Kurilian Bobtail

Appearance and features:

The Kurillian Bobtail is mostly known for its distinctive “pom-pom” kinked, short tail. Short- or longhaired, it has a distinct short, fluffy tail ranging from 2 to 10 vertebrae. The back is slightly arched, with hind legs longer than the front. It has a medium to large, substantial, muscular build and rounded-rectangular, wide face. Eye colors conform to the color of the coat. The colors yellow, green, and yellow-green are preferred. There are semi-longhair and shorthair Kurilians.

Size:

This is a medium to large-size cat weighing 8 to 11 pounds.

Family:

The original short-haired variant is a natural breed, known on the islands for over 200 years.As selectively bred pets, they have been popular in Russia and to some extent other parts of Europe, especially for their rodent-hunting abilities, since the middle of the 20th century, but remained rare in North America as of 2011.

Coloring:

The most common coat colors are in red, to grey, to bobtail stripes.

Origin:

This new breed is not well known outside of its native territories. Though it is a native to Japan with a long history on a chain of islands, known as the Kurils, that runs from the easternmost point of Russia to the tip of Japan’s Hokkaido Island. Also known as the Kuril Bobtail or the Curilsk Bobtail, because the Kuril Islands are Russian-owned, this breed is being developed and promoted as a Russian aboriginal breed that is separate and distinct from the Japanese Bobtail. It was adopted by the WCF in 1994.

Temperament:

In the wild, this cat is an excellent fisher and hunter, which may explain why the Kurilian loves to play in water. The Kurilian’s wild look is not reflected in the temperament of the breed. It is known for its clever and gentle nature.