This large, athletic breed resembles the wild bobcat found in North America, but it bonds well with its human family.
This relatively new breed has a similar appearance to the bobcat, native to the mountains of North America’s Pacific coast. The resemblance is deliberate—the Pixiebob’s characteristics having been developed by breeders catering to a growing fashion in domestic cats that look like their wild cousins.
Lynxlike features include a thick, double tabbyspotted coat that stands out from the body; tufted ears; a heavy brow; and facial hair that grows in “sideburns.” The tail varies in length and may be long and brushlike, although only short-tailed cats are eligible for showing.
A shorthaired variation of the Pixiebob creates much the same wildcat illusion. The founding father of this breed was an exceptionally tall, bobtailed tabby that bred with an ordinary domestic female cat and sired bobtailed kittens with a special look—one of them, christened “Pixie,” passed her name to the breed.
Powerfully built, with a swaggering air, Pixiebobs are active and athletic. However, they are also relaxed and sociable cats that take happily to family life, enjoy playing with older children, and they are usually tolerant of other pets. Pixiebobs like being with people and many enjoy outdoor walks on a leash.
Extra toes
Cats usually have five toes on their front paws and four on the back. In Pixiebobs, the paws often have extra toes—a naturally occurring genetic mutation known as polydactyly. In other cat breeds, the characteristic is regarded as a fault for showing purposes.
However, it is so common in the Pixiebob that the standard for the breed permits cats to have up to seven toes on each paw. Polydactyly is most likely to occur on the front paws.
Origin: US, 1980s
Breed registries: TICA
Weight range: 9–18lb (4–8kg)
Grooming: 2–3 times a week
Colors and patterns: Brown-spotted tabby only.