Pixie-Bob

The Pixie-Bob Cat has very unique paws. Their paws come with extra toes. Instead of using their paws as normal cats do, they use them like fingers. These cats love water and also love to swim. They also like to be on a leash and taken for a walk. This cat is averaged sized. It can weigh upwards of 11 lbs (5 kilos).

The Pixie Bob Cat consists of the best quality of its parent breeds. It is a loving and loyal cat who is robust and muscular at the same time. In keeping with the appearance and the personality of this breed its history is rather interesting.

The first thing that I always feel intrigued about cats is the interesting names given to the breeds. The Pixie Bob Cat, too, has an interesting tale behind its name. What I find interesting is that this breed name makes it feel like this cat is straight out of some fairy tale. However it is not named after any imaginary character. The Pixie Bob gets its name from Pixie who was the first cat of its breed to be developed. The rest of the name is of course derived from the Bob Cat.

The Pixie-Bob is originally from the Northwestern regions of the U.S. It closely resembles the Red Bob Cat that is found in these regions. The credit for creating this breed goes to Carol and Brewer from Stoneisland. In the 1985 she purchased a kitten that was polydactyl.

A couple of months later Carol rescued a male cat with a classic pattern on his fur. He had a short tail and was really large in size. He was named Keba. Keba and Maggie, a home female cat produced a litter which had a reddish fawn kitten with muted spots. This unique kitten was taken home by Carol and name Pixie.

Carol had one concern. What would happen to this unique looking breed after Pixie? She believed that each cat introduced into this program was born by natural mating between domestic cats and Bob cats. These cats were named as Legend Cats. She also registered this name as a trade mark in the U.S. in order to include this permuted out crosses in her program.

Simultaneously there were breeders across the US who were working with Barn Cats that had a wild appearance. These breeders collaborated with Carol in order to create a genetic pool that formed the basis of the Pixie Bob Cat as we know it today.

In the year 1993 TICA also accepted the breed. Three years later the breed acquired popularity across the nation. It was in the year 1998 the breed also gained the Championship status.

In the initial years this breed was only recognized as a native breed which meant that it was simply a naturally occurring breed that had undergone some changes due to its geographic location. This breed only had similarities with naturally population cats and was not considered a breed that was unique. It was only under the leadership of Carol that the Pixie Bob was established as a recognized breed.

Characteristics of a bobcat

There are 12 recognized species of the Bobcat cat are found in the area between Southern Canada and Northern Mexico. The most striking quality of the Bobcat is its adaptability. This predator is found in all sorts of geographical locations including forests edges, swarm plants, wooded areas, and urban settings.

The fur of the Bobcat ranges from brown to grey. The face is whiskered. One striking similarity between Bobcat and the Pixie Bob Cat is the tufted ears. They also have stubby tails which is the reason for their name.

The Bobcat is a very solitary creature. They usually are not very tolerant of strangers. This is probably because they have been hunted for sport and also food by human beings. The Pixie Bob Cat on the other hand is very comfortable among human beings and is welcoming of strangers. This characteristic of the Pixie Bob Cat is linked to the several domestic cats that are responsible for production of this breed.

The Pixie Bob Cat is most often traced back to the Wild Bobcat. However the other parent might consist of various breeds of domestic cats. When you go to a breeder to purchase a cat you must make sure that it is genetically linked to the Stoneisland Pixie in some way or the other. It is only when you find this link that you can be sure that it is indeed a Pixie Bob Cat.

There are particular physical traits that are specific to Pixie-Bob Cat. These are the breed standards that have been set for this cat:

Head: This is the most discernable characteristics of the Pixie-Bob Cat. The head must be pear shaped for you to be sure of the actual origin of this breed.

Fur: The Pixie Bob Cat is available in both short haired and long haired varieties. They are usually short haired but the volume of their hair in their body is quite high in comparison to other domestic breeds. The base of the paws usually has black skin that is covered with black fur. The ears are tipped with heavy ear hair. The tips of the ears are usually black in color. The area around the eyes is covered with white fur. Even the chin usually has white fur. Any area that is covered with white fur usually has black skin underneath. This characteristic is very typical of the Pixie Bob Cat. Sometimes the whiskers might change from complete white to complete black and vice-versa.

Color: Most Pixie-Bob Cats are tabby. The pattern on the fur is very similar to that of the Bob Cat. There might be instances when a heavy reddish tone is mixed into the fur color. This however depends entirely on the breeder.

Eyes: The most interesting characteristic of the eyes is that it changes color as the cat grows. In case of a Pixie Bob Kitten the eyes are usually blue in color. As they grow the tone may change to green or gold. The eyes have a very heavy brow over them and are triangular in shape.

Tail: There are three different types that of tails in the Pixie-Bob Cat. The desired standard is a tail that is 2" to 4" in length. However you may even find breeds that are rumpy, which means that they do not have a tail at all. Your Pixie Bob Cat may also have an unusually long tail. This again depends on the call taken by the breeder.

Undoubtedly the Pixie-Bob Cat is one of the most unusual breed that I have come across. They are rugged and playful like Bob Cats and are also equally calm and gentle like any other domestic breed. In families that are unable to agree upon the type of personality that their cat should have, the Pixie Bob Cat is their safest bet.

They do need to be groomed but not often. Their nails need to be trimmed regularly. Consult your vet on the proper way to trim your cat's nails. It is not hard to do, but does need some instruction to avoid cutting into the delicate part of the nail.

These cats are very smart, bold in their nature. Pixie-Bobs are not very vocal. Many will not talk much at all. If you are looking for a quiet cat, then this is the one for you.

Owners of this cat are very surprised when they arrive home to be greeted by their Pixie-Bob. The nature of this cat is very close to a dog. They are very loyal and great with families and children.

These cats do not need constant attention, but do need entertainment. If you are going to be out for the day, ensure your cat has plenty of toys around or another cat as a companion to keep your Pixie-Bob happy.