Collection: Personalised American Ringtail Gifts

Classed as an experimental breed, the American Ringtail is a very new breed. The breed is less than twenty five years old but is already gaining a large amount of popularity due to its handsome look and wonderful temperament.

The breed was first discovered in 1998 when Susan Manley found a two day old kitten in need of assistance. Susan took the kitten home and began bottle feeding him to help him gain the required weight to survive. As it became evident he would survive, she named him Solomon. At four weeks old she noticed Solomon had an unusual tail. She had noticed this trait on other strays in her neighbourhood but took Solomon to the vet to make sure he was healthy. The vet ruled out both deformities and underlying medical issues as the cause of Solomon's tail; in fact, Solomon seemed happy and relaxed. In 1999 Susan decided to open a breeding programme to develop the Ringtail as a breed. Breeders began working with Susan in 2005. That same year The International Cat Association gave the breed a "registered only" status. With how new the breed is, it's very exciting to see where the breed will go from here!

While the breed is still new and the temperament is still settling, so far, American Ringtail cats have been shown to be affectionate, outgoing, friendly, and loyal. Whilst they may be occasionally shy around humans they haven't met before. They get on well with older children, as long as children are taught how to properly interact with them to avoid the possibility of injuries! They often choose one member of the family to be "their person" who they become extra attached to, however that doesn't mean that other members will be ignored. They enjoy exploring and climbing and so providing interactive toys, cat towers, and cat trees are essential to their mental stimulation.