The American Bobtail is eligible to be shown in the Provisional Class.
Updated: April 16 2005

A black line denotes an updated section.

HEAD (40)
      9 .. Shape
      8 .. Brow
      5 .. Eyes
      5 .. Nose
      8 .. Muzzle/Chin
      5 .. Ears

BODY (40)
     15 .. Shape
      5 .. Neck
      5 .. Legs & Feet
     15 .. Tail

COAT & COLOR (20)
     10 .. Texture
      5 .. Color
      5 .. Pattern

General Description: the American Bobtail is a medium to large, naturally occurring, bobtailed cat. It is a noticeably athletic animal, well muscled, with the look and feel of power. It possesses a unique natural hunting gaze that combines with the breed's body type and natural bobtail to give the American Bobtail a distinctive wild appearance. The breeds expression is one of intelligence and alertness. Females are generally proportionately smaller than males with type a more important aspect of the breed than size or tail characteristics.

HEAD: Shape - broad modified wedge without noticeable flat planes or doming, in proportion to the body. Cheekbones are apparent. In profile slightly concave curve between nose and brow with good length between brow & ears. Widening of the head and stud jowls apparent in adult males. Brow - distinctive, evidenced by a slightly rounded forehead to eye ridge; brow border is fleshy creating and enhancing the top line of the eye. Eyes - Large. Almost almond in shape. Deep set. Outside corner angled slightly upward towards the ears. Medium-wide apart. Distinctive brow above the eye creates a top line to the eye and produces the breed's natural hunting gaze. Nose - wide, being equally as wide from the inside corner of the eye through the length of the nose into a large nose leather. Muzzle/Chin - Observable whisker break above a well-defined broad medium length muzzle. Fleshy whisker pads. Chin strong and wide in line with the nose. Ears - Medium. Wide at base with slightly rounded tips, as much on the top of the head as on the side. Ear tipping and furnishings highly desirable. Lighter colored thumbprints on the back of the ears desirable on all tabbies including lynx points.

BODY: moderately long and substantial with a rectangular stance. Chest full and broad. Slightly higher in hips with prominent shoulder blades. Hips substantial almost as wide as chest. Deep flank. Muscular and athletic in appearance. Allowance should be made for slow maturation. Legs and Feet - in proportion to the body, of good length and substantial boning. Paws large and round. Toe tufts desirable in longhaired varieties. Five toes in front, four in back. Tail - is short, being half-length or less than that of the average cat. The tail is flexible and expressive and may be straight, slightly curved or slightly kinked or have bumps along the length of the tail. Tail set in line with the top line of the hip. Tail to be broad at base, strong and substantial to the touch, never fragile. Straighter tails should exhibit a fat pad at the end of the tail and are preferred over kinked tails. Length - Must be long enough to be clearly visible above the back when alert, not to extend past a stretched hind hock in length. Neck - medium in length may appear short due to musculature.

COAT SHORTHAIR: LENGTH: Medium, semi-dense. TEXTURE: Non-matting, resilient with slight loft. DENSITY: Double coat, hard topcoat with a soft, downy undercoat. MISCELLANEOUS: Seasonal variations of coat should be recognized. Coat may be softer in texture in dilute colors, lynx points and silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray in tabbies.

COAT LONGHAIR: LENGTH: Medium-longhair, slightly shaggy. Tapering to slightly longer hair on ruff, britches, belly and tail. RUFF: Slight, mutton chops desirable. TEXTURE: Non-matting, resilient. DENSITY: Double coat. Undercoat present, not extremely dense. MISCELLANEOUS: Seasonal variations of coat should be recognized. Coat may be softer in texture in dilute colors, lynx points and silvers. Undercoat may be mouse gray in tabbies.

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES: Allowances should be made for slower development in achieving adult body type as this breed gradually matures over a period of three years.

PENALIZE: tail too long or too short affecting the balance and appearance of the cat. Tail kinked or knotted out of shape. Tail rigid, fragile or set low. Straight tail not exhibiting a fat pad. Round eyes. Weak chin. Extremely short muzzle or nose break. Cottony coat. DISQUALIFY: Total lack of tail or full-length tail. Delicate bone structure. Incorrect number of toes.

AMERICAN BOBTAIL COLORS AND PATTERNS:

Any genetically possible color or combination of colors is allowed. Preference shall be given to colors and patterns that enhance the natural wild appearance of the breed. High rufusing is desirable in all tabbies, including silvers, with no penalty for lack thereof. Body patterns highly desirable in lynx points and smokes. BUTTONS and LOCKETS: allowable on any color and/or pattern. Cats with buttons and/or lockets shall be judged as their basic color with no penalty for such locket and/or button. EYE COLOR: all eye colors acceptable, eye color can be copper, gold, yellow or green; blue in bi-color/van, colorpoint, lynxpoint or odd-eyed white cats.

The following information is for reference purposes only and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.

American Bobtail Color Class Numbers

LONGHAIR and SHORTHAIR                5400        5401

(Longhair Specialty Ring)

American Bobtail allowable outcross breeds: none.