Marilyn Knopp established MariCho Cattery in 1986.  MariCho is a CFA Cattery of Excellence (Veterinarian inspected and approved).  MariCho Cattery has bred Japanese Bobtails exclusively since 1986, and has specialized in longhairs since 1995.

At MariCho, we breed for quality, not quantity.  Thus, you may have to wait for that very special kitten...but it will be well worth the wait.

Our primary concern is that all our cats have loving homes.  We rarely sell breeding cats as we don't want to see our cats living in cages. We want our cats to be an integral part of someone's life. 

Because we are concerned about pet "over-population," all our kittens are sold on a spay/neuter agreement.  However, adults are already spayed/neutered before being placed in a loving home.

This is not to say that our cats don't end up in the show ring.  As of June, 1997, we have bred/owned/co-owned more than 25 Grand Champions/Grand Premiers, including numerous regional and national winners.  In fact GC, GP, NW MariCho's Hoseki (a red and white longhair premier) was CFA's 2nd Best Cat in the country in the 1995/1996 show year, as was GC, GP, NW MariCho's Mikomi, DM (pictured) CFA's 2nd Best Cat in Premiership in the 1998/1999 show year.

Occasionally we have retired show cats available.  These young adults make a wonderful addition to almost any home.  They are usually offered at a price most people can afford.  See Available MariCho Kitties.

GC. BW. NW MariCho's Hakusan

CFA's 9th Best Cat 2000-2001
Best Black & White LH Japanese Bobtail
 

Hakusan is the first LH Japanese Bobtail to attain a national win in Championship.  Kittens sired by Hakusan are available by reservation to approved homes.

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, 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 silk worms.  Buying or selling cats was forbidden, and from that time forward, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. Thus, the Japanese Bobtails are the "street cats" of Japan.

They were first brought to the U.S. by American servicemen who had acquired them as pets overseas.  The Bobtails attracted the attention of American cat breeders, including Mrs. Elizabeth Freret, who imported the first breeding stock to the U.S. from Japan in the 1960's.  Japanese Bobtails were granted Provisional Breed  status in 1971, and achieved Championship status in CFA in 1976.

The longhaired Japanese Bobtail was accepted by CFA for Championship competition in 1993 following much hard work on the part of the members of the Longhair Japanese Bobtail Breeders' Club.

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

The Japanese Bobtail (JBT) has a unique and delightful personality.  They are playful and active even as adults.  This is a breed that likes to be involved in every aspect of your life...from reading the paper to painting the walls to sleeping.  Many Bobtails like to play in water and most enjoy a good game of fetch.  If you're looking for a second couch potato, this is not the breed for you!  On the other hand, the JBT is also an extremely loving and affectionate breed.

While talkative, JBT's are considered to have soft voices.  They are capable of a wide range of sounds; some people even say they sing.  Since JBT's adore human companionship, they almost always speak when spoken to.

In addition, JBT's are very intelligent.  They quickly learn their name (and other words as well) and always come when called.  They are also quite adaptable, adjusting readily to life with dogs and other cats. These traits make the JBT an excellent addition to any family.

The Japanese Bobtail is a medium sized, well muscled cat.  The head forms an equilateral triangle with high cheekbones and a unique eye set. The ears are large and perpendicular to the sides of the head, pricked forward but not flared.  The hind legs are longer than the forelegs, but deeply angulated so that when standing the cat's back appears level.

JBT's come in most colors and color patterns including solid, tabby, van, and bicolor patterns.  However, the Siamese pattern or Abyssinian type tipping is not allowed.  The color most in demand is the tri-color mi-ke (pronounced "mee-kay").  Mi-ke is the Japanese term meaning three-furred and thus refers to what we call calico.  Bright dramatic markings are normal for this breed.

All eye colors are acceptable, so green, gold, copper, blue and odd-eyes (one gold/green and one blue) are seen.  Because they are the least common, blue and odd-eyes are most prized by breeders.

JBT's have a single coat with little or no undercoat.  Thus minimal grooming is necessary.  Longhair JBT's have the same standard as shorthairs except for a much longer coat.  And of course they have the same lively, engaging personalities.  Even with the longer coat, they are still relatively non-shedding and require minimal grooming.

The tail, for which the breed is named, is different from all other breeds. Some tails are rigid, some are not.  Some tails can be wiggled, some cannot.  The kinks, angles, and curves that make up the tail are unique to each individual cat.  Although the tail could be as long as long as four inches if it were straightened out, it is most often tightly curved or kinked, and the hair is longer than on the rest of the body, creating a variety of appearances, from a shaving brush look to a pom-pom.

A natural breed, the Japanese Bobtail is a strong, healthy, sturdy cat. Compared to other breeds, kittens are active earlier, walk earlier, and start "investigating" earlier.  This breed has a low kitten mortality rate and a high disease resistance.

Japanese Bobtails breed true . . . kittens are never born tailless, nor are they born with full tails.  They are a natural breed and do, indeed, come from Japan.  At MariCho we even occasionally import cats from Japan to add to our breeding pool.
 

 

Check back for photos!