Mekong bobtail
The Mekong Bobtail is a colourpoint cat with a short kinked tail, from the region around the Mekong river across Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
It was recognised by the World Cat Federation in 2004, having previously been called the Thai Bobtail.
It weighs 3 to 4.5 kilograms, is medium and moderately built with a rounded head, blue eyes and a Siamese-type colourpoint coat. The tail is short and made up of kinked or curved vertebrae — every tail different, and the standard requires at least three. Unlike the Manx mutation, this bobtail carries no associated spinal disease. Temperament is sociable, active and dog-like, and many will fetch.
- Origin
- Mekong river region of South-East Asia
- Size
- 3–4.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 15–18 years
- Coat
- Short colourpoint with blue eyes
- Tail
- Short and kinked, at least three vertebrae; no spinal disease
- Temperament
- Sociable, active, dog-like; many will fetch
Related: Manx · Siamese · Thai · American bobtail · Japanese bobtail
2 mekong bobtail photos, newest first
Living with a mekong bobtail
The tail is safe but sensitive. It contains real, kinked vertebrae and should not be pulled or handled roughly.
Health is generally good and there is no breed-specific inherited disease documented, which reflects its origin as a natural regional population rather than a constructed breed.
The coat is short and single and needs only weekly grooming. Point colour darkens with age and in cooler rooms, as in any colourpoint cat.
They are active and sociable, take to lead-walking and fetch, and want company. A companion cat suits them.
Ordinary preventive care: neutering, vaccination, dental attention, annual checks moving to twice yearly past ten.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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