American Bobtail a cat that can be robust and timid than any other breed of cat as it is found in the chilling weather of Alaska and can afford to live in places with mild climates. It has been often witnessed in many cases that human often look for things in places where they are likely not going to find them but if you are looking for a cat with traits that are similar to dogs then American Bobtail is the right choice; it has been termed affectionately by many as dogs in cats clothing. Because if trained properly then they behave exactly like dogs; though they go also well along with dogs but they can be thought to fetch things and can play throw fetch either. They have been reported to be very good companions while traveling as if trained properly since childhood. They also greet you up on your entrance to the house just like dogs do. They are also not afraid of water.

As the name indicates the most fascinating feature of this breed of cat is the thick “bobbed” tail which is about one-third or one-half the length of a normal cat’s tail and if this is ever found shorter; then it should be made sure that if the cat has short spine, then it may become a problem later. American Bobtail was developed with the cross between domestic Tabby cat and a Bobcat though its thick and short tail comes from the Tabby cat. Bobtail’s unusual tail is the result of a random spontaneous genetic mutation within the domestic cat population. Unlike other cat breeds it takes more time to grow. But once it grows into its full bloom with its long body, broad chest and the posture that it has with the shorter fore legs, large round feet and toe tuft make it a sight to behold. The longhair American Bobtail has a coat that is slight shaggy and medium to long in length. The body is long with a full broad chest with wide hips that are slightly higher with defined shoulder blades which highlights its muscular look. Another very interesting feature of this cat is that it comes in any color and it eyes too but mainly yellow, green, gold and copper, blue in bi-color/van or odd-eyed in white.

It is very social and get along very well with any member of the family and especially with kids as they like handling and are very fond of being getting hold in lap. They are very lively and can stay active for hours, though they may take some time in getting used to the new environment and the knowing the people around them but once that button is pressed it unleashes its intelligent side and take away hearts with a drop of a hat. But one thing that is very important to know is that they are very prone to diseases because of the constant genetic experimentation and the cross breeding that ultimately led to the creation of this breed; leas and ticks can cause skin problems in these cats, other problems reported in American Bobtail are hip dysphasia, dry skin or dermatitis. But over all they are very adorable.

American Curl breed is famous especially for his bent ears , which are the result of spontaneous mutations. Ears are straight and open, bending through the back, in a graceful curve, opposite to the  Scottish Fold cats, which are bowed and bent toward the front. The ears give the breed an alert and cheerful look.
American Curl breed history begins in a sunny day of June 1981, in Lakewood, California. A black female with long hair and silky, with some unusual ears, appeared at the door of Joe and Grace Ruga. Joe Grace encouraged her not to feed the cat, but the woman, listening to her heart, left a bowl of cat food next to the doorway.  The black and affectionate cat  quickly made its way into the heart of the family, who called  it Shulamith, which means “black but pleasant”.
In December 1981, Shulamith gave birth to her first offspring. Of four kittens, two had their ears bent. He was contacted a geneticist to study this phenomenon, confirming that this unusual ear is the result of genetic mutations, most likely inherited, caused by a dominant gene, and strains without attachments. Referring to it as a spontaneous mutation, the gene that caused the bending ear seemed to follow a single dominant pattern.
Inbreeding began in 1983. The standard of this breed is a medium-sized cat, alert, with an elegant aspect and a sweet expression, open, filled his ears remarkable. Because of his domestic ancestors, American Curl therapy is available both in the long hair, and in one with short hair, both varieties with a soft fur, silky, shiny and attached to the body. breed with long hair is different because of the very bushy tail. The  care of this breed is easily done. An occasional bath and brushing is all that one needs for these cats to maintain coat in good condition.

Morphological traits

The distinctive feature of this breed it  is the unique ear shape. The ears are quite stiff to the touch, high and open, bending the light in an arch. American Curl breed ears were compared with those of Lynx’s, with long tufts of hair accentuating the appearance of bending the ears. Great care must be taken handling the ears to avoid breaking  the cartilage.
When they are born, their ears are straight, but within 3-4 days after birth, the ears start to bend back. In the first  4 months of life, kittens ears gradually bend in different degrees, ranging up when determining the final shape at the age of 4 months. Around this age, professional can determine the quality cat breeder, based on the degree of bending of the ears, correlated with body type.

Character and behavior

In terms of personality, American Curl breed is very people oriented, loyal and affectionate. Being a nosy and curious temperament,  they assist their human companions in any action that those are  planning to do.
American Curl loves human company and adapt very quickly to any other animals, children or new situations. Although cats are considered to be smart, they keep the kitten behavior even on adulthood.

Varieties

Besides the fact that they are available with short fur  and the long fur varieties, the cats of breed American Curl can be any color or coat pattern. The eyes can have a whole range of colors.