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| − | [[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|'''Rescued feral kittens'''<p>Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia. Here, kittens from two feral litters are fostered by a domestic mother.]] | + | [[Image:Japanese Bobtail Cat, Japan.jpg|thumbnail|200px|A Calico (called "Mi-ke") Japanese Bobtail cat]] |
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| − | A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Adult feral cats that were born feral usually cannot be socialized. Adult feral cats that were born in a domestic environment and reverted to the feral state can sometimes be re-socialised. Feral kittens, however, can often be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old. About 10% of cats cannot be socialised at all due to genetic factors.
| + | The '''Japanese Bobtail''' is a [[cat breeds|breed]] of [[cat]] with an unusual 'bobbed' tail more closely resembling the tail of a [[rabbit]] than that of an ordinary feline. The short tail is caused by the expression of a [[recessive gene]]. Thus, so long as both parents are bobtails, all kittens born to a litter will have bobtails as well. Unlike the [[Manx (cat)|Manx]] and other cat breeds, where genetic disorders are common to tailless or stumpy-tails, no such problem exists with the Japanese Bobtail. |
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| − | Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The [[average life span]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually cited as less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of twelve to sixteen years <!--12-14 in UK, 16+ in USA but stats are incomplete -->, however ferals cats aged nineteen (Cat Action Trust) and twenty-six (Cats Protection) have been reported where food and shelter are available.
| + | The bobtail is a small oriental cat native to [[Japan]] and [[Southeast Asia]]. The breed has been known in Japan for centuries, and there are many legends and myths, as well as pieces of ancient art, featuring it. The [[Maneki Neko]], or 'beckoning cat' is a bobtail. |
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| − | [[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. Cats are extremely adaptable and feral felines have been found in conditions of extreme cold and heat. They are more susceptible to cold, damp conditions than to cold alone. With a need for a diet of 90% protein, many feral cats lack adequate nutrition. In addition, they have no [[self-defense|defense]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.
| + | Japanese bobtails may have almost any colour, but calico (called "Mi-ke", meaning "three-fur") or bi-colours are especially favoured by the Japanese. The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of domestic cat that originated in Japan; it is featured in many ancient prints and paintings. |
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| − | ==Major Places with Feral Cats==
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| − | ===United States of America=== | + | ==History== |
| − | [[Image:Girl_kitty.JPG|thumb|right| Some adult feral cats can be socialized, depending on the degree of human interaction throughout their lives; feral kittens have a good chance of socialization and adoption up to about four months of age. This feral cat has had the tip of one ear severed, which identifies it as having been sterilized and innoculated by a [[Trap-Neuter-Return]] program.]]
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| − | In the United States, there is an ongoing debate about how to deal with feral cat populations. There is little doubt that feral cats are extremely effective at controlling or even eradicating small animal populations, and some cite the utility of cats in controlling populations of verminous rodent species. However, conservationists argue that feral cats contribute greatly to the killing of songbirds and other endangered birds, with estimates that bird loss is at one hundred million a year due to predation, however research into the causes of bird deaths has also found that transparent windows constitute the biggest threat that birds face [http://www.currykerlinger.com/birds.htm]. Additionally, it is argued that the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor) is a contributing factor in conserved bird deaths. | + | The earliest written evidence of cats in Japan indicates that they arrived from China or Korea at least 1,000 years ago. In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to help deal with rodents threatening the silk-worms. Buying or selling cats was illegal, and from then on, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. So,the Japanese Bobtails are the "street cats" of Japan. |
| | + | The beckoning cat, which is a Bobtail seated with one paw raised, is considered to be a good-luck charm. A maneki-neko statue is often found in the front of stores. Look around the next Japanese restaurant you visit you’ll likely spot one. In 1968 the late Elizabeth Freret imported the first three Japanese Bobtails to the United States from Japan. In 2001 the first registered litter of Bobtails in the UK were bred under the "Solstans" prefix. |
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| − | While it is widely agreed that the loss of conserved species due to overbuilding and fragmentation of native habitat by humans far exceeds deaths due to feral cat predation, some still feel it is necessary to control feral populations.
| + | ==Breed Standard== |
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| − | Websites such as The Feral Cat Hunt [http://www.feralcathunt.com] advocate culling feral cat populations by hunting, arguing that it is the most cost effective method of population control. However, a proposal in the state of Wisconsin to legalize the hunting of feral cats in an attempt to reduce their population was recently (April 2005) blocked by the state's lawmakers. South Dakota and Minnesota allow wild cats to be shot.
| + | '''Head''': The head should form an equilateral triangle. (Not including ears) |
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| − | [[Trap-Neuter-Return]] or TNR programs, presented as a humane method of feral cat population control, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations in the States. These organizations trap and sterilize feral cats as well as providing [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and other viruses. Sometimes long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s are also applied before release. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s cut the tip off one [[ear]] to mark the individual as [[spaying and neutering|spayed or neutered]] and inoculated, as these cats will more than likely find themselves trapped again. Volunteers often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives, unfortunately, it becomes very difficult to domesticate and adopt a feral cat unless it is trapped and socialized before four months of age.
| + | '''Ears''': Large, upright, set wide apart but at right angles to the head and looking as if alert. |
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| − | [[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.
| + | '''Muzzle''': Fairly broad and round neither pointed nor blunt. |
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| − | ===Australia===
| + | '''Eyes''': Large, oval rather than round. They should not bulge out beyond the cheekbone or the forehead. |
| − | Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since before [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s in the [[17th century]]. Intentional releases were made in the late [[19th century]] in the hope that cats would control mice, rabbits and rats.
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| − | The feral cat has been an ecological disaster in Australia, inhabiting most ecosystems except dense [[rainforest]], and being implicated in the [[extinction]] of several [[marsupial]] and [[placental]] mammal [[species]] but there is no proof to support this view. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.) “Convincing evidence that cats exert a significant effect on native wildlife throughout the mainland is lacking” - Environment Australia
| + | '''Body''': Medium in size, males larger than females. Long torso, lean and elegant, showing well developed muscular strength. Also balance is very very important. |
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| − | Folklore has it that some feral cats in Australia have grown so large as to cause inexperienced observers to claim sightings of other species, and subsequent news stories of mysterious animals being sighted. Typical locations for such sightings are south-west Western Australia, and the [[Nullarbor]].
| + | '''Neck''': Not too long and not too short, in proportion to the length of the body. |
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| − | Control programs are difficult to devise due to the [[nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] and [[solitary]] nature of feral cats, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from abandoned domestic cats. Due to the danger posed to humans handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always [[death|kill]]ed. Although trap neuter and return programs such as those in the United States are not prevalent in Australia, they are now being introduced in some urban and suburban areas such as [[Adelaide]]. More recently, such programs have been introduced in [[Sydney]] by the "World League for Protection of Animals".
| + | '''Legs''': Long, slender, and high. The hind legs longer than the forelegs. |
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| − | ===Rome===
| + | '''Paws''': Oval. Toes: five in front and four behind. |
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| − | [[Rome]], [[Italy]] is perhaps the place with most feral cats, the total number being estimated between 250,000 and 350,000, organized in about 2,000 colonies, some of them living in famous ancient places such as the [[Colosseum]].
| + | '''Coat (Shorthair)''': Medium length, soft and silk. |
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| − | ==Feral cats and island restoration==
| + | '''Coat (Longhair)''': Length medium-long to long, texture soft and silky gradually lengthening toward the rump. |
| − | Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of [[island restoration]] (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects have also been undertaken, including their complete removal from [[Ascension Island]]. The cats, which had been introduced in in the 19th century and had caused a collapse in the nesting [[seabird]]s. The project to remove them from the island began in 2002, and the island was cleared of cats by 2004. Since then seven species of seabird which had not nested on the island for a hundred years had returned.[http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2005/07/ascension.html].
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| − | Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].
| + | '''Tail''': The tail must be clearly visible and is made up of one or more curves. |
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| − | ==Activism==
| + | POINT SCORE |
| | + | HEAD... 20 |
| | + | TYPE... 30 |
| | + | TAIL... 20 |
| | + | COLOR and MARKINGS... 20 |
| | + | COAT... 10 |
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| − | Feral cats colonies often arise from stray or abandoned unneutered cats. The cats breed rapidly and have multiple-kit litters although relatively few kittens survive to breeding age. Often the owners do not have the capacity or desire to care for a large number of cats.
| + | The Japanese Bobtail is a recognised breed by all major registering bodies: CFA ([http://www.cfa.org]), TICA ([http://www.tica.org]), FIFe; Shorthair only ([http://www.fifeweb.org]). |
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| − | The conditions lived in by feral cats vary immensely. Some have short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives, in deplorable conditions. Others are welcomed as working cats around factories and farms and while their lives not luxurious, some live well into their teenage years. Cat Action Trust has encountered ferals up to 19 years old; the record age for a feral is 26. Because of the perceived dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.
| + | ==General== |
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| − | A growing number of animal societies realize that feral cats are wild animals and should not be judged by pet animal standards. Where the cats perform a useful task or are not a threat to the local ecology, the approach is to trap, neuter and return them to their own habitat, while removing any ill, injured or tameable individuals. <!--HSUS has changed its policy from trap-kill -->
| + | Japanese Bobtails usually have litters of three to four kittens with newborns that are unusually large compared to other breeds. They are active earlier, and walk earlier. |
| | + | Affectionate and generally sweet-tempered, they enjoy supervising household chores and baby-sitting. They are active, intelligent, talkative cats with a well-defined sense of family life. Their soft voices are capable of nearly a whole scale of tones; some people say they sing. Since they adore human companionship they almost always speak when spoken to. |
| | + | Because of their human-oriented personality they are easy to teach tricks and enjoy learning things like walking on a harness and lead. |
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| − | ==References== | + | ==Ocular Heterochromia== |
| − | * Tabor, Roger, Arrow Books (1983). ''The Wild Life of the Domestic Cat.'' ISBN 0099312107
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| − | * Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
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| − | * Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]
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| − | ==See also==
| + | [[Image:Cat_odd-eye.jpg|right|250px|thumb|normal eye colour and odd-eye colour]]While rare, Japanese Bobtails, especially predominantly white specimens, are more likely than other breeds to express [[heterochromia]], or differing [[iris]] colours. One eye will be blue while the other is yellow (though in Japan, blue is referred to as silver while yellow is referred to as gold). This trait is popular and kittens displaying this "odd-eye" feature are usually more expensive. |
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| − | *[[Feral cat colony]]
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | * [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
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| − | * [http://www.feralcat.com/ Feral Cat Coalition]
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| − | * [http://www.cat77.org.uk/ Cat Action Trust 1977]
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| − | * [http://www.catactiontrust.org.uk/ Original Cat Action Trust]
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| − | * [http://www.messybeast.com/ukferal.htm British Feral Cats]
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| − | * Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
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| − | * [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf] Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna (pdf)
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| − | * lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
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| − | * [http://www.mikecade.com/wildkingdom/writings_feral_cats_pge_park.html Feral Cats of Portland, Ore.'s PGE Park]
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| − | * [http://www.messybeast.com/eradicat.htm Why Extermination of Ferals is Ineffective]
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| − | * [http://www.messybeast.com/feralkit.htm#Kittens Taming Feral Kittens]
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| − | [[Category:Cat types]]
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| − | [[fr:Chat haret]] | + | [[Category:Cat breeds]] |
| − | [[he:חתולי רחוב בישראל]]
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| − | [[ja:野良猫]]
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A Calico (called "Mi-ke") Japanese Bobtail cat
The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of cat with an unusual 'bobbed' tail more closely resembling the tail of a rabbit than that of an ordinary feline. The short tail is caused by the expression of a recessive gene. Thus, so long as both parents are bobtails, all kittens born to a litter will have bobtails as well. Unlike the Manx and other cat breeds, where genetic disorders are common to tailless or stumpy-tails, no such problem exists with the Japanese Bobtail.
The bobtail is a small oriental cat native to Japan and Southeast Asia. The breed has been known in Japan for centuries, and there are many legends and myths, as well as pieces of ancient art, featuring it. The Maneki Neko, or 'beckoning cat' is a bobtail.
Japanese bobtails may have almost any colour, but calico (called "Mi-ke", meaning "three-fur") or bi-colours are especially favoured by the Japanese. The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of domestic cat that originated in Japan; it is featured in many ancient prints and paintings.
History
The earliest written evidence of cats in Japan indicates that they arrived from China or Korea at least 1,000 years ago. In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to help deal with rodents threatening the silk-worms. Buying or selling cats was illegal, and from then on, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. So,the Japanese Bobtails are the "street cats" of Japan.
The beckoning cat, which is a Bobtail seated with one paw raised, is considered to be a good-luck charm. A maneki-neko statue is often found in the front of stores. Look around the next Japanese restaurant you visit you’ll likely spot one. In 1968 the late Elizabeth Freret imported the first three Japanese Bobtails to the United States from Japan. In 2001 the first registered litter of Bobtails in the UK were bred under the "Solstans" prefix.
Breed Standard
Head: The head should form an equilateral triangle. (Not including ears)
Ears: Large, upright, set wide apart but at right angles to the head and looking as if alert.
Muzzle: Fairly broad and round neither pointed nor blunt.
Eyes: Large, oval rather than round. They should not bulge out beyond the cheekbone or the forehead.
Body: Medium in size, males larger than females. Long torso, lean and elegant, showing well developed muscular strength. Also balance is very very important.
Neck: Not too long and not too short, in proportion to the length of the body.
Legs: Long, slender, and high. The hind legs longer than the forelegs.
Paws: Oval. Toes: five in front and four behind.
Coat (Shorthair): Medium length, soft and silk.
Coat (Longhair): Length medium-long to long, texture soft and silky gradually lengthening toward the rump.
Tail: The tail must be clearly visible and is made up of one or more curves.
POINT SCORE
HEAD... 20
TYPE... 30
TAIL... 20
COLOR and MARKINGS... 20
COAT... 10
The Japanese Bobtail is a recognised breed by all major registering bodies: CFA ([1]), TICA ([2]), FIFe; Shorthair only ([3]).
General
Japanese Bobtails usually have litters of three to four kittens with newborns that are unusually large compared to other breeds. They are active earlier, and walk earlier.
Affectionate and generally sweet-tempered, they enjoy supervising household chores and baby-sitting. They are active, intelligent, talkative cats with a well-defined sense of family life. Their soft voices are capable of nearly a whole scale of tones; some people say they sing. Since they adore human companionship they almost always speak when spoken to.
Because of their human-oriented personality they are easy to teach tricks and enjoy learning things like walking on a harness and lead.
Ocular Heterochromia
normal eye colour and odd-eye colour
While rare, Japanese Bobtails, especially predominantly white specimens, are more likely than other breeds to express heterochromia, or differing iris colours. One eye will be blue while the other is yellow (though in Japan, blue is referred to as silver while yellow is referred to as gold). This trait is popular and kittens displaying this "odd-eye" feature are usually more expensive.
