A relatively new breed of cat, originating in the United States, as its name suggests.

The first specimens of the breed were discovered in the 1960s on the West Coast of the United States. The original bobtail cats are considered descendants of wild bobtail cats.

Both random gene mutations and human intervention played a role in the development of the breed. The genetic diversity of the American bobtail contributed to the creation of the distinctive short-tailed version of the breed. The short tail is a genetically dominant trait.