Even though it is known by an English name, the Japanese Neko is really an ancient breed. Manuscripts, paintings, and other art give evidence that it has existed as an identifiable breed in Japan for at least 1,000 years. As with all ancient breeds, there are legends and traditions surrounding the cat and its origin. One that this breed originated when a cat was sleeping near a hearth and a spark flew out, igniting its tail. The cat sped through the streets of the Imperial City, setting all the houses on fire as it ran. The city was destroyed and the emperor was furious. In his anger, he decreed that all cats must have their tails cut short, thus the bobtail came into being.
There are sketches of it in ancient ruins and documents, sitting next to geishas. In the times of Gotokuju, in Tokyo, the walls were decorated with paintings of one of these cats, whose name was Maneki-Neko, which means "Welcoming Cat." They used to say it brought good luck. Many Japanese and Chinese shops in North America display a small statue or "piggybank" of the JBT next to their cash register. Long popular in Japan as house pets, JBT's made their way to the USA in 1968 when an American breeder, Judy Crawford, sent the first pair to the United States. Later, she brought 38 of these cats with her when she returned home.
Elizabeth Freret assisted in getting the breed recognized by CFA, Cat Fanciers Association, in 1976. In Europe, it was recognized as a breed in 1989 by FIFE, Federazione Internazionale Felina. The breed became popular and is now recognized for championship status by all North American cat registries.

Unique Tails:
Japanese Bobtails are distinguished by their short curled tails, a trait that is unique to the breed but differs on each individual. The hair on the tail is longer than the hair on the body. This extra length gives the tail its characteristic pompon or bobtail look. Incidentally, the gene responsible for the Bobtail is not related to the Manx gene.
Type and Colour:
These distinctive cats have high cheek bones, large, high-set ears, and large eyes that are set into the skull at a rather pronounced slant. The set of the eyes gives the breed its distinctive look when compared to other oriental breeds. Excellent pets, Japanese Bobtails are medium-sized and can be either short-haired. They come in many different colours and patterns ranging from solid, tabby, bi-color, particolor, tortoiseshell and calico. In Japan, the good-luck color pattern is the traditional calico (red, white and black), called Mi-Ke (pronounced mee-kay). A cat with this pattern is highly favored in Japan and equally prized in the United States.
Affectionate and Intelligent:
Japanese Bobtails are very affectionate, intelligent, and enjoy a lot of play. They require little grooming and shed very little, making them particularly attractive to owners who find shedding a problem. Not particularly vocal, Bobtails express themselves well with their body language. They make ideal family pets and adapt well to life within a family.
Care and Grooming:
Light daily brushing is recommended.

ACFA STANDARD - Abbreviated
Body: Medium sized, long body, but firm and well-muscled.
Head: Equilateral Triangular head, long nose, large, oval eyes, matching the colour of the coat; large high set ears, erect, with rounded tips.
Oval feet.
Tail: short, 10 to 13cm, in a curved shape, which makes it look half its size, covered with longer hair than the body. Long legs..the hind legs longer than forelegs.
Coat: Soft and silky single coat, medium length in the shorthaired Japanese Bobtail, medium-long in the longhaired Japanese Bobtail, so as to exhibit a rather shaggy coat, ruff and pantaloons.

Japanese Bobtail Longhair:
Longhairs are born in shorthair litters when each of the parents carries a recessive longhair gene at a ratio of 1 Longhair to 3 Shorthairs. LH to LH produces all Longhairs.
Colour:
All colours are accepted with the exception of the Siamese point pattern and Agouti (ticked) Tabby. Eye colour may be blue, odd-eyed, green or gold, depending on the coat colour, and the amount of white.
Tips:
The unique tails of Japanese Bobtails are somewhat delicate and must not be handled roughly. Homes with very young children may not be the best environment for these cats, therefore.
Because the Longhaired Japanese Bobtail is still rare, there will likely be a waiting period before a longhaired kitten can be acquired.