American Bobcat
American Bobcat Hybrids are known to have occurred. The American Bobcat (F Rufus) is similar to the domestic cat. There is quite a small step from this small wild cat to the domestic cat, which is reinforced by the fact that (s)he has been known to mate with domestic cats (without people's intervention that is).
Some examples of recorded matings between the Bobcat and domestic cats producing American Bobcat Hybrids:
1949 - Sandy Creek, Texas - Offspring observed
1954 - South Dakota, mating between a Bobcat and black female domestic cat. Allegedly, 7 kittens born but only 3 can be attributed to the mating it seems. The kittens had tufted ears, bob tails and large wild cat feet.
1961 - 5 kittens, 2 were like domestic cats and three like Bobcats (tufted ears, white bellies and spots). When adult they were like dark American Bobcats.
1980s - Claimed by some that the original domestic American Bobtail was a cross between the American Bobcat and a domestic cat. No genetic evidence. Apparently Siamese females were the preferred mate for the Bobcat. This must have been the Traditional Siamese.
1980s? - Other alleged Bobcat hybrids are the Pixie-Bob and the American Lynx. There is no genetic evidence to support the argument that the Pixie-Bob is a wild/domestic hybridization. I think the same is true of the American Lynx.
The fact is that, understandably, cat breeders will create an interest in the cat they are breeding, which is more easily achieved if it can be claimed that the cat is a wild cat/domestic cat hybrid. This seems to have been the case with the American Lynx and Desert Lynx but no genetic markers have been found.
There are other cats where the origin of the breed has been associated with a "discovery" in wild and exotic places. The evidence to support these discoveries is thin. Examples that comes to mind are the Sokoke and the Abyssinian.
Photograph copyright ucumari
Source: Messybeast
From American Bobcat Hybrids to Pixie-Bob
I live next to red river of the north in Minnesota. In our woods their are bobcats I have seen them both from a tree stand and getting off night shift. I also have a large female snow point siamese cat. she delivered 4 kittens 3black one very much bobcat looking cat! No tail!
ReplyDeleteLoved your comment. Made me smile. We have another hybrid for the record books!
ReplyDeleteI'm buying a Male cat that is from a F1 bengal and a bobcat this Saturday....
ReplyDeleteI had a cat years ago (1970) in New Mexico who was the product of a domestic cat (female) and a bobcat. The litter was only two..both really large. The first one was killed in the birthing process because the mother kind of freaked out. We held her still for the second delivery and the little male was fine. He was beautiful..creamy tan colored with the marbling of a bobcat and little tufts on his ears. He had a regular tail, though. He was a big and very mellow cat who ended up, after a few years, going back to his wild side and rejoining the ranks of his dad.
ReplyDeleteI am currently observing what I suspect to be 2 hybrid adolescents in my kitchen as I type this. Both display some traits of both domestics and bobcats. One is a sandy, slightly mottled color with more prominent "bearding", a 3-4" tail with a black tip, and I estimate to be around 15-18 lbs. The other one I have just seen tonight, and has a much bolder, darker tabby/spot/stripe pattern, with an approximately 8" tail that ends in a round black tip, and weighs about 20 lbs. by my estimate. Both are a bit more stout bodied than your average housecat, and a bit taller. Neither has "meowed" that I've heard, though both have deep growls and snarls (a mother skunk and her baby visit often). I find the stark difference in fur patterns and tail length to be fascinating, and now that I find others' similar accounts on several blogs, it would appear that this is kind of variety is common. I plan on putting a video up on youtube at some point soon, my channel is benskin79 if any of you want to see a horrible narrator and a messy back porch. Thanks for your stories, and cheers to all!
ReplyDeleteHi, I am now owned by a Texas Bobcat/domestic hybrid. He is huge and a headbutting fool. He has the rosettes on his shoulders, tummy spots on a cream background and white spots on ears, brick nose and "eyeliner" and was a rescue. His fur changes seasonally, unlike domestics and his size is much larger and more muscular than domestics. He has a lot of wild instinct as far as hunting goes (he pounces on anything that moves) but we keep him indoors for his safety. He is only the second vet confirmed hybrid I have seen. The first boy almost killed his domestic mother being born.She had to be sterilized after the birth due to physical damage. He lives with relatives and is 10 years old and in good health. Both are sterile males and were single surviving kittens (other litter-mates did not survive). Both were unintentionally bred when either a domestic cat "took a walk on the wild side" or a feral female (in the case of our fuzzy buddy)who bred with a local bobcat. The mother of our boy was killed when he was a kit and we mothered him so he is very socialized. He is now about 6 years old and in good health. His paw size and his being fully clawed makes his kneading us a bit painful but I'd rather not declaw. I would never condone purposely breeding bobcat hybrids but they certainly seem to be gentle giants (at least these two are). We have had offers from Pixie-bob breeders trying to legitimize their litters but even if both had need fertile I would have declined. Both were born in rural Texas with a large population of bobcats in the area. had someone tell me that hybrids could never exist. Then they see our boy...lol.
ReplyDeleteOk, how did the World receive a 'Mule"? A Donkey was crossed, with a Horse, how did we receive a 'Zeedonk'? Simple, a Zebra, was crossed, with a Donkey, the same process goes for a Shetland Horse/Zebra, it's easy to understand, not hard. Anyone ever heard of a Red Wolf? Ummmm, yea, that's a Wolf, crossed with a Coyote. Why is it that their are ((((extremely)))) hard headed people, that can see African Wild Cats, crossed, with House Cats and that's ok? Why are their people, that cross South American Wild Cats, with Domesticated Cats, and that's ok too? But whenever you mention Bobcats and large Domesticated Cats, like a Coon Cat, wellllllll, naaaaaa, that would never happen, lol. You White people make me laugh, the Native Americans, have been watching this happen for long before Whites ever arrived, lol!
ReplyDeleteIndians have stump broken horses for centuries. Yet there are no known offspring.
ReplyDeleteBobcat hybrids are genetically impossible.
Thanks for commenting. However, I believe that bobcat hybrids are genetically possible, at least based upon my research.
DeleteBobcat hybridized in 2000 with a female named Sophie Bobcat x Max (Bengal and Ocicat x) and DNA markers were proven through UC Davis. This is a hybridized cross... and you can see offspring of those initial matings at f1bobcat.com as well as ask them for DNA markers...they do exist. They prove parentage of the 2 female kittens, Cholla and Katie, who the two cats initially parented. DNA testing for Bobcat genes is not available. But Parentage DNA testing IS and IS proven to this mating. Film of the mating and birthing are also available. Anybody stating that bobcats cannot hybridize are not telling the truth. They have hybridized in the wild with Canada Lynx. Rufus Lynxus and Canadian Lynx .... and proven to hybridize with Chaussie or Jungle Cats. Now - we are finally letting people know about Max and Sophie's proven breeding. Please take a look...it's real. Katie, mother of many babies, is visible in video roaring with her long tail on the page!
ReplyDeleteRecently I took my cat to the veterinarian and a man who was there with his dog looked in my pet carrier and said "Oh my god, is that a bobcat?" I never really gave it much thought, but my cat is 17.5 lbs., which is fairly large for a female. I just laughed and said "no, she's not a bobcat". I laugh everytime I think about the man's comment, and call my cat "my little bobcat". I rescued her 10 years ago, so I have no idea where she came from, as someone dumped her in my neighborhood. I truly think she's a domestic shorthair tabby cat.
ReplyDeleteNice story. The question I have is: does your cat have a short tail? It would be rare for a standard but large domestic tabby cat to have a short tail.
Delete