American Bobtail Mix Or Something Else?

[Katie-Kat86]

I've been looking for a community of cat lovers and enthusiasts to help me try to identify my newly adopted kitten; I hope I've come to the right place! She was found as a stray with what we assume is her brother. She has long hair, with a ruff around her neck, ear tufts, and a bobbed tail. The texture of the fur on her belly and chest is very different than the rest of her coat, very wavy, almost curly but not quite. Since she was found as a stray, we have no idea if her tail is genetic or the result of an injury, but due to the coloration on her tail, it appears genetic. Her coat pattern is also a bit of a mystery. She has the tabby "M" on her forehead, along with faint stripes on her legs and sides, but the rest of her coat looks almost like a diluted tortoiseshell. She's predominantly gray, with a cream belly and patches of faint red/rust on her back and sides. Here is a picture with more to follow, I'd appreciate any opinions on what her breed and coat pattern could be! As a stray, it's most likely she's mixed, but I'm just looking for clues as to what breeds could be in that mix

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Glad you're here!
Is her back end a little taller than her front?

 

[abyeb]

How long is her tail? If it’s shortened because of injury, there wouldn’t be fur on the end.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm thinking American bobtail and some Norwegian forest cat that face and those ears, my goodness

 

[Katie-Kat86]

Thank you, I'm glad to be here! Yes, her back legs are a little longer than her front legs, and her tail does have fur on the end. She also has a little knob on the end of her tail, which I read is a trait commonly seen in American Bobtails Her tail is about 3-4 inches long right now, while her brother has a full length tail.

 

[Katie-Kat86]

Thank you, I was wondering about Norwegian Forest Cat as well, with those ears of hers! She's quite possibly the most adorable kitten I've ever seen, and has a sweet personality to match her cute looks!

 

[abyeb]

The short tail in an American Bobtail is dominant, so if one of the parents were heterozygous for the trait, and the other homozygous recessive, that would explain how her brother inherited a full length tail. Additionally, it’s possible that the kittens had a different father, as a female cat can mate multiple times while in heat.

 

[Katie-Kat86]

That's interesting to know about the Bobtail! And it is entirely possible that they have different fathers, as I have no clue where they came from. They just showed up at my parents' house last month, and my husband and I adopted them on our last visit. We now have 4 cats in the house. Here are a few more pics of her, as well as some of her brother, and a peak at my girl Bandit, whose coloration I believe is called brown tabby and white

 

[Summercats]

Katie-Kat86
Aw they are gorgeous. Long haired cats like Maine Coons and Norwegians have a common origin. Maine Coons developed out of longhaired cats brought to North America, if she is not direct descended of one of those natural breeds she is their cousin. Could be a Persian mix as well.