At a glance the quick version
Hill's gives males 8-12 lb (about 3.6-5.4 kg) and females under 8 lb; Wikipedia gives 2.7-4 kg overall.
Coat and looks how to spot one
shorthair and longhair, soft and silky with little undercoat
A slim, well-muscled medium cat with long legs, a triangular face, high cheekbones, big upright ears and large slanted oval eyes. Its short tail, no more than about three inches from the body, is kinked or curved under a fluffy pom-pom of fur, and no two tails are exactly alike. The coat is soft and silky in both the shorthair and the longhair, which may have a light ruff.123
Personality what they are like
Japanese Bobtails are lively, bright and affectionate. They love to join in, follow their people around and 'talk' in soft chirps and trills. They solve problems readily, excel at cat agility and usually fit in well with children and dogs, though a new cat may need time to be accepted.132
Daily activity how busy a day looks
High. Great jumpers that need perches, cat trees and daily interactive play such as feather wands and fetch.31
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Easy. Comb a shorthair a few times a month; a longhair needs more frequent combing and an occasional bath.13
Home where they are happiest
Happy indoors with plenty of high places to climb and perch.32
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A complete, balanced cat food in portions that keep this athletic cat lean.2
Company who they like around
Very social and wants company most of the time; bonds strongly with its family and gets on especially well with other Bobtails.31
The story where it all began
Bobtailed cats have lived in Japan for well over a thousand years and appear in centuries of Japanese art. They were once kept by the nobility, but a 1602 decree freed cats to protect silk production from rodents, so they spread throughout the country. Elizabeth Freret brought the first ones to the United States in 1968, and CFA granted the shorthair championship status in 1976.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The bobbed tail is natural, caused by a dominant gene, and each cat's tail is unique like a fingerprint.1
- 2
The beckoning-cat (maneki-neko) good-luck figures seen in shops are modelled on the Japanese Bobtail.2
- 3
The tricolour mi-ke is traditionally considered the luckiest colour.3
- 4
A diary kept by Emperor Uda in 889 contains one of the earliest written mentions of cats in Japan.2
- 5
US breeders are allowed to bring in Japanese street cats to keep the gene pool broad.1
Recognised by the official bits
- CFA
- Shorthair Championship status 1976; longhair 19931
- TICA
- Recognised breed2
- FIFe
- Japanese Bobtail Shorthair (JBS) fully recognised, Category 4; standard last modified 20254
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Japanese Bobtail. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Nail trimevery 3 weeks
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- Litter scoopevery day
- Litter changeevery week
- PlayDaily playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 11every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- CFA: Japanese Bobtail cfa.orgused for history, recognition, body, tail, coat, colours, temperament, grooming, fun facts
- Wikipedia: Japanese Bobtail en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, weight, lifespan, recognition, history, fun facts
- Hill's Pet: Japanese Bobtail hillspet.comused for weight, lifespan, colours, activity, social needs
- FIFe: Breeds fifeweb.orgused for recognition
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.