Mekong Bobtail: description of the cat breed, photo, content

Representatives of the Mekong or Thai Bobtail breed are true aristocrats among their brothers. They came to us from Asia. Ancient images have been preserved in which cats are dressed in the “decorations” of the Siamese princesses. They are similar in appearance to them in the dark color of the muzzle, but they differ from this breed - loops and kinks on the tail. The peculiarity of the animals is the similarity of their character with that of a dog: they walk on a leash, are easily taught commands and can fetch things in their teeth.

Story

The breed is one of the most ancient, and therefore there are legends and myths accompanying it.

One of them says that in ancient times beautiful princesses lived in Siamese temples and their pets were cats with broken tails and dark muzzles. While taking a bath, they took off their magnificent jewelry and put it on the tails of their guardians - Siamese with broken tails. And they took special care of their entrusted treasures.

Read a separate article about the Siamese cat breed, see their photos on our Mister Cat portal.

Representatives of this breed first came to European countries in 1884 from the capital of Siam with the poetic name City of Angels. They were brought to America several years later, and in Russia they appeared at the court of the emperor at the beginning of the 20th century.

Due to the broken tail in numerous knots, the breed was not recognized by felinologists in many countries for a long time and they were not allowed to participate in exhibitions, as this was considered a defect.

However, Russian breeders fell in love with the animals, and they made a lot of efforts to preserve the breed. At that time these animals were called Thai. By crossing the Mekong with other varieties of cats brought from Southeast Asia, it was possible to expand it.

In 1994, the Mekong standard was first adopted by the WCF, and in 2003, 30 individuals that differed significantly from the Thai Bobtail were submitted to the organization for evaluation. Based on the results, it was decided to separate these cats into a separate breed, which was called the Mekong Bobtail.

Brief history of the breed

The homeland of the Mekong is considered to be Southeast Asia, and their first description is found in Charles Darwin’s work “Change in Domestic Animals and Cultivated Plants,” dated 1883. Initially, they lived in temples and imperial palaces and were not exported outside the state for a long time.

Foreigners could only take possession of a Mekong cat as a valuable gift. The list of recipients included such famous personalities as British Ambassador Owen Gould, Nicholas II and the governess of the children of the ruler of Siam, Anna Crawford.

European felinologists learned about the Mekong in 1884. Cats of this breed came to the USA only in the 1890s. For a long time, the Mekong Bobtail was considered a variety of Siamese and was discarded due to its broken short tail. This anatomical feature was preserved only thanks to individual connoisseurs of Thai bobtails. After some time, experts noticed that Mekongs differ from Siamese not only in the length of their tail, but also in their build and set of ears.

Purposeful breeding of the breed began only in the 20th century. Russian felinologists played an important role in the development of the Mekong. In 1994, O. S. Mironova submitted the first breed standard for consideration at the WCF training camp in St. Petersburg.

The final registration of the Mekong Bobtail took place in 2004 at the August meeting of the WCF General Assembly, which was held in the German city of Essen.

Interesting Facts

During the existence of the Mekongs, many interesting things have been associated with them:

1. For a long time, these cats were not considered a separate breed and were called Thai Bobtails. Later they were renamed the Mekong, which is the name of the river near which they lived.
2. In the old days, bobtails were considered sacred and lived in Buddhist temples. According to one legend, when cats of this breed guarded ancient vases and figurines, they wrapped their tails around them and squinted their eyes strongly to see everything that was happening around them. Sitting in one position for a long time caused the Mekong's eyes to become slanted and its tail to bend.
3. According to another legend, bobtails were the guards of Thai princesses and accompanied them on walks. When high-ranking persons wanted to swim, they hung the jewelry they had taken from themselves on the hooked tails of the Mekongs.

Breeding Mekong Bobtails

Crossing Mekong Bobtails with other breeds is not allowed. For breeding, only individuals exported from Asia are used.

When knitting, a number of rules are followed:

1. Despite the fact that representatives of the breed reach sexual maturity early, the cat is bred no earlier than she is 1 year old, preferably after the second heat.
2. The cat must be untied - an inexperienced partner will be confused on the wedding night.
3. Animals must be healthy, vaccinated, and treated for worms two weeks before mating.
4. Before mating, the cat is not washed to preserve its natural scent.
5. The cat is brought to the cat's territory and left for 3-5 days. In such an environment, the male is calm and confident.

Breed description, standards, appearance

The Mekong Bobtail is a compact, harmoniously built cat with well-developed muscles and a short, broken tail. A detailed description of the breed is presented in the 2004 standard.

Dimensions and weight

The Mekong Bobtail is a medium-sized cat with pronounced sexual dimorphism. The breed standard suggests that the average weight of a female is 2.5-3 kg. The weight of a male Mekong fluctuates between 3.5-4 kg.

Anatomical characteristics

Ideally, the Thai Bobtail should fit the following description:

1. The head is wedge-shaped, neat, with rounded outlines, an oval muzzle, a developed lower jaw and a strong chin.
2. The ears are large, slightly tilted back, and set high. The gap between them is slightly less than the width of the base of the shell.
3. The eyes are large, expressive, oval. The Mekong Bobtail's iris is pigmented blue.
4. The body is rectangular, graceful, with developed muscles, a straight back and a slightly raised croup.
5. The limbs are slender, moderately long, with small oval paws. The Mekong Bobtail does not hide the claws on its hind legs and walks with a characteristic clattering sound.
6. The tail is short, with varying degrees of flexibility. Consists of a set of knots, loops and hooks. The shortest tail length of the Mekong Bobtail is 3 vertebrae, the maximum is limited to 1/4 of the length of the body.

The tail of each representative of the Mekong Bobtail breed is unique and has unique features. It can bend in any direction and consists of an individual combination of creases.

Depending on their appearance, Mekong tails are conventionally divided into the following types:

• stump - a very short tail, formed by fused vertebrae;
• spiral – vertebrae, the number of which does not exceed 15 pieces, are connected into a spiral;
• panicle – up to 10 vertebrae, broken at an obtuse angle;
• pushed back - straight tail of 7 vertebrae, ending with a hook.

Color and coat type

The body of the Mekong Bobtail is covered with shiny, close-fitting fur, under which there is practically no down. The cat's short, elastic and smooth spine feels like silk to the touch.

The Mekong Bobtail standard allows only color-point (Siamese) color without spots or patterns. The most common colors found in the breed are:

1. Seal point. The Mekong Bobtail with this color has a cream-colored coat, and the tail, muzzle and paws are dark brown.
2. Tabby point. There are clearly defined stripes on the tail, mask and paws of the Mekong, and on the cat’s face there is always a dark mark in the shape of the letter “M”.
3. Torty point. This rare tortoiseshell color is characteristic only of females.
4. Red point. This color is a combination of a white background with a delicate peach tint and fiery red markings.
5. Blue point. The Blue Point Mekong Bobtail has bluish-pink markings on a silver background.
6. Chocolate point. These Mekongs have chocolate brown markings on their snow-white fur.

Possible breed defects

Serious disadvantages that affect the show career of the Mekong Bobtail:

• thick cheeks;
• large and round eyes;
• pronounced cheekbones;
• thick undercoat;
• sharp stop.

Defects in the presence of which the Mekong Bobtail is excluded from participation in exhibitions and excluded from the breeding program:

• absence of knots, loops, hooks and curvatures on the tail;
• very short or too long tail.

Tail shape

The animal's tail is a source of pride for the owner of the Kurilian Bobtail

At exhibitions, all attention will be focused on him. Its shape is individual and unique

There are several types of Kuril Bobtail tails:

• "spiral". Visually, it reaches 5-10 cm in length. It consists of 3 to 15 vertebrae. They are badly broken in many places. Sometimes the fracture occurs at a very sharp angle. The junctions of the vertebrae are mobile or partially mobile;
• "panicle". Its length is 5-15 cm. It is formed by 5-10 vertebrae curved at obtuse angles. Their junctions are semi-movable;
• "stump". This tail most closely resembles a pompom. It is very short (2-5 cm). It consists of 2-8 vertebrae broken at obtuse angles, as if placed one on top of the other. They are connected motionlessly;
• “retracted bobtail” or “squiggle”. An interesting shape, in which a small part of the tail has a traditional structure (5-7 vertebrae at its base). The remaining vertebrae break at different angles along their entire length. The places of their connection can have any mobility.

Character and temperament

The Mekong Bobtail is a curious and outgoing cat. He accompanies his owners everywhere and takes part in all household chores. The talkative pet comments on everything that happens with purring and cooing sounds and loves to be addressed by name.

Despite being sociable, a cat of this breed is quite restrained and knows how to control itself, and does not tolerate too violent manifestations of emotions.

The Mekong Bobtail is very dog-like in character. He also loves to carry various objects in his teeth and always comes running to sniff the host’s guests. And in case of danger, the cat will defend itself not with its claws, but with the help of bites.

On a note. Mekongs tolerate car travel well. But when the “speed limit” they set is exceeded, the cats begin to protest loudly.

Mekongs get along well with children and are patient with their pranks. Cats are also loyal to other animals, with the exception of rodents, fish and birds.

Peculiarities

In the cat kingdom, each breed has its own flavor and unique characteristics:

• The most striking feature of the Mekong Bobtail breed is its tails. It is almost impossible to find individuals with two identical tails, exactly repeating the creases and sizes.
• The Mekongs are distinguished by their life expectancy - up to 25 years. With good care and maintenance, a cat can give birth to kittens even at 21 years of age. The officially registered life record is 38 years.
• The claws on the hind legs do not retract completely. When walking on a hard surface (wood, laminate), they make a characteristic clicking sound, reminiscent of a dog walking.
• This breed has absolute matriarchy. The Mekong Bobtail cat controls not only the offspring, but also the cats. They humbly accept her dominance, never allow themselves to snap at a slap from a lady, and patiently endure all “instructions.”
• When it's hot, the pads of your paws are the first to start sweating.
• Cats do not tolerate loud noise well; they try to leave the discomfort zone.
• In a fight, the teeth are the first to be used as weapons, and only then the claws.
• Children are raised by their “dad,” which is quite a rare occurrence in the animal world.
• These cats use their voice exclusively to communicate with people.
• The skin does not adhere tightly to the muscles, a large gap allows the animal to endure children's hugs painlessly.

How to choose the right kitten

The Mekong Bobtail is bred mainly by foreign breeders. Therefore, buying a purebred cat from an advertisement in a newspaper or at a poultry market is extremely problematic. It is better to look for a bobtail in a well-known nursery registered in one of the existing felinological systems.

When choosing a Mekong breed kitten, you need to pay attention to:

• for the availability of documents;
• conditions of detention;
• behavioral characteristics;
• health status.

Another important characteristic is compliance with the breed standard. A typical Mekong kitten should have:

• moderately long and dense limbs;
• fit, strong and well-fed body;
• nose with a slightly noticeable hump;
• textured head with a graceful oval muzzle;
• short tail with a break at the base.

On a note. Mekong Bobtail kittens are born completely white. After a few days, dark marks begin to appear on their body. And the final color in cats of this breed is formed only by 18-24 months.

Kitten care

Competent breeders do not separate Mekong Bobtail kittens from their mother before they are 3-4 months old. By this point, the kids become completely independent and adapt more easily to a new place. They can already use a scratching post, go to the litter box and eat solid food.

At first, Mekong kittens are fed what they are accustomed to from the breeder. To monitor their body's reaction, new foods are introduced into the diet in stages. The kittens' menu must include rabbit, veal, turkey, boiled eggs and low-fat cottage cheese. The number of feedings is calculated taking into account the age of small bobtails.

To ensure safety in the room where the Mekong kitten is kept, windows and balconies are not left open, electrical wires, ornamental plants, household chemicals and small items are removed.

Suit

For the Mekong, seal point is considered a classic color. It is the most stable of its type. The following colors are allowed: tortie and tabby varieties, cream, blue, chocolate, red, lilac, lynx. Breeders are working to develop lilac and gold shades.

The most common colors:

• Seal-point. The general background is cream, the mask and markings on the paws are black.
• Red-point. Rare color. Against the background of snow-white skin there is a fiery red mask and “gloves”. The main white color may slightly shimmer with a peach tint.
• Tortie-point. Nature rewards only cats with this tortoiseshell “outfit.”
• Blue-point. The body is covered with silver hair, the mask and the color of the legs are bluish or pink. Quite a rare color.
• Chocolite-point. The general background is cream or snow-white, the markings are chocolate-colored. The peculiarity of this suit is the lilac or purple tint of the eyes of animals.
• Tabby-point. On a white or lightly tinted background with tabby markings and a variety of lace patterns. A prerequisite is the presence of a mark in the form of the letter “M” on the muzzle. The accuracy and clarity of the drawing is valued.

Care and maintenance

Mekongs are clean and heat-loving cats. Caring for them is practically no different from caring for representatives of other short-haired breeds.

To ensure that the Mekong Bobtail always has a neat appearance, it is regularly subjected to hygiene procedures:

1. The cat's ears are periodically inspected for the presence of uncharacteristic discharge and cleaned of dirt. To do this, wipe each of them with a napkin containing lotion that does not contain alcohol.
2. Mekong claws are shortened with a nail clipper as they grow, and only the transparent tips are cut off.
3. If tear tracks form in the corners of the cat's eyes, gently wipe them with a cotton pad moistened with boiled water, a decoction of herbs or a pharmaceutical solution.
4. To prevent caries, the Mekong Bobtail's teeth are brushed 2-3 times a week with a soft brush and a small amount of special paste.
5. In normal times, the Mekong is combed no more than 2-3 times a month. During the molting period, the procedure is carried out several times a week. A special glove is used for this.
6. Bath your cat no more than 3-4 times a year using shampoos for short-haired breeds.

On a note. Instead of bathing the Mekong, you can simply wipe it with a special damp cloth.

Bobtail nutrition

It is important to feed Mekong Bobtails based on their physiology. Cats by nature are obligate carnivores. This means that the bulk of their diet should be meat. Gastric juice contains highly active enzymes that are capable of completely digesting prey. Cats have difficulty digesting cooked food because the cooked protein molecules form a dense mass that requires grinding, and felines do not have teeth for thorough chewing.

Cats tear off and swallow pieces of meat. While they are busy with the next piece, the first one is already being digested. Nature did not provide enzymes for digesting carbohydrates. Cereals swell in the stomach, absorbing gastric juice intended for meat products.

As a result of improper feeding, cats' digestion is imperceptibly disrupted. In old age, this results in diseases of the pancreas and liver. In addition, irreversible changes occur in the metabolic system.

You can and even need to add fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs to your cat’s diet. The exceptions are potatoes, beets, bananas and grapes. Vegetables are grated and mixed with raw meat. Fruits are cut into pieces and offered as treats. It has been noted that cats that eat fresh vegetables are not interested in indoor flowers.

Ideal food for cats is chicken, turkey, beef, veal, and raw eggs. Once a week, animals can be given offal mixed with crushed quail egg shells, grass or vegetables. Raw foods are frozen before serving.

Whole milk can only be given to kittens; it is prohibited for adults. Fermented milk products are beneficial for both babies and adult cats. Twice a week, offer your animals natural yogurt, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk or kefir. Bobtails readily eat cottage cheese with low-fat cream.

Complementary foods are introduced from three weeks. Cottage cheese is mixed with cream with a fat content of 10-20%, and a quail egg is added. The second complementary food from 4 weeks is chicken or turkey stroganina. In the future, the kittens are given meat. From the 6th week, kittens are switched to adult food.

Industrial feeds must have a balanced composition. It is best to feed cats super premium dry food or holistic food.

There should always be clean, cool water in the bowl. Some cats prefer to get water from the tap, but it rarely has a healthy composition. Buy your pet a water fountain in the form of a fountain that will imitate a natural pond to satisfy the cat's prey instinct.

Feeding the cat

For normal development and functioning of the body, Mekong Bobtails require a balanced diet. If the cat’s diet consists of dry food, then it should be high-quality premium or super-premium products, which do not contain any questionable components. This can be food from the following brands:

• Royal Canin;
• Arden Grange;
• Bosch;
• Monge.

If the Mekong eats natural products, then fresh lean meat should predominate in its diet. Twice a week, a cat of this breed is given sea fish, boiled eggs and offal. The Mekong Bobtail menu also includes porridge, vegetables and fermented milk products.

To avoid problems with the digestive system, sausages, sweets, baked goods, seaweed, liver, potatoes, onions, pork, smoked meats, pickles, river fish and any food from the host’s table are completely excluded from the Mekong diet.

Education and physical activity

Thai Bobtails are active and jumping cats, they love hunting and walking. To maintain physical fitness, the Mekongs are equipped with a corner with tunnels, ladders and shelves on which they can climb. So that cats of this breed can realize their hunting instinct, they are given several interactive toys.

Mekongs are distinguished by high intelligence and good memory. They are easy to train and easily learn not only the rules of cat etiquette, but also remember different commands.

Vaccinations and antiparasitic treatment

To protect the Mekong from viral and infectious diseases, it is regularly vaccinated against panleukopenia, calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis and rabies. The first vaccination for a Mekong kitten is given at the age of 7-8 weeks and repeated after 28 days. In the future, the pet is vaccinated annually.

To protect the Mekong Bobtail from diseases carried by fleas and helminths, it is regularly subjected to antiparasitic treatment. Protect your cat from fleas using special drops, collars and shampoos. Antihelminthic tablets are given to the Mekong Bobtail twice a year, repeated every 10-14 days.

Health

The health of the Mekong Bobtail cat is very good.

Bobtails are a natural breed with strong immunity, allowing them to live up to 20-25 years and bear kittens until old age.

The average life expectancy is 12-18 years and depends on the conditions of detention.

The Guinness Book of Records records a case of longevity of the Thai Bobtail. The animal lived for 38 years.

Mekongs, as those who like to walk outside, are required to be vaccinated against rabies, panleukopenia, calcivirosis, and dermatomycosis.

Characteristic diseases

There are no diseases specific to this breed.

According to statistics, the most common Mekong people get sick are:

• microsporia;
• chlamydia;
• rhinotracheitis;
• calcivirus.

In rare cases, the development of gingivitis is observed, the presence of which is indicated by symptoms such as poor appetite, inflamed, bleeding gums, and increased salivation.

In old age, arthritis, kidney failure, and partial tooth loss may appear.

Vaccinations

The health of a pet depends not only on proper care and feeding.

It is very important to carry out timely vaccination of the animal to develop timely immunity.

The first complex vaccination is given at two months of age.

Its action is aimed at forming stable immunity to diseases such as:

• panleukopenia;
• chlamydia;
• rabies;
• rhinotracheitis;
• microsporia;
• trichophytosis.

Before vaccination, anthelmintic treatment is carried out two weeks.

Deworming is a mandatory measure, since in the case of parasites in the pet’s body, vaccination can lead to complications, including the death of the animal.

After three to four weeks, a repeated complex vaccination is carried out.

A month later, the animal is vaccinated against rabies.

The last is the ringworm vaccine, which is administered 30 days after the rabies vaccination.

After all necessary vaccinations have been administered, revaccination is carried out exactly one year later.

It is recommended to have a passport, which will indicate the date and information about the preventive vaccinations performed.

An animal cannot be vaccinated in the following cases:

• in the first two weeks after taking antibiotics;
• with weakened immunity;
• presence of elevated temperature;
• within 14 days after lambing;
• during the period of teeth change.

Pros and cons of the breed

Before you decide to buy a Mekong Bobtail, you need to familiarize yourself with the main advantages and disadvantages of the breed:

The Mekong Bobtail is a cute cat with a characteristic Siamese coloring and an original hooked tail. Representatives of this breed are endowed with a non-aggressive, responsive disposition and will become excellent companions for those who dream of a sociable and cheerful pet.