Determining the year of my Bianchi Bobcat

[snowbear]

Hello, I'm new, please don't eat me!
I'm Sarah, and I have a Bianchi Bobcat I got for my 11th birthday, many years ago. (Okay, only 6, but it feels like a long time.) The household rule is that once we are old enough to take care of a bike, and are the proper size, we get one quality, grown-up bike, that will take us from puberty to adulthood. So, for six years, I've been riding my Bobcat.
</biography>

I've been trying to figure out when the bike was made, and what kind of bike it is. It's a 16" frame, and has no shocks. (Oh, the pain of a bumpy road.) I've given it a Serfas Women's RX Saddle, which helps.
Anyway, here are pictures, linked so as not to kill the dialup users. Sorry for the quality, they're from my cell phone.
The full shot
Closeup of the logo


Any ideas? It's over 6 years old, and has mountain bike tires, but other than that, I have no idea about anything else.
Thanks!

[Dianyla]

I'd be willing to bet that it was manufactured either the year your parents bought it or the year previous. Most bike shops don't carry stuff older than the last year of production. If it really means a lot to you, you could look for the serial number (underside of the bike is a common place) and call Bianchi, I'm sure they could look it up.

In any case, the year of the frame isn't really all that important. From a mechanical perspective, the make/model of the components (Shimano, or perchance SRAM?) is more important.

[Pedal Wench]

Call BianchiUSA and ask for Juan. He knows everything!