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Kurilian bobtail is a relatively young cat breed. It has been appearing on the WCF list of recognised breeds figure since 1995, but it was included in the FIFE list as late as 2004.
In the 80's of the 20th century organised cat breeding was beginning in Russia, and people returning from their journeys to the Far East brought the first Kurilian cats.
Originally these cats were ranked among the Japanese bobtails, but they differed from them in many respects. Although they had short tails, but both their body composition and the fur structure was different than in the Japanese bobtails.
The most significant feature of the bobtails is their tail. It consists of two to fifteen vertebrae, which are deformed in various ways. The visible tail length then spans from three to eight centimetres (according to the FIFE standards).
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Today's Kurilian bobtail differs from the original feral cats in larger size. In the open, tomcats often weigh usually 3.5 to 4 kg and pussies 2 to 2.5 kg. Breeder-recorded tomcats with two to three known ancestor generations weigh 5 to 6 kg, pussies then 3 to 4 kg.
Kurilian bobtail loves water; he is a keen hunter and fisher. With a light heart he jumps into a washbowl to satisfy his water lust.
Kurilian bobtail is marked with excellent health and a very stable trait of character. His wild appearance is not reflected in his temper at all. In the open, these cats live in small groups, and Kurilian bobtail retained the sociable behaviour also toward humans. This is why he is inoffensive and curious, not only in the relation toward people but also toward other animals. He requires cuddling, caressing and this cuddly nature is his major distinction.
He is very advertent and intelligent, quickly learns to receive orders, but as well as any other true cat he obeys them only in case he finds them beneficial for himself.
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| Kurilian bobtail breed standards |
| Head: |
Large, in shape of a trapezium, with rounded contours. Wide at the cheekbone level. Slightly rounded in profile. Well-developed wide chin. A gentle dip from the forehead to the broad, medium long straight nose, without a definite stop. |
| Ears: |
Medium sized, wide at the base, slightly pricked forward. Rounded at the tips.
| Only KBL: |
with lynx-like tufts on tips and long hair out of the ears. |
| Placement: |
set wide apart and medium high. Distance between the ears is equal to the width of one ear. |
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| Eyes: |
Rounded. Set wide apart and slightly slanted. Any colour from yellow to green. White cats and colour varieties with white may have blue or odd colours. |
| Body: |
Compact, muscled, solid bone structure. Back shows delicate curve from the shoulders to the rump that is higher. |
| Legs: |
Medium in length, strong, sturdy. Hind legs longer than forelegs. |
| Tail: |
Composed of one or more angles or curves or any combination thereof. May be rigid or flexible. The direction of curves is not important.Visible length of the tail (without coat) from 3 to 8 cm. Size and shape of the tail should harmonize with the overall appearance of the cat. |
| Coat: |
Dense, rather fine in texture.
| Shorthair variety: |
Short hair with well-developed awn hair, tough semi-guard hair and slight undercoat. |
| Longhair variety: |
Medium-length coat, with slightly developed awn hair, well-developed semi-guard hair and less developed undercoat. A fully coated cat is desirable and has a shirtfront, a full frill, and breeches. |
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| Colour: |
All with the exception of colourpoints, chocolate, cinnamon, fawn, lilac and the same combined with white. Any amount of white is allowed, i.e. a white blaze, white locket, white chest, white on the belly, white on the paws, etc. |
| Condition: |
Healthy and strong animal. |
| Faults: |
Tail length from 8 to 12 cm or less than 3 cm, tail consisting of only one vertebra, tail straight on the setting ending with a club (the so-called "delayed bobtail effect). Extreme arch-like back not in harmony with the appearance of the cat. Slender type and too close to the Japanese bobtail type. |
| Disqualification: |
Absence of the tail bone, short straight tail without angles and curves, tail longer than 12 cm, deformities of the spinal vertebrae. |
Overall
impression: |
Medium-sized to big size, muscular cat with a compact, strong body and short tail resembling a pompon. |
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| illustration of the tail bones |
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Every bobtail has a tail shaped in a specific and incommutable way. While evaluating these cats, these basic types of tails are distinguished:
Spiral consists of 3 to 15 vertebrae, deformed under a relatively sharp angle so that it forms a spiral. The connection of the vertebrae is mobile or semi-mobile, allowed is also a combination of the mobile and stiff sections.
Compressed spiral, this consists of 2 to 8 vertebrae, which are perfectly shortened and deformed so that they are compressed one upon another. The vertebrae are therefore connected in an immobile manner.
Brush consists of 5 to 10 vertebrae that form shifts under an obtuse angle. The vertebrae are connected in a mobile or semi-mobile manner, or in a combination of both. Such a tail may be relatively long, which is about 1/3 of the common tail length.
However, sometimes also imperfections may occur. For instance, the aforementioned brush type is on the verge of tolerability, because its length may often exceed the values set by the FIFE standards, i.e. 8 or 12 cm (se the breed standards chart).
Among other deficiencies, which may sometimes occur in short-tailed cats, there is also the so-called delayed bobtail effect. In such case, the tail is straight in the mounting and the first 5 to 7 vertebrae are free of any deformations, such as in a common tail. But then the tail is often terminated by several deformed vertebrae with different degrees of mobility. The termination most often hast the form of a spiral.
Other defects include a short but straight tail without any curvature, or a tail with just one vertebra, or even one without any vertebrae at all.
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| fault: delayed bobtail effect |
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The fact that in the most eastern part of Russia, in the Kuril Islands, there live cats with short tails was known a long time ago. But a lot of time had to pass before the time was ripe for their "discovery". Their home lies in a military and politically sensitive area on the border between two countries that were still formally in a state of war at the end of the 20th century.
The Kuril Islands spread from the southern edge of the Kamchatka peninsula to the eastern shore of the northern Japanese isle Hokkaido. In the course of history, Russia and Japan were swapping control over this territory. At present, the whole archipelago is part of the Russian federation.
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