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42-565: As in most other breeds, Japanese Bobtails may have almost any color (or colors, arranged in any number of patterns). Predominantly-white calicoes are especially favored by the Japanese and by cat fanciers , and strongly represented in folklore, though other colorations are also accepted by breed standards . Feral and domestic cats with shortened and kinked tails were first documented in Southeast Asia and southern China long before

84-560: A Japanese bobtail and name him Ed. During a fight with a deranged murder suspect, Ed scratches the killer, thereby saving Kinsey from death by scalpel. Mochi, Hiro Hamada's cat in the Disney film Big Hero 6 , is also a Japanese Bobtail. In illustrator Jey Parks 's 2017 book Star Trek Cats , Hikaru Sulu is depicted as a Japanese Bobtail. The titular cat Good Fortune in the Newbery Medal -winning book The Cat Who Went to Heaven

126-424: A cat coat of tri-color; "calico" as an adjective being synonymous to "mottled" or "resembling printed calico". In genetic terms, calico cats resemble tortoiseshells in most ways, except the tortoiseshell has a black undercoat and the calico has a white undercoat. One anomaly is that, as a rule of thumb the larger the areas of white, the fewer and larger the patches of ginger and dark or tabby coat. In contrast,

168-449: A faster rate. Kitten mortality rates are reported to be comparatively low. Rarely, a Japanese Bobtail, especially a predominantly white specimen, may have heterochromia , or eyes of different colors. Regardless of breed, cats with this trait are known as odd-eyed cats . In this breed, one iris is blue ("silver" in Japanese breeding terms) while the other is yellow ("gold"). This trait is more common in this breed than in most others, with

210-433: A man (usually either a priest or member of the royal family) who owned one of these cats looked up one day to see his cat beckoning to him. Thinking the cat might have a message from the gods, he arose and went to it; no sooner had he done so than a branch large enough to kill a man fell where he had been sitting just moments before. Japanese Bobtails also feature prominently in traditional Japanese painting . One legend of

252-483: A minimal to medium amount of shedding, due to its short fur. Its coat is easy to groom. Just like any animal, there can be a number of different health problems that could be related to the genetics. This being said, the Japanese Bobtails are generally healthy cats. The recessive gene paired with the shortened tails is not associated with any spinal or bone abnormalities. The average lifespan for this breed

294-406: A non-white-spotted tortoiseshell usually has small patches of color or even something resembling a salt-and-pepper sprinkling. This reflects the genetic effects on relative speeds of migration of melanocytes and X-inactivation in the embryo. Serious study of calico cats apparently began in 1948 when Murray Barr and his graduate student E. G. Bertram noticed dark, drumstick -shaped masses inside

336-403: A type of evil spirit. The maneki-neko ('beckoning cat' or 'inviting cat'), an image of a Japanese Bobtail seated with one paw raised, is considered a good-luck charm among the Japanese around the world, who often keep a statue of this figure in the front of stores or homes (most often a stylized calico, though gold and black variants are also common). This stems from a legend that tells how

378-594: A whole scale of tones, leading to a folk belief that they can sing. Cats are featured prominently in Japanese folklore . As in many other traditions around the world, cats are frequently objects of fear and mistrust, with various supernatural abilities ascribed to them. But in some Japanese stories, the length of their tails is an important plot point, with the Japanese Bobtail seen as auspicious, while long-tailed cats may be suspected of being nekomata ,

420-405: Is 9–15 years. They enjoy climbing and can be prone to obesity. The short tail is a cat body-type mutation caused by the expression of a dominant gene. The tail is both shortened and kinked in Japanese Bobtails. The gene is fixed/always homozygous in the breed, so generally all kittens born to even one Japanese Bobtail parent will have bobtails as well. A bobtailed cat that is heterozygous for

462-710: Is a recognised breed by all major registering bodies, with the exception of the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), the domestic registry of the United Kingdom. This breed is good for families. Due to their affectionate nature, they are well suited pets for children and communicate with people using soft chirpy noises. This breed is highly attracted to water, very smart, and known for playful behavior, always full of energy and mischief. A very loyal breed, Bobtails make great companions. This breed has

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504-473: Is a tricolor Japanese Bobtail. [REDACTED] Media related to Japanese Bobtails at Wikimedia Commons Calico cat A calico cat ( US English ) is a domestic cat of any breed with a tri-color coat. The calico cat is most commonly thought of as being 25% to 75% white with large orange and black patches; however, they may have other colors in their patterns. Calicoes are almost exclusively female except under rare genetic conditions. A calico cat

546-781: Is also likely to have carried much prestige, having originated on the continent and arrived via Korea in the Asuka period (6th century CE ), along with other prized articles of Chinese culture. The manga character Hello Kitty resembles a Japanese Bobtail, and is an example of contemporary kawaii ('cute') pop culture. The character Muta from The Cat Returns was based on a stray Japanese Bobtail that would often visit Studio Ghibli . They also tend to appear in other anime produced in Japan. In W Is for Wasted , by Sue Grafton (part of her alphabet mystery series), private investigator Kinsey Millhone and her landlord Henry Pitts acquire

588-399: Is not to be confused with a tortoiseshell , who has a black undercoat and a mostly mottled coat of black/red or blue/cream with relatively few to no white markings. However, outside North America, the calico pattern is more commonly called tortoiseshell and white . Calicoes with diluted coloration (blue tortoiseshell and white) have been called calimanco or clouded tiger . Occasionally,

630-478: Is responsible for either orange or black fur. Typically, each allele received would create a solid coat of black and orange fur, but, with Calico cats, Lyonization (commonly known as X-inactivation), occurs at random, which makes for the very distinct fur coat. Calico cats are almost always female because the locus of the gene for the orange/non-orange coloring is on the X chromosome. In the absence of other influences, such as color inhibition that causes white fur,

672-670: Is the first known person to have imported the Japanese Bobtail to the Western Hemisphere from Japan. The short hair Japanese Bobtail was accepted for Championship status in the Cat Fanciers' Association in 1976. Recognition for the long hair variety followed in 1993. As of 2013, there are a number of Japanese Bobtail breeders, most of which are based in North America with a few in Europe and at least one in Japan; yet

714-429: Is what typically results in tortoiseshell or calico coloring. One rare genetic exception resulting in a male calico is when faulty cell division leaves an extra X chromosome in one of the gametes that produced the male cat. That extra X then is reproduced in each of his cells, a condition referred to as XXY, or Klinefelter syndrome . Such a combination of chromosomes could produce tortoiseshell or calico markings in

756-453: The alleles present in those orange loci determine whether the fur is orange or not. Female cats, like all female placental mammals , normally have two X chromosomes. In contrast, male placental mammals, including chromosomally stable male cats, have one X and one Y chromosome. Since the Y chromosome does not have any locus for the orange gene, it is not possible for a normal XY male cat to have both orange and non-orange genes together, which

798-522: The Cat: Genetic Engineering Before We Knew About Genes , The mutation that gives male cats a ginger-colored coat and females ginger, tortoiseshell, or calico coats produced a particularly telling map. The orange mutant gene is found only on the X, or female, chromosome. As with humans, female cats have paired sex chromosomes, XX, and male cats have XY sex chromosomes. The female cat, therefore, can have

840-548: The United States, calicoes sometimes are referred to as money cats . In Japan, Maneki-neko figures depict calico cats, bringing good luck. Japanese sailors often kept a calico as their ship's cat to protect against misfortune at sea. In the late nineteenth century, Eugene Field published " The Duel ", a poem for children also known as "The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat". On August 31, 2021, Google launched

882-516: The affected male, in the same way as XX chromosomes produce them in the female. All but approximately one in ten thousand of the rare calico or tortoiseshell male cats are sterile because of the chromosome abnormality and breeders reject any exceptions for stud purposes because they generally are of poor physical quality and fertility. Even in the rare cases where a male calico is healthy and fertile, most cat registries will not accept them as show animals. As Sue Hubble stated in her book Shrinking

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924-498: The breed remains rare. The Bobtail cats are considered to be a lucky breed and to own one promises prosperity and happiness. The tricoloured, Mi-Ke (pronounced 'mee keh') is known as the luckiest colour for this breed. There is a Japanese statue of a cat with its paw in the air called Maneki Neko (translates to 'beckoning cat') and is an artist interpretation of the bobtail. These statues are common in many Japanese shops as they are thought to attract good people. The Japanese Bobtail

966-592: The breeds among which they permit registration of cats with calico coloration; those breeds are the Manx cat , American Shorthair , Maine Coon , British Shorthair , Persian cat , Arabian Mau , Japanese Bobtail , Exotic Shorthair , Siberian , Turkish Van , Turkish Angora , and the Norwegian Forest cat . Because the genetic determination of coat colors in calico cats is linked to the X chromosome , calicoes are nearly always female, with one color linked to

1008-421: The development of modern breeds. The kinked tail is highly variable and is a dominant trait. They ranged in appearance from being just slightly shortened (around 25 cm (9.8 in) long), to being seemingly abruptly cut off in the middle (around 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) long), to being bobtails (less than 10 cm (3.9 in) long). These cats were called " qilin tail" in southern China (after

1050-416: The first book written by a Westerner about the flora, fauna, and landscape of Japan, German doctor Engelbert Kaempfer (1651 – 1716) wrote, "there is only one breed of cat that is kept. It has large patches of yellow, black and white fur; its short tail looks like it has been bent and broken. It has no mind to hunt for rats and mice but just wants to be carried and stroked by women." In 1968, Elizabeth Freret

1092-496: The gene may have kittens with or without the trait. Unlike the dominant Manx gene, the Bobtail gene is not associated with skeletal disorders. The Bobtail gene causes a reduced number of tail vertebrae, as well as some fusion of tail vertebrae. This type of tail is not only unique to the breed but also to each individual cat, no two are exactly alike. For it to be considered a true bobtail cat the tail must not exceed three inches from

1134-520: The kinked tails in these cats are the result of a missense mutation of the HES7 gene . It is the same cause of the mutation in Japanese Bobtails, making it likely that the ancestral founder of the Japanese bobtail is originally from Southeast Asia or China and that the bobtail trait already existed prior to their introduction to Japan. It is unknown when cats were first introduced to Japan, but they likely arrived through multiple introductions from trade with

1176-470: The late Emperor Kōkō . In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to help deal with rodents threatening the nation's silkworm population and associated industry. At that time, buying or selling cats was illegal, and from then on, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. Japanese Bobtails thus became the "street/farm cats" of Japan. Around 1701, in Kaempfer's Japan ,

1218-485: The male, with his single X chromosome, has only one of that particular coat-color gene: he can be not-ginger or he can be ginger (although some modifier genes can add a bit of white here and there), but unless he has a chromosomal abnormality he cannot be a calico cat. Currently, it has been very difficult to reproduce the fur patterns of calico cats by cloning . This is shown in Copy Cat , whose genetic donor, Rainbow,

1260-562: The maternal X chromosome and a second color linked to the paternal X chromosome . In most cases, males are only one color (for instance, black) as they have only one X chromosome. Male calicoes can happen when a male cat has two X chromosomes ( Klinefelter syndrome , with XXY sex chromosomes and generally they are sterile); the condition is a chimera , with two different cell types. Some calico cats, called "dilute calicoes", may be lighter in color overall. Dilutes are distinguished by having grey (known as blue), cream, and gold colors instead of

1302-558: The mythical creature) and were traditional symbols of fortune and wealth. Charles Darwin described the widespread occurrence of this trait in The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication (1868): "Throughout an immense area, namely the Malayan archipelago , Siam , Pegu and Burmah , all the cats have truncated tails about half the proper length, often with a sort of knot at the end." A 2016 study has identified that

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1344-572: The notable exception of the Turkish Van . Generally speaking, members of the breed are active, intelligent cats, with a strongly human-oriented nature, are easier to train to perform tricks than most breeds, and are more likely to enjoy learning human-mediated activities like walking on a harness and leash, and playing fetch. They are very attentive, alert felines that notice a lot. Considered an unusually "talkative" breed, they often interact vocally with people. Their soft voices are capable of nearly

1386-633: The nuclei of nerve cells of female cats, but not in male cats. These dark masses became known as Barr bodies . In 1959, Japanese cell biologist Susumu Ohno determined the Barr bodies were X chromosomes . In 1961, Mary Lyon proposed the concept of X-inactivation: when one of the two X chromosomes inside a female mammal shuts off. She observed this in the coat color patterns of mice. There are two different alleles in Calico cats, one received from each parent, that can determine their fur coloration: each allele

1428-654: The orange mutant gene found in calicoes was traced to the port cities along the Mediterranean in Greece, France, Spain, and Italy, originating from Egypt. The calico has been Maryland's state cat since 1 October 2001. Calico cats were chosen as the state cat because their white, black, and orange coloring is in harmony with the coloring of the Baltimore oriole (the state bird) and the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly (the state insect). The fabric called " calico "

1470-433: The orange mutant gene on one X chromosome and the gene for a black coat on the other. The piebald gene is on a different chromosome. If expressed, this gene codes for white, or no color, and is dominant over the alleles that code for a certain color ( i.e. orange or black), making the white spots on calico cats. If that is the case, those several genes will be expressed in a blotchy coat of the tortoiseshell or calico kind. But

1512-504: The origin of the breed's short tail, tells of a sleeping cat whose long tail caught fire; it then ran through town, spreading flames everywhere. With the capital in ashes, the Emperor decreed that all cats should have their tails cut short as a preventative measure. While legends and superstitions may have favored the short-tailed breed, it seems likely that the Bobtail simply has a longer history in Japan than other recognizable breeds. It

1554-402: The point of extension to the tailbone. See also Cat body-type mutation: Tail types Recent scientific studies on cat genetics led by researchers has indicated that the Japanese Bobtail breed is one of the most genetically diverse of pedigree breeds. Compared with other breeds, Japanese Bobtails tend to have smaller litters with the kittens being proportionally larger at birth and developing at

1596-473: The rest of Asia. It is believed that they first arrived along with Buddhist monks in the 6th century, who kept cats as a means of preventing rats from damaging scrolls made from rice paper . They were initially regarded as luxury goods. The first documented mention of a cat in Japan is from the journal entry of the young Emperor Uda in March 11, 889. He described it as a gift which arrived by boat to his father,

1638-457: The tri-color calico coloration is combined with a tabby patterning, called tortoiseshell tabby with white. A calico-patched tabby cat may be referred to as caliby . Derived from a colorful printed Calico fabric, when the term "calico" is applied to cats, it refers only to a color pattern of the fur, not to a cat breed or any reference to any other traits, such as their eyes. Formal standards set by professional and show animal breeders limit

1680-486: The typical colors along with the white. The tri-color coat characteristic of calico cats does not define any breed, but occurs incidentally in cats who express a range of color patterns; accordingly, the effect has no definitive historical background. However, the existence of patches in calico cats was traced to a certain degree by Neil Todd in a study determining the migration of domesticated cats along trade routes in Europe and Northern Africa. The proportion of cats having

1722-408: Was a calico domestic longhair. Copy Cat and Rainbow had different fur patterns. The study of Calico cats may have provided significant findings relating to physiological differences between female and male mammals. Cats with calico coloration are believed to bring good luck in the folklore of many cultures. In Germany, the word for a cat with calico coloring is "Glückskatze" or "lucky cat". In

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1764-469: Was originally from the city of Calicut in southwestern India. Printed calico was imported into the United States from Lancashire, England, in the 1780s, and a linguistic separation occurred there. While Europe maintained the word calico for the fabric, in the US it was used to refer to the printed design or pattern. These colorful, small-patterned printed fabrics gave rise to the use of the word calico to describe

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