The Pixie - bob is a muscular , highly intelligent cat with a sweet-smelling and loyal personality that take a leak him a outstanding family ducky . take more about living with Pixie - bob cats and kittens .
Alarge , muscular cat , the Pixie - bob is rumored to originate from a tryst between a domesticated shorthair and a bobcat . The breeddoesresemble their wild cousin , butDNA testingshows they are a altogether domestic cat with a sweet , affable personality and a dog - similar dedication to their family units .
Pixie - shilling enjoylearning tricksand playing plot like fetch . They ’re always down to exhaust a repast or two , anytime you are . alike to cover like theBombay , toyger , orocicat , Pixie - bobs can finger like fantastic cats in some ways , but without any of the danger to their owners .
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Appearance
The Pixie - bob does indeed resemble his alleged wild namesakes . Most Pixie - bobshave inglorious furand skin on the bottom of their paws , as well as black-market pelt on their chins , lips , and around their eyes . The chin and eyes are usually transcend by white fur . Their drumhead are pear tree - form , with average - sized , tipped ear covered in backbreaking ear haircloth .
These cats ' coats can be myopic or recollective , but they are always double - coat with thick , muzzy pilus that can find coarse to the touch . The coat are tabby in a pattern that resembles the North American bobcat but can come in a variety of coloring , with grayish brown , orange , or light grizzly being the most common .
Pixie - bobs ' tails can be non - existent , though a tail between 2–4 inches is call for for show cats . on occasion , Pixie - shilling will present with regular tails , which are not considered a faulting for show . Many Pixie - bobs are also polydactylous , normally with five toes per front foot and four in the back , though six- and seven - toed varieties subsist .
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Males and females can both grow up to 12–13 inches tall , though big males have now and then been fancy . Pixie - bobs are very thickheaded - set and mesomorphic cats , and while 14 pound is the usual top size for a male , there are show males as heavy as 25 pound .
Temperament
Exhibiting utterly none of the trait from their wild namesakes , Pixie - bobs are mellisonant - tempered , gentle - going animals . They seldom vocalize in traditional meows , prefer or else foroccasional churrupsorheadbuttsto get their point across .
" They are intelligent [ and ] they will need to play and be your buddy , " articulate Janda Keenan , Pixie - bob stock breeder and owner ofEmerald Exotic Cats . " No hiding under the couch for this breed ! Be ready for a familiar you could take everywhere with you . They are often called ' adventure cat ' and can be found twit motorcycles , on car ride , [ and]going for hikes . "
Though a Pixie - bob will always be down for an adventure with his favourite human being , this active cat does n’t have the go - go - go position establish in some other breeds .
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" Despite being smashing adventure cats and intelligent , they are not a ' high - energy ' breed likeBengalorSavannah cats , " Kennan say . " They have it off to cool on your lap covering andtake heap of cat naps . They are a good blend of fun and shivering . "
The breed is friendly to other cat , and dogs will beaccepted with patient introductions . hob - bobs are know to be very hardy change of location fellow traveler and have also garnered a repute asgood represent companions for children , according toThe International Cat Association ( TICA ) .
Living Needs
Since Pixie - bobs are declamatory , heavy kat , verify they have enough room toexercise and solve off some energy . These CT are active , though not hyper , so there will be some spirited play sessions in your future .
" Pixie - bobs are like dogs , " Keenan says . " They will follow youeverywhere , can be harness prepare , love adventures , love stranger , [ and]you could even train them . "
Make certain you have plenty ofinteractive toysfor your Pixie - bob to play with , as well ascat treesandhigh - up hammocksfor him to mount and footle around in . hob - bobs are also quite the out-of-door explorer and will love exploringon a ternary or harness .
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Care
Like many double - coated stock , prospicient - haired Pixie - bobs require a respectable amount of training . Their befuddled coats hang on to anything they capture , and thesecats are fairly even shedders . To keep ahead of the loose hair’s-breadth and tangles , sweep your Pixie - bobatleastthree clip a hebdomad . But if your Pixie - bob has a shorter coating , Keenan says , his coat does n’t need much maintenance .
Also , Pixie - bobshave a propensity to win weightif you are n’t vigilant with their feeding schedules . For these cats , regulated feed timesare a better call than loose alimentation .
" If you ’re going to free - selection provender , my good word is to only leave out their recommended day-after-day caloric amount , " says Carol Margolis , DVM , DACT , of theGold Coast Center for Veterinary Careon Long Island , NY .
Like with all big cat , Pixie - bobsneed their nails trim , theirears cleaned , and theirlitter box keep tidy .
Health
Because of the large identification number of cats the Pixie - bob has been outcrossed with , they ’re a remarkably healthy breed . Their intermediate life anticipation is 15 geezerhood , and while they have no breed - specific illness that should get you to mislay any sleep , keep an oculus out for the usual khat concerns likeheart diseaseandkidney number .
" Chronic nephritic disease are just across the table with Caterpillar , " says Michelle Beck , DVM , CCRT , CVA , of theBacklund Animal Clinicin Omaha , Neb. " Some of them can exist quite a long clock time with them . It ’s just a matter of right caution and monitoring .
" Also , by the historic period of 10,70 percentage of [ cats ] have arthritissomewhere in their body , " she continues . " hombre are very good at hide their pain . "
That tendency to hide pain is in their genes , Margolis add up . " Unlike dogs , who are alone predators in the food chain , cat-o'-nine-tails are not just predator , they ’re also prey , " she enunciate . " So if cats in the furious show any kind of pain or soreness , they ’ll be the first to be hunted . "
For this cause , both medico recommendregular checkups for cats , even if there appear to be no symptom or issues of concern .
History
In 1985 , Mount Baker , Wash. , house physician Carol Ann Brewer deliver a virile stray she make Keba , according to TICA . Keba was a big ol' boy , come up to Brewer ’s knees . Shortly after Brewer convey him house , Keba bred with a neighbor ’s domesticated shorthair . From the resulting litter of kittens , Brewer keep a bobcat - spotted bob - tailed female person , whom she named Pixie . Pixie would become the groundwork cat ( and namesake ) of the whole Pixie - bob breed .
For a number of years , it was accept that the Pixie - bob stock came from bobcat blood . But deoxyribonucleic acid research has subsequently confirmed the Pixie - bob is a wholly domesticated stock , not only trenchant from the bobcat , but also distinct from other bob - trail breeds like theManx , American bobtail , andJapanese bobtail .
The Pixie - bob breed was granted provisionary status by The International Cat Association in 1993 and granted champion position in 1998 .
