for other pets, and the lack of drama was the thing I valued most after the dramatics of previous cats.

Keeping a woodland cat happy indoors

The breed's outdoor leanings mean a flat-only life needs thought. A catio, a harness walk, a window perch with a view, something that lets the cat feel the weather without the risks, and Tent got all three. The coat, especially the long version, needs the weekly comb and a check for the burrs a woodland cat will find. The tail, being short, collects less trouble than a plume would, which is one small mercy.

Health is generally good, the breed being robust rather than delicate, but the usual cat checks apply, and the athletic body means a bored bobtail will invent mischief, so puzzle feeders and climbing space earn their keep. I expected a quirky-looking cat. I got a travelling companion that walks on a lead, steals the warm spot, and acts like the campsite was his idea. The permit, it turns out, was in his name all along.

The diet is unremarkable, a good quality cat food and the self-control not to over-treat, because a sturdy cat that free-feeds turns round fast, and the breed's love of food and activity means the weight creeps if you are careless. Tent ate well, played hard, and stayed lean because the measured bowl beat the begging, and the begging was constant and theatrical. They are also known as sturdy travellers, and the harness walks became a regular thing, because a bobtail that never sees the outdoors turns bored and a bored cat turns destructive, and the breed's intelligence means it will find its own entertainment if you do not provide it.

The one thing I would warn a new owner about is the dog-like need for company. This is not a cat to leave alone for long stretches; the separation anxiety in a breed this attached is real, and a bored bobtail will vocalise and protest in a way that surprises people expecting a typical independent cat. Give him a companion animal, a window, a harness walk, and a human who is around, and he is the easiest, most entertaining cat I have owned. Give him solitude and an empty flat, and you will hear about it.