Pixie-Bob FAQ and History

	ARE PIXIEBOBS REALLY PART BOBCAT?
	DO PIXIEBOBS LOOK LIKE BOBCATS?
	HOW LARGE ARE PIXIEBOBS?
	WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?
	HOW OLD IS THE BREED?
	DOES A MAJOR REGISTERING ASSOCIATION ACCEPT THE PIXIEBOBS?
	WHAT IS THE LIFESPAN OF THE PIXIEBOB?
	WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PET QUALITY, A BREEDER QUALITY CAT?
	WHAT IS THEIR PERSONALITY LIKE?
	ARE PIXIEBOBS EVER WILD LIKE THE BOBCAT?
	HOW ARE PIXIEBOBS WITH CHILDREN?
	I HEAR THAT BOBCATS ARE VERY DESTRUCTIVE WILL A PIXIEBOB DESTROY MY HOUSE?
	ARE PIXIEBOBS NOISY?
	CAN I LET MY PIXIEBOB OUTSIDE?
	WILL A PIXIEBOB GET ALONG WITH OTHER PETS?
	WHAT IF I DECIDE THAT I WANT TO SHOW MY KITTEN?
	IS THE PIXIEBOB LEGAL IN EVERY CITY, STATE, PROVINCE AND COUNTRY?

The Pixie-Bob is a new domestic breed having what is believed to be distant bobcat ancestry

Yes, but varying degrees. Through careful selective breeding, the physical characteristics of the Bobcats are brought to the surface. It is not unusual to see a wild appearance to the face, a light colored spotted and heavily ticked woolly coat, large boning and a short tail. They should remind one of a small bobcat

Male cats range in weight from 12 to 22 pounds. The female's range between 8 to 15 pounds. The males are typically more heavily muscled than the females. Keep in mind that they continue to grow and fill out for the first four years of their life

The first kitten produced from the original breeding was named Pixie. She became the namesake for the breed. It is her face and coat that we are attempting to copy over and over again.

This type of cat is literally centuries old, as legends recorded in old books say that the North American bobcat began breeding with domestic cats that arrived with the first European immigrants. More recently, in 1985, Carol Ann Brewer began working with cats believed to be of this heritage. Soon, several breeders joined in her endeavor to work with what occurred naturally; to capture, for all time, the wild look and to maintain the gentle nature for which they are known.

Yes, in October 1994 they began to be registered by T.I.C.A. (The International Cat Association) as an experimental breed and in September 1995 they were accepted for NBC (New Breed Color) which allowed them to compete against each other in the ring. In August 1997, they were accepted for Championship status, making them full-fledged breeds, which will complete with other breeds in the ring

Under optimum conditions they live just as long as any other breed of cat. Since the breed is officially only 13 years old, it is difficult to say if they will live as long as the bobcat does.

Pet or breeder quality is determined by how closely the kitten fits the Pixie-Bob standard, in type, Coat quality, color and pattern, and most of all, head and facial characteristics. In order to be a Show quality kitten, it must not only fit the standard, but must also be an SBT, or 4~ generation cat.

We believe that the Pixie-Bob's temperament closely resembles the canine species. Being quite dog-like in devotion, intelligence and trainability they are a unique cat, bonding strongly to a single individual and/or family for life.

First of all let's make it clear that from what we know about the bobcat, it has a very shy disposition and is not aggressive whatsoever. It's reputation for being wild stems from its incredible ability to fight animals much larger than itself, for defense purposes only. They are remarkably intelligent, yet, because of this, they are also intuitive and somewhat apprehensive in situations, where they are not completely comfortable. Likewise, the Pixie-Bob is extremely intelligent and intuitive and not completely comfortable when strangers arrive in their home. Their usual habit is to retire to the bedroom furthest away from the excitement, and stay there until the coast is clear. Their natural tendency is to be sweet, affectionate and gentle with their own family. However, in the evenings, they often display that wild'~ exuberance that is so entertaining, A life of Pixie-Bob ownership can never be dull!.

The Pixie-Bob is more gentle and patient with children than anyone else! Incredibly, they seem to be able to distinguish between babies, children and adults and adjust their behavior appropriately. Pixie-Bobs have been known to allow "their" own babies to maul them unmercifully, though their general temperament is to refuse to allow an adult stranger to even touch them. They make cognitive decisions all day long and it is fascinating to see the thought processes right in front of your eyes. So many times we have heard that owners couldn't believe what they were seeing.

No, the Pixie-Bob is a superb house cat and fares well even in the smallest apartment. They are very clean and are easily litter box trained. They prefer to scratch wood rather than furniture, carpet or traditional cat scratchers. We recommend that a new Pixie-Bob owner acquire an interesting piece of wood to place in a corner where the cats can freely access it. Regarding the litter box, keeping it continually clean will prevent any accidents from occurring. As clean as they are naturally, the Pixie-Bobs is a model roommate.

On the contrary, the Pixie-Bob is considered to be a very quiet breed. This is not to say that they do not talk, however. Most Pixie-Bobs has a series of chirps, chattering noises and guttural sounds as well as the very infrequent raspy or hoarse meow. These are all used in play and expressing affection as well as during the "hunt".

It is not wise to leave your friend outside where it is often helpless to protect itself from cars, dogs, coyotes, snakes, birds of prey, disease, poisoning, cat fights, theft and just plain getting lost. However, Pixie-Bobs are easily trained to walk on a harness and leash. They love to ride in the car, too.

It will take a short adjustment period, but once the other pets understand that the Pixie-Bob is happy to be their friend there should be no more problems. They love dogs and own them, just like the rest of the family. Because they are territorial, all cats and dogs will need to obey them, but they are benevolent rulers.

First, check with the person that you bought your kitten from. You may not show your kitten unless you purchased a "show quality cat". Be aware that your could again, spend enormous amounts of money showing a kitten that might not be top show quality or might just be too young. Rarely can a kitten get some attention so if you like the action and confusion of the show hail, then showing just may be for you. It takes the right kind of person to really have fun: not too competitive. yet, enough to take it seriously. If you really like showing, then you might find yourself traveling to shows all over the country, and eventually to other countries, as often as even once a month. So purchasing a show kitten often spells commitment for quite sometime. It's fund and challenging, but you can't take things to heart or it won't be any fun at all.

The Pixie-Bob is technically legal everywhere, since we are registered as domestic breed and blood testing done on the cats to find bobcat DNA was unsuccessful at this stage. Therefore, it has been agreed that the cats must be registered as domestics. However, it is always unwise to speak "lightly" to officials whom you are unfamiliar with, relating that the cats are "part bobcat" or worse, to state that you have a "a hybrid" (which most certainly isn't so). People who want attention have found themselves in the unique position of having more attention than they required, having to defend the ownership of their cat and prove why they should be allowed to keep it in the area in which they live. The same with traveling: do not speak "lightly" of what you believe your cat be -, it only complicates matters if an official does not understand what the breed is all about. When you are getting on a plane is not the time you want to be educating someone. To prevent problems, you have a Pixie -Bob, or if they don't know what that is, a new domestic brown spotted tabby breed that resembles a bobcat, that's all. Another word of advice: for every neighbor that knows you have an expensive cat, you can count your worries that many times. Theft is, to date, the biggest course of loss to an owner in the breed.

PIXIE BOB INFO

There are many questions about the breed that are asked by newcomers. Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about the Pixie-Bobs:

There are some interesting aspects to consider in your quest to see if the Pixie-Bob is for you. We poor souls are breeding and showing these cats because we are addicted to being owned by one (or many more). We joke about the addiction, abut soon enough, new owners discover that it's really not a joke at all. We dearly love these cats and do not wish to see the world live without the Pixie-Bob, so we dedicate ourselves to the promotion of the breed with all that it entails. If you have never met a Pixie-Bob fanatic yet, just take a good look at the person who gave you this information. He or she is happier than they have ever been. Is it for you? Just pick up and hold a Pixie-Bob close. Then look into those eyes.

ORIGINATION OF THE PIXIEBOB?

On the North American Continent, in every geographical area where the bobcat may be found, kittens are born every spring resulting from wild/domestic mating. The first generation of such a breeding often goes unrecognized as the kittens are usually wild in temperament , but oddly, more domestic in appearance. Because there are 11 different races of Bobcat in the U.S. Canada and Mexico, the kittens will vary greatly depending also upon the breed of female. Many breeders have discovered pockets of these cats across the country. which individually, began programs up to 20 years ago, using the first generation as foundation stock.

It was 1985. in Washington State, in the shadows of the Cascade Mountains, near the shores of Puget Sound, when a small coastal red Bobcat was seen breeding a polydactyl Manx. The owners ran to save their cat from possible harm and later reaped a harvest of kittens. Carol Ann Brewer. who was immediately intrigued by the kittens appearance and behavior, purchased a male polydactyl kitten. She knew that she possessed a kitten with the blood of another world. She then began a search for information to help her understand the needs of such an unusual cat. She discovered that there was indeed scientific documentation recording the breeding of a Bobcat with a domestic, thus producing feral kittens. So it was that the breed essentially began through natural hybridization domestic, thus producing the feral kittens. So it was that the breed essentially began through natural hybridization. 'It was like the program was Providentially handed to me on a silver platter ", Carol says, because within the year, she had acquired one more cat of the same heritage, again produced from a witnessed breeding and a large cat of speculative heritage, but whose sheer size and appearance convinced her to use him also, to form the basis of a program!

Pixie was a female kitten born from the union of two of these original cats. She was heavily spotted a fawn coat, and had a fiery wild face, reminiscent of a bobcat. Pixie became the dam line for nearly every female cat in her program.

It became her relentless goal to attempt to reverse the characteristics of the cats: to make them more wild in appearance yet domestic in personality through selective breeding. Today the cats are perfect house pets, being non-destructive and virtually as easy to care for as "dogs in disguise" as they are easily trained and are remarkably courageous. Loving and devoted they prefer to be with their owners at all times, even traveling in the car, on a shoulder or the dashboard. Kittens produced today have a muscular rangy body, thick legs and sport a short tail that may be wagged or curled up and down for effect. But their most distinguishable feature is their face, which evokes the feeling that you are looking into the face of a true tomcat.

It is the goal of Carol Anne Brewer and her co-breeders to see these cats, who have existed on their won for centuries in North America, appreciated for their wild beauty and the extreme pleasure they offer mankind.

Absolutely guaranteed to change your life, they are intelligent beyond belief and forever entertaining. Another cat could never fill their place: because once owned, nothing will ever do.

The Pixie-Bob bloodlines are uniquely called by their nickname, "The Outlaws of the Pacific Northwest".

The Bobcat, one of North America's smallest native cats got its descriptive name from its unusually short and articulating tail. Looking a bit like an extra large house cat, bobcats weigh an average of 20-25 pounds, stand 15 inches tall and average 25 inches long. Supporting these strong bodies are long, thick legs with furry feet. Depending on the climate and terrain they vary in color and coat type. Some being grey or brown tones while others are red or reflus, all having a cream undercarriage running from their chin to the tip of the tail which is always black on top. They have tips on their ears though smaller than those of the Lynx. Spots and stripes add to the majestic appearance of the strong and un-intimidated animal. Bobcats are found on the outskirts of villages and farms. Being shy and cautious they take cover in shacks and barns so they are very rarely seen.

THESE BEAUTIFUL CATS ARE TRULY A PICTURE OF MAGNIFICENCE.