A bobcat's tail usually has four caudal vertebrae (tail bones) though some have more. While domestic cats can sometimes have bobbed tails, bobcats never have full-length tails. (There are a couple of photos of bobcats with long tails, but these are likely hoaxes or extinct genetic defects.)

Why do bobcats not have a tail?

Since bobcats primarily hunt on the ground and in fields for rodents and hares, they have not evolved with a long tail. In addition, it's an adaption that helps in catching prey in open fields - a twitching long tail may alert the prey, in addition to larger carnivores of the bobcat's presence.

What looks like a bobcat but has a tail?

Ocelots. ... Larger than a house cat but smaller than a bobcat, ocelots have a long, ringed tail that is about the length of their body -- but they're most recognized by their distinct spots and rounded ears.