How to Sell American Bobtail Kittens in the United States
To sell American Bobtail kittens in the United States, check your state and city rules, keep each kitten until it is at least 8 weeks old, have a vet check its spine, walk and litter-box habits, and register the litter with the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), The International Cat Association (TICA) or the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA). Then write an honest ad, screen buyers and take payment in person at the handover, with papers, vet records and a written contract.
The breed's short tail is a dominant trait with health questions attached, and CFA notes that litters can include kittens with full tails. Careful sellers plan for that from the first day of the litter.
Key points
- Rules are mostly state and local: Massachusetts, for example, bars selling cats under 8 weeks old.
- Have every kitten checked for normal walking and bowel and bladder control; CFA says tailless cats may have incontinence and removes them from breeding.
- Give each buyer the registration slip, the vet record and a contract with spay or neuter terms.
- Spot Pet puts breeder kittens at about $600 to $1,200; price full-tailed and tailless kittens as pets.
- Meet buyers in person, never ship by mail and never accept an overpayment by check.
What rules apply when you sell American Bobtail kittens in the US?
Most rules are state and local. Massachusetts, for example, bars selling a cat under 8 weeks old, and some cities and counties require breeder permits or limit how many cats a household may keep, so check with your city or county animal services and your HOA before you plan a litter. Rabies vaccination rules for cats also vary by state; your vet will know yours.
Federally, the Animal Welfare Act regulations treat a seller whose buyers see each kitten in person before buying as a retail seller, outside USDA licensing. Selling sight unseen, for example online with shipping, can require a USDA license unless you keep four or fewer breeding females. If you are unsure, ask USDA APHIS Animal Care.
How do you check each American Bobtail kitten before sale?
The tail is the breed's signature and its main health question. In Manx cats, a 2013 Mammalian Genome study notes, about 20% of short-tailed cats have at least one other birth defect, mostly the tailless ones, including lower-spine malformations that cause hind-leg weakness, incontinence and constipation. The same study found that most short-tailed American Bobtails it tested carried a Manx short-tail variant, and CFA says the breed's mutation may cause spine and hip problems, some heritable.
- Record each kitten's tail at birth and again at 8 weeks: full, bobbed or none.
- Watch every kitten walk, run, jump and use the litter box. Note any wobble, hopping gait, soiling or constipation.
- Have your vet examine each kitten, including spine and tail, before you list it, and hold back any kitten with a problem until the vet advises.
- Give vaccines and deworming on your vet's schedule, test for FeLV and FIV, and microchip.
- Handle the kittens daily and get them used to household sounds, so they leave confident.
What papers and records should go with each kitten?
- Registration: the kitten's registration slip from CFA, TICA or ACFA, with both parents' registered names. Write any breeding rights into the contract.
- Vet record: exam date, vaccines, deworming, FeLV/FIV result and microchip number. The American Association of Feline Practitioners advises testing newly acquired cats as soon as possible, so a result you can show saves the buyer a step.
- Health notes: the tail type and your vet's notes on walking and continence.
- Contract: price, spay or neuter terms for pet kittens, any health guarantee, and a promise to take the cat back if the owner cannot keep it.
- Care sheet: food, litter, weekly brushing (CFA says both coats need only that), and a reminder that the breed matures over about three years.
Ages matter for papers and buyers alike. Beyond the legal minimum, International Cat Care notes that pedigree kittens often leave at about 13 weeks, which also gives you time to see how each kitten moves.
How should you price American Bobtail kittens?
Spot Pet's 2026 cost guide puts American Bobtail kittens from breeders at about $600 to $1,200. Check American Bobtail kittens for sale near you and price within that range.
| Factor | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Show quality, correct bobbed tail, registered | Toward the top of the range |
| Breeding rights | Higher; sell only to buyers who will health-check and register |
| Pet quality on a spay or neuter contract | Middle of the range |
| Full-length tail or no tail | Pet price; CFA disqualifies both from the show ring |
| Vaccinated, tested and microchipped | Adds value |
| Known health issue | Lower; disclose it in writing |
How do you write an American Bobtail kitten ad?
- A clear title, for example: American Bobtail kitten, female, longhair, 13 weeks, TICA registered.
- Photos of the whole kitten from the side and from behind so the tail shows, plus the face and a parent if you can.
- Coat, color, sex, age and tail type; CFA allows almost any color, so describe it plainly.
- Vaccines, FeLV/FIV result, microchip and the vet check.
- Registry, pet or breeding terms, price and general area.
- What you expect: an indoor home, a vet, and spay or neuter for pets.
You can post a free ad on PetzLover; interested buyers message the poster, so you can ask your questions before you share an address. Keep your phone number out of the ad text. Avoid words such as "wild" or "bobcat": CFA calls the breed 100% domestic, and those words attract the wrong buyers.
How do you vet buyers and hand over a kitten safely?
- Who lives in the home, including children, dogs and other cats? CFA describes the breed as good with children and dogs.
- Have you had cats before, and who is your vet?
- Will the cat live indoors? If you rent, does your lease allow cats?
- Is the kitten a surprise gift?
- What would you do if you could no longer keep it?
Turn down buyers who want breeding rights with no registry or health plans, ask for a part-bobcat cat, or will not meet.
Payment and handover
- Meet at your home or a busy public place in daylight, and let the buyer see the kitten before paying.
- Take cash or an instant payment you can confirm. The FTC warns that a buyer who overpays by check and asks for the difference back is running a fake-check scam.
- If you take a deposit, write down the amount, hold period and refund terms.
- Live cats cannot be mailed through the US Postal Service, so buyers should collect in person.
- Hand over the papers, vet record, signed contract and a small bag of the kitten's usual food.
Use the Report Scam button on suspicious messages. Share our guide to buying an American Bobtail kitten with first-time buyers, reply to American Bobtail wanted ads from people already looking, and see how buyers write a wanted ad to learn what they ask for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I charge for American Bobtail kittens?
Spot Pet's 2026 cost guide puts breeder kittens at about $600 to $1,200. Show quality and breeding rights sit at the top; pet kittens on a spay or neuter contract sit lower. Kittens with a full tail or no tail should be priced as pets.
Can I sell a tailless American Bobtail kitten?
Yes, as a pet, once a vet has checked its spine, walking and continence. CFA says tailless cats may have incontinence and removes them from breeding programs, so sell it on a spay or neuter contract and tell the buyer what to watch for.
At what age can I sell American Bobtail kittens?
Check your state: Massachusetts, for example, bars selling cats under 8 weeks old. International Cat Care notes that pedigree kittens often leave at about 13 weeks, which also gives you time to see how each kitten moves and uses the litter box.
Do I need a license to sell kittens?
Usually the rules that apply are state and local, such as breeder permits or limits on the number of cats. Federally, selling face to face keeps a small cattery outside USDA licensing, but selling sight unseen with more than four breeding females can require a license.
Should I register the litter?
Yes, if the parents are registered. Papers from CFA, TICA or ACFA are what show a kitten is an American Bobtail, and buyers looking for the breed expect them.
Can I ship a kitten to a buyer?
Not by mail: the US Postal Service does not accept live cats. Ask buyers to collect in person, so they see the kitten and you see them.
Helpful guides
Pet for SaleHow to Buy an American Bobtail Kitten in the United StatesBuy an American Bobtail kitten in the US from a breeder who shows CFA, TICA or ACFA papers, the mother and vet records; check the tail, walk and litter habits, ignore bobcat claims and expect about $600 to $1,200.
Pet WantedHow to Respond to an "American Bobtail Wanted" Ad in the United StatesBefore answering an American Bobtail wanted ad in the US, confirm your cat fits the request and is registered, describe its tail and health honestly, check the requester and meet in person; never ship or accept an overpayment.
Pet WantedHow to Post an "American Bobtail Wanted" Ad and Get Replies in the United StatesPost an American Bobtail wanted ad in the US that states pet or show, coat, age, sex, papers, budget and location, then check every reply in person: papers, tail, walk, litter habits and vet records, with no deposits to strangers.