Pixie-Bob

The Pixie-Bob, is a breed of cat. According to legend, it is a hybrid offspring of a domestic cat and a bobcat, but DNA testing has failed to show that Pixie-Bobs are directly related to bobcats. Directly related would indicate identical Y-Chromosomes or limited Marker match testing. Therefore, Pixie-Bob are legally designated as domestic cats, even if they might have Bobcat heritage. The Pixie-Bob has a large body with big feet, and usually a short, bobbed tail and a gentle personality. Most Pixie-Bobs are short-haired. There is also a less common long-hair Pixie-Bob. Often the long- haired Pixie-Bob has a face that look more like a Bobcat's, but the long hair can also obscure the cat's spots. A Pixie-Bob's markings should resemble those of a bobcat, with spots, stripes and swirls. This breed is currently the only one accepted by any major club to allow polydactyls, cats having more than the usual number on toes on each foot (five for the front paws, four for the back). Adult males weigh 16–22 lbs (7–10 kg), and females weigh 8–12 lb (3.5–5.5 kg).


Breed Description


Physical characteristics

Pixie-Bobs are approximately 50% larger than most domestic cats (which weigh 5.5–16 lb or 2.5–7 kg). Most Pixie-Bobs have black fur and skin on the bottom of their paws, tipped ears, heavy ear hair, black lips, and white fur around the eyes but with black eye skin. Their chins have white fur, but often have black skin under the white fur. Some of their whiskers change from Black (root - about 25%) to White (to the tip - about 75% of the whisker).Tiger-like fur pattern, but often have reddish tones mixed in. Stomach is often reddish-gold in color with some ticking (broken stripes). Most are short-haired, but some are long-haired. Eyes are almond shaped and tilted. Eyes are blue when kittens, then change to green, and finally to gold when several months old (some don't change completely to Gold, but have a Gold with a green tint). Tails can be non-existent (rumpy), or 2-4 inches (desired - TICA required), or long tails (Pixie was a long tail). The head is usually-pear shaped. The head and tail are considered the important characteristics. They grow for 3 years instead of 1 year like most domestic cats.

More information on the published Pixie-Bobs characteristics can be found at the TICA website.

Temperament

Pixie-bobs are highly intelligent, social, active (but not hyper-active), bold, courageous, and enjoy playing with other animals.

They are also known for their "chirps", chatters, and growls; most don't meow often, and some don't meow at all. Chirping is essentially their "language", and some of their chirping actually sounds like purring.

Some Pixie-Bobs can be highly sociable around their owners and strangers, while others are highly social around their owners, but shy around strangers. Almost all Pixie-Bobs like to be in the same room as their owners, and will follow their owners around the house.

Other personality characteristics include the following:

* Head bunting
* Ball fetching and playing
* Leash walking (for the most part)
* Highly intelligent (To use a dog analogy, their intelligence would be similar to a Golden Retriever's)
* Capable of understanding some human words and phrases

Breed history

Carol Ann Brewer, of Bellingham, Washington, is credited with the creation of the Pixie-Bob breed in the mid 1980s. She took two different "Legend catsTM", believed to be the result of natural breeding between bobcats and domestic cats, and bred them to create the first Pixie-Bob domestic cat. This first cat was named Pixie, hence the name Pixie-Bob. DNA testing shows that Pixie-Bob cats are domestic, and not wild or an exotic hybrid, as the early advertisements had alleged, but many are still unsure if this is entirely true. Pixie-Bob cats share many of the physical and personality characteristics of bobcats, except they are approximately half the size, and do not have some of the wild characteristics. Pixie-Bobs are a paradox. They look and act very much like Bobcats, but are legally defined as domestic cats. For a cat to be considered a Certified TICA Pixie-Bob cats, they cannot be bred with bobcats, and one of their parents must be traced back to Pixie the cat.

Other information


Pixie-Bobs are legal in all 50 states without a license, and are legally considered domestic cats, despite the fact that they appear to have a bobcat heritage.









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