How to get it? With nutrition that thinks ahead.
According to the breed standard, the Pixiebob is a purely domestic breed that resembles the bobcat in looks but has a loving, tractable nature. The medium to large, well-muscled body is heavily boned, substantial and has great depth, with a broad, well-developed chest. The prominent shoulder blades produce a rolling gait. The back has a dip behind the shoulders and a slight upward slope toward the hips. The hips are medium width, prominent and slightly higher than the shoulders. The flanks are deep and powerful, and both males and females have a belly pouch.
The legs are long, with heavy boning and musculature. The feet must appear sound and are large, long and wide, almost round, with big knuckles and fleshy toes. Polydactyly is allowed, with seven toes maximum per paw. The legs and wrists must be straight when viewed from the front. All toes except the dewclaws must point forward and rest on the floor. Adult males weigh from 12 to 18 pounds; adult females weigh from 8 to 15 pounds. There are no allowable outcrosses.
The ideal tail should be articulated, but Kinks and curls are accepted. Minimum length is two inches, while the maximum is the length of the hock when the hind leg is fully extended. The tail is carried low when relaxed. The tails are not consistent, however; they range from extremely short to ordinary length. Pixiebobs with docked tails cannot be shown for championship.
The unique medium to large head is an inverted wide pear shape. The muzzle is broad, with a definite break and fleshy whisker pads. The area of the nose, muzzle and chin is described as a soft-sided diamond from the chin to the bridge of the nose and is considered important to the Pixiebob look. The nose is wide, slightly convex, with large nose leather nose leather. The medium-tall ears are wide and deep at the base and are set on the side as much as on top of the head, with a slight outward tilt. They are rounded at the tips, with lynx tips lynx tips preferred. The deep-set medium-sized eyes should be one eye-width apart and heavily hooded with bushy brows, which give the appearance that the cat is half asleep or has partially closed eyes. A band of cream or white surrounds the eye, with mascara lines mascara lines from the corner of the eyes downward to the cheeks. Eye colors are gold to brown; gooseberry green is acceptable but not preferred.
The Pixiebob comes in both longhair and shorthair varieties. The coat of the shorthair is soft, wooly, resilient to the touch and stands up off the body. The belly hair is dense and longer than the rest of the coat. The coat of the longhair is less than two inches long. It is semi-dense with belly hair longer than the rest of the coat. It is soft and lies closer to the body than the shorthair’s coat. For both long and short hair types, the facial hair is full and brushy in appearance with a downward growth pattern and heavy fur above the eyes. Both coat types are weather-resistant. Light to medium shades of brown spotted tabby with warm, reddish tones are preferred; muted broken mackerel spotting is accepted. Small spots with or without rosettes are muted by the heavy ticking. The broken mackerel tabby pattern is allowed, but random spotting is preferred. The belly must be spotted. Coat, color, and pattern are secondary to correct type.
Many conflicting stories exist about the origin of this breed. The most commonly told tale is that the Pixiebob traces its roots to American bobcat and random-bred domestic cat hybrids, frequently called Legend Cats™ because the bobcat-domestic cat matings apparently were not documented or proven. No hard scientific evidence exists that the Pixiebob has wildcat blood. While domestic cats have been known to mate with small, closely related felids (the Bengal was created that way), a new hybrid developing on its own in the wild is less likely because first and second generation males from such matings are almost always sterile. Felids also generally stick to their own species unless they are closely related or have limited mating opportunities. The Bengal, for example, was created when a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat were put in the same cage. Other fanciers believe it’s more likely the breed is a domestic with a tail mutation that causes it to be bobbed, although that doesn’t explain the large size of the original foundation cats.
Whatever the truth is, fancier Carol Ann Brewer is credited with the creation of the Pixiebob breed. In 1985, Brewer acquired a short-tailed spotted polydactyl male kitten from a couple who lived in the foothills of the Cascades in Washington State. According to the owners, the kitten was the product of a bobcat/domestic cat mating. Early the next year Brewer rescued a very large short-tailed stray cat with a feral appearance, who she named Keba. Keba was so large his back was level with Brewer’s knees. Brewer was fascinated by the distinctive look of these cats and the legend behind them. Keba mated with a neighbor's domestic cat, who had a litter in the spring of 1986. Brewer adopted one of the kittens, a bobtailed spotted female that she named Pixie. Pixie became the foundation female of the breed. Brewer was so taken with Pixie she named her new breed after her. She wrote a breed standard and developed a breeding program for these distinctive cats, and began recruiting new breeders to her cause. In 1993, she applied to TICA for recognition of the breed.
When Pixiebob fanciers began seeking association acceptance for the breed, they realized how difficult it would be to register a wildcat hybrid (CFA doesn’t accept any breeds with wildcat blood, not even the popular Bengal). In 1994 the Pixiebob was accepted for exhibition status by TICA as a purely domestic breed; DNA testing for wild bobcat markers revealed that the cats tested possessed none. (On the other hand, some genetic researchers report DNA analysis is not an effective way to evaluate wild blood hybrid combinations.) The stated goal of the Pixiebob breeding program, according to the TICA breed standard, is to create a domestic cat with a visual similarity to the North American Bobcat. TICA granted NBC status in 1996, and championship in 1998. In 2006, CCA accepted the Pixiebob into its show halls. However, some associations were not convinced; in 2005, CFA rejected the Pixiebob’s application for registration “due to evidence of wild blood”; the breed has not gained recognition with that association and possibly never will. The breed has done well in other associations, however; to date it has been accepted for championship in five of the eight North American cat associations: ACA, ACFA, CCA, TICA, and UFO.
According to breeders, Pixiebobs have no known breed-related inherited diseases or health problems, and breeders are working to keep it that way. Breeding Pixiebobs with recognized breeds is forbidden for that reason, since some breeds have a higher incidence of certain inheritable diseases. Particularly, breeding Bobs with Manx is prohibited, since the Manx gene is known to be associated with serious health problems. Nevertheless, buy from a breeder who will guarantee the cat’s health in writing.
Breeders note that Pixiebobs should not receive feline leukemia or FIP vaccines, since some breeders say these vaccinations have been found to be fatal to some Bobs. Be sure to talk to your cat’s breeder about vaccinations and what kinds are generally safe to have administered.
The Pixiebob is the only breed that allows polydactyly—cats with more than the usual five toes on the front paws and four on the back. The Pixiebob is allowed up to seven toes per paw. Polydactyly usually occurs only on the front paws in cats, but on occasion the back paws can also have some extras. For all other breeds, polydactyly is a disqualifying fault.
The Pixiebob's wild look does not reflect the breed’s personality, which is loving, trustworthy and tractable. While Pixiebobs vary in temperament depending upon their bloodlines and outcrosses, most are intelligent, social, people-oriented and active. Some are laidback and sweet with devoted, faithful personalities.
In general, fanciers say Pixiebobs become attached to the entire family and get along well with everyone. They usually don’t bond with only one special person. Some Pixiebobs are sociable with people outside the family as well, while others love their families but hide under the bed when strangers come to call. Most Pixiebobs like to be close to their human families, and follow their owners around the house. They enjoy children who play gently and usually get along well and enjoy playing with other cat-friendly companion animals, as long as the proper introductions are made.
Breeders say the tail is unlike the Manx tail types—Pixiebobs are not born completely tailless like the Manx, although rarely a tail will be so short that the cat appears tailless. Some breeders dock the tails of long-tailed Pixiebobs to make the cats easier to sell, since few prospective owners want ordinary tails on a breed characterized by its bobbed tail. Pixiebobs can have tails of varying lengths, and some have ordinary long tails.
Most are quiet, but some talk with their people in quiet chirps. Fanciers say Pixiebobs are highly intelligent and quickly learn the meaning of useful words and phrases, such as, "Would you like a kitty treat?" and "Get out the carrier for Bobbie’s vet appointment." Now that the breed is closed to random-bred domestic outcrosses, the personality and temperament will likely settle down to a consistent type.
Size:Medium to large.
Coat Length(s):Short hair and medium hair.
Body Type: Semi-cobby.
Grooming Requirement:Little grooming needed (shorthair)/ once a week (longhair).
Usually Good With:Adults, seniors, and children (6+).
Time Alone:4 to 8 hours per day.
Attention:Needs average attention.