Pixie-Bob Cat Breed Profile

With loyalty to rival man’s best friend, the Pixie-Bob cat is a great companion for any family home. Underneath their wild appearance, these cats are affectionate and sociable pets who form strong bonds with their families.

Image: jan zeschky via Flickr

Appearance

The Pixie-Bob cat is defined by its muscular body, heavy bone structure, and double coat which can range from a longer medium length silky coat to a woolly short coat. Long hair examples of the breed often develop adorable mutton chops on each of their cheeks. The breed also features a naturally bobbed tail which can range in size from 5 to 15 cms (2 – 6 inches).

Straight foot Pixie-Bobs have the normal number of toes for a cat; five in the front and four in the back. Polydactyl variations of the breed have more than this. In fact, Pixie-Bobs are so predominantly polydactyl that these are the only breeds who will be accepted for show. Another common trait for Pixie-Bobs is to have a little tuft of fur at the tip of each ear.

Pixie-Bob colours display in a range of patterns from broken bars, spots, and rosettes. Colours are variable from russet with silver to black ticking, and shades of brown. The preferred eye colour is gold to brown with wild gooseberry often found to be acceptable.

History

The Pixie-Bob breed was essentially started by naturally occurring mating between a wild bobcat and a short-tailed polydactyl domesticated barn cat.

In the mid 1980s, breeder Carol Ann Brewer acquired a male polydactyl kitten from a litter born under  these circumstances. Later that year, she acquired another cat with suspected wild bobcat heritage based on its size, appearance and tail length and these cats formed the basis of a new breeding program.

The first union of these two original cats produced Pixie, who had muted spotting on a reddish fawn coat and a wild face. Pixie then went on to become the first dam line for the breed, and also the namesake.

Personality

Pixie-Bobs are intelligent cats with many dog like traits – especially when it comes to devotion to their family. They’ll also happily walk on leash, play fetch and even greet you at the front door each night when you return home.

They are extremely sociable, enjoy being involved in family life and are excellent companions around the home. They enjoy the company of children, and are ideal to introduce to pets that already have a resident cat or dog as they get on well with everyone.

Did You Know?

The Pixie-Bob is unique with heritage that links back to the bobcat. Wherever the bobcat can be found on the North American continent litters are born under suspicious circumstances – most probably due to a pairing between wild bobcats and domestic pets or barn cats.

Almost 50% of Pixie-Bob cats are polydactyl, which means they have up to 7 toes on each foot.

Caring for Your Pixie-Bob Cat

Overall, the Pixie-Box breed is a large, healthy cat with few known health issues.

Long haired varieties will benefit from regular grooming with shorter haired varieties only requiring the occasional brushing to remove loose hairs.

As with all polydactyl breeds, you will need to monitor their paw health and trim claws every few weeks to avoid overgrown nails.

If you have a Pixie-Bob cat in your life, please share your experiences below.