All about MEKONG BOBTAIL CAT breed

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Mekong BOBTAIL is an ancient outstanding breed of short-tailed royal cats. Their origin is shrouded in legend. Mekong bobtail cat is half dog and half human, a little God in a beautiful graceful cat’s body. Their spectacular exotic appearance, bright character and unusually high intelligence conquer the hearts! Once settled in your soul the Mekong Bobtail will stay there forever. Such is the amazing power of these creatures!

The history and origin of the Mekong (Thai) Bobtail Cats breed

On the picture: Mekong Bobtail cat ICh WCF Cofein, blue-point male. Cofein Pride cattery.

Legends about Mekong Bobtail cats

According to many legends of the East, once upon a time in temples and palaces of ancient Siam there lived amazing cats of unusual color; they had light colored bodies, dark paws, ears and tails and an elegant dark mask over their faces. Owing to their dog loyalty, lion bravery, human intelligence and Buddha’s wisdom these cats have earned honor and respect been regarded the greatest jewel of the royal family. The royal cats were guarding ancient temples from robbers and accompanying Thai Princesses on their walk… Before bathing in a stream the girls placed their jewelry on the royal cats’ short kinked tails. There was no safer and more secure place! The more twists and kinks were there in a cat’s tail the sooner it was ranked among the royal cats’ clan. A legend goes that twists and kinks were acquired by a royal female cat while she was guarding a precious goblet stolen from the royal treasury.

And one more trait: the Mekong Bobtail cat has loose skin all over his body – this is a Gods’ gift achieved in fights with snakes. Now their poisonous bites can do him no harm!

The Mekong Bobtail cat looks at people with Buddha’s eyes. These cats look straight into your soul, never looking away. It is impossible to forget those big eyes of all the shades of sapphire and turquoise – in an eye like this one can read all the wisdom of the East.

On the picture: Mekong Bobtail cat WCh WCF Basika Altair, seal-point female. "Sapfiry Mekonga"  cattery.

History of Mekong-bobtail breed

It is known that the first Bobtail cats were taken from China to Japan back in 999 (according to some other sources, it happened several centuries earlier); they have become the forefathers of modern Japanese bobtails.

Already Charles Darwin wrote in his book "The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication", 1883: - « everywhere in huge areas, namely on Malayan Archipelago, in Siam, China and Burma, all cats have short tails - approximately half of the appropriate length, this is frequently connected with some kind of a knot  in the end ». Darwin describes here the cats with Siamese points, which frequently have a shortened tail.

At the end of the 18^th century about 200 Royal cats were given to Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia by Chulalongkorn, Rama V, King of Siam (Thailand) as a sign of friendly relations between the two countries. Many of these cats had a short kinked tail.

One of the first Mekong Bobtail was the cat of the famous actor Michael Gluzskyj, which was imported by him from southeast Asia and which became more than 20 years old.
At 2000  Lisenkova L.L.  (scientist, microbiologist)  had more than 20 such bobtail cats of different breeding lines.

The offspring of these cats as well as the Bobtail cats brought to Russia from South East Asia (China, Iraq, Laos, Burma (Myanma), Mongolia and Vietnam) have become the founders of the Mekong Bobtail breeding lines in Russia.

Al-Shah from Iraq  and Konchitta  from China (owners  Ivanovskije), Laos from Laos, Rama from Burma,  Alsun from Mongolia and Nyan from Vietnam (owners Kalugin and Lisenkova), a pair Zbishek and Olesya from Iran (owner Opachek), was the founders ofbreeding lines Mekong Bobtail club  "Korgorushi" (Moscow).

The opinion that Thai cats or old-typed Siamese were used for breeding to create the Mekong Bobtail cats, is not correct. There had been imported cats from their native countries to Russia and a distinct breeding program was implemented, where Mrs Lyudmila Esina, WCF allbreed judge, played an important role.

The first breed standard for the Mekong Bobtail was drawn up by Olga S. Mironova and adopted at the WCF’s Russia and CIS Expert Seminar on Russian native cats in December, 1994. At the meeting of WCF General Assembly, Essen, Germany in August 14-15, 2004 the breed standard was adopted under the name of Mekong Bobtail with MBT index.

It is possible to assume that the breed name «Mekong bobtail» is symbolical and has occurred from the name of the river Mekong dividing Thailand with other states of South East Asia.

The Mekong Bobtail’s head structure, eyes and ears’ placement and size, extremities length, body format differ greatly from those of Thai’s. That is why in the adopted Mekong Bobtail standard (as in other breed standards where interbreeding is banned) mating with Thai cats is prohibited.

Today, there are more than 1500 Mekong Bobtails in the clubs of Russia, Belorussia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. The breed is still very rare, but the Mekong Bobtails popularity is growing steadily thanks to their striking appearance, unusually high intelligence, excellent health, bright character, cleanliness, easiness to maintain and care for.

On the picture: Mekong Bobtail kitten, blue-point female. Cofein Pride cattery.

Mekong Bobtail Cats Breed profile

Country of origin: as a native breed the Mekong Bobtail was firstly recognized in Russia.

Appearance:

 The Mekong bobtail – a surprising, original breed with a charming short tail. And the tail not simply short, and "is still broken" (a tail incorrectness – the breed`s sign) and it is moving. At everyone the individual tail so the animal can tell: «My passport – my tail».

The Mekong Bobtail is a color-pointed cat, medium-sized, with developed musculature, but slender and elegant. Paws are fine and oval, tail is short with different combinations of kinks or curves. The coat is short and glossy, almost without undercoat, close-lying. The head shape is a modified wedge of medium size with blunt strong chin. Ears are of medium size, broad at the base. The eyes are blue, almond-shaped, slightly slanting.

On the picture: Mekong Bobtail cat kitten Charming Tiger of Cofein Pride, seal-tabby-point male. Cofein Pride cattery.

Breed Characteristics:

• ·         The Mekong Bobtail is a cat of natural origin with roots in the distant past. Mekong Bobtails have excellent health and a strong immune system.

• ·         A pronounced hunting instinct: there will be no bug, worm, fly or mouse in your house.

• ·         Developed musculature

• ·         Incredible jumping ability (he can leap from the floor up to one meter and a half or even more)

• ·         Precocious puberty

• ·         The ability to reproduce even in extreme old age (healthy litters are registered born from couples aged 21-23)

• ·         Extraordinary offspring care (females as well as males are excellent parents. Both of them care for kittens of theirs’ and sometimes – of someone else’s or even for puppies! Males like caring mother cats give the kittens their bellies).

• ·         The Mekong Bobtail’s family is a matriarchal one. If there is a cat couple, the wife will be the family’s head and the cat will become a henpecked husband.

• ·         Males do not have the habit of territory marking.

• ·         There is no hair in the house even during shedding.

On the picture: Mekong Bobtail cat Ch WCF Airis Alerus of Cofein Pride, blue-cream-tortie-point female. Cofein Pride cattery.

Character of the Mekong Bobtail Cat:

Aliveness, inventiveness, natural intelligence and gaiety, perfect intuition, passion for children and any other little ones.

·         Sociable cat

The intelligent, mentally stable cat gets along well with children, dogs, other cats, as well as more exotic animals like guinea pigs, parrots and even rats! The Mekong Bobtail tolerates kid’s "tormenting” stoically: body totally relaxed, legs dangling… Mekong Bobtails are really talkative cats. With the help of different timbres’ set of hoarseness the cat will tell you what have been done without you, complain about somebody or something. He chooses different "words” for every situation. At the same time he is neither annoying nor clamorous.

·         Perfect companion

Your cat will follow you wherever you go. An irrepressible curiosity and attachment to humans make the Mekong Bobtail a participant in all family functions. Whatever you are doing – washing, cooking, working at your computer or simply considering to take a shower – the Mekong Bobtail is always there wondering what is going on, trying to "help”. You can go with the Mekong Bobtail on any trip by any form of transport with any other travel companions. He is a very neat, diplomatic, obedient and well-behaved cat. No matter where you are – at home, at a party, in the country, in a forest – he will give you no trouble at all! Travelling with him is pure pleasure!

The Mekong Bobtail gets accustomed not to premises but to humans.

·         Doctor

He always knows when "a cat is scratching your heart”. Go get your Mekong and pet him. You can tell him everything openly – he will understand. He will be humming softly and you will realize you are not alone. He will warm your soul. When you are not well he will come efficiently and lay on the sore spot.

·         Defender

This cat can clearly recognize a bad person or a degree of threat and can stand up not only for himself  but also for you. Often Mekong Bobtails take upon themselves dogs’ responsibility reacting on a door bell by a funny yelp. But the fun may end right here: the Bobtail will not let just anybody in the house!

Mekong Bobtails are not afraid of dogs at all, but dogs, on the contrary, prefer not to attack these cats and very soon make friends with them. And now the Mekong Bobtail will do his best teaching his new friend various interesting things and tricks.

Snakes also do not pose a threat to Mekong Bobtails. Nature has given them protection: the Mekong Bobtail’s skin is loose all over his body and has only minimum number of blood vessels. You can firmly grip the loose skin of the back of the cat’s backand lift him as a bag. He almost does not mind.

·         Joy

The cat will joyfully greet you at the door; he may even get your slippers. While defending himself he uses his teeth more often than claws.

He likes playing with sticks very much, brings you different toys inviting to play. Both kids and adults can fool around with him for hours.

He loves going out sitting on your shoulder as well as walking on a leash.

This cat has some other "dog” traits: the claws on their hind legs cannot be pulled back but are protruding from paws permanently. That is why they clatter walking just like dogs.

With dog-like loyalty the Mekong Bobtail looks straight into your soul with his piercing smart blue eyes. No ordinary cats can do so.

The Mekong Bobtail is a cat and a dog wonderfully united in this sweet and brave animal.

Mekong bobtail cat Grooming and care

These cats do not require any special care. That’s enough to brush the coat ones or twice a week to remove dead hair, wipe the inside of the ears with a cotton ball moistened with feline ear treatment, trim claws if necessary. 

Feeding

It is necessary to follow the general rules for the color-point cat feeding.

• ·         Since the cat’s coat color mostly depends on food, when buying food pay attention to the food composition! The more calcium, magnesium, copper (more than 20 mg/kg) and iodine, the sooner the coat gets darker;

• ·         Additives with algae are not for color-pointed cats;

• ·         Liver has an adverse effect on the points’ contrast too.

Mekong Bobtail Colors

In Russia today seal-pointed animals constitute the main part of the Mekong Bobtail breed’s population. The number of red-pointed, red-tabby-pointed and seal-tortie-pointed Bobtail cats is increasing (these colors being firstly received in "Gorkorushi" club, Moscow). 

In recent years rare (for the Mekong Bobtail) blue-point (firstly received by Lyudmila L. Lisenkova, "Lyudmila Best" сattery, Moscow, Russia) and tabby-point colors have become very popular.

Thanks to "Cofein Pride" сattery selective breeding (owners: Olga and Alexey Opryatin, Moscow, Russia) the breed admirers can enjoy the Mekong Bobtail cats of the delicious colors – chocolate and lilac point.

As a result of "Cofein Pride" (owners: Olga and Alexey Opryatin, Moscow, Russia)  and "Alerus" (owner: Alyona Subbotina, Murmansk, Russia)  Catteries’ collaboration the first blue-cream-tortie-pointed high show quality Mekong Bobtail Cat  has been received.

In spring, 2012 as a result of "Cofein Pride" (owners: Olga and Alexey Opryatin, Moscow, Russia) and Mekong Bobtail breeder Marina Yeremchenko’s (Donetsk, Ukraine) collaboration the first cream-pointed breed high-quality Mekong Bobtail kitten was received. Now the development of rare colors’ tabby and tortie variations as well as the "golden” Mekong Bobtail cats is being carried out.