History

Origin of the Breed

The earliest written evidence of cats in Japan indicates that they arrived from China or Korea at least 1,000 years ago. For hundreds of years the bobtailed cats were highly valued and guarded. In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to cope with vermin threatening the silkworms. Buying or selling cats was forbidden, and from that time forward bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. Thus, the Japanese Bobtails (JBT) are the "street cats" of Japan. If you visit Japan today you can see them in the streets.

Japanese Bobtails were brought to the US by American servicemen who had them as pets overseas. Mrs. Freret imported the first breeding stock to the US in the 60's JBTs achieved Championship status in 1976.

The Maneki Neko

When visiting Japanese shops and homes you will often find a tri-colored ceramic cat with a raised paw near the front door. This is the Maneki Neko,the good Luck cat of Japan and represents the Mi-ke (calico) JBT.

The Maneki Neko figurine is most frequently seen in Japanese shop windows or by doorways offering hospitality and good fortune to all who enter, and good business to the owner. Large or small, made in a variety of materials from papier mache to fine porcelain, most are adorned with neck ribbons with attached bells. Some have their right paw raised, some their left. The maneki neko is the traditional symbol which heralds the Japanese Bobtail, its fine ancestry, and good fortune.