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| Photo by WindRanch (Flickr) |
How do you spell Pixie-bob? You know, we just don't know for sure. The best source must be the "OFFICIAL PIXIEBOB WEBSITE". That is how they spell it: all joined up so it would be Pixiebob in lower case. But the heading banner to the same website uses the spelling: PIXIE-BOB with a hyphen.
Then if we check the books on cat breeds - a good idea I think to get out of the incestuous and copycat nature of the internet - we can't find any reference to the Pixie-bob....correction, Legacy of the Cat (a fine book by the way) spells it "Pixiebob". That clashes with Wikipedia...
The almighty Wikipedia spell it as I have in the title to this article. That is why I spelled it that way. But why the hyphen? The British Shorthair cat is not spelled British Short-hair is it?
And then do we use lower case after the hyphen: Pixie-bob or upper case: Pixie-Bob? God knows. No I guess he doesn't.
Now I have that little dilemma out of the way temporarily I'll discuss the origins of this interesting cat breed that did not, is appears, progress as far as it might. I feel that it is decidedly on the fringes, which is supported by the fact that it is not listed some mainstream books on cat breeds such as the Encyclopedia Of The Cat
. Another cat with a wild appearance that failed to progress is the California Spangled. There was a rush of wildcat looking cats at one time. That has faded and legislation at state level in the USA is further limiting progress it would appear.
Which leads me nicely to the next interesting topic - the "wildcat connection" as I shall call it. Is this cat a wildcat hybrid, a cross between a bobcat and domestic cat? No is the answer based on DNA testing - pretty conclusive I would have thought. However this cat breed was founded by Carol Ann Brewer at a time in the American cat fancy (mid 1980s) when wildcat hybrids where all the rage. They were the cat to found, develop and get accepted (by TICA as the CFA don't recognise wildcat hybrids). For example the Bengal cat was founded in the mid 1970s and the Savannah cat in 1986. The all domestic, but wild cat looking, California Spangled was launched in 1986 by Paul Cassey.
There is no doubt in my mind that the idea was to create a wildcat hybrid type cat that would be desirable. Apparently Carol Ann Brewer claimed that the foundation cat was a wildcat hybrid.
This cat does have the appearance of a wildcat hybrid - obviously the objective of the breeding programme. The bobbed tail (short tail) was an added point of interest to match the American Bobcat's short tail. This was apparently introduced by cross breeding with a Manx, the famously tailless cat.
Here are some pictures....
Pixie bob pictures
The cat immediately above looks like he is polydactyl. Look at his huge paws (and fantastic face - what an expression!).
Pixie-bob kittens
I expect that you are looking for breeders if you are searching for Pixie-bob kittens. Please read the sections below. Apparently some breeders show pictures of bobcats in cages to give the impression that this cat is a hybrid. Beware, Carol Ann Brewer, says.
Pixie-bob rescue
This is a purebred cat and quite a rare cat, so you'll need to go to specialist rescue groups/organizations to find a rescue cat. Well, that is my opinion. Wrong? Please leave a comment. I have a page on purebred cat rescue.
I like the Yahoo Groups as a resource where people who want to learn and adopt can network with other like minded people including breeders and Pixie-bob keepers. Fortunately there are a few nice Yahoo Groups concerned with this cat breed:
The first group was active in the early 2000s but less so now. Is this indicative of a lessening of interest in this cat? Click on the following link to read and join: PIXIE-BOB
The next is all about rescue cats. Click Pixiebob_Rescue. See a list of Yahoo groups associated with this cat.
Pixie-bob kittens for sale
This section is about breeders. A simple Google search will suffice. Pick the long established breeders and it is highly recommended that you visit the breeder. Location is therefore important.
The major cat associations help in a breeder search as do the cat clubs. These don't always show up in a search.
TICA list six breeders, four in the USA and one in Norway. This must be a good starting point.
This page lists four breeders in the USA. (Note: links to third parties sometimes break because the page has disappeared).
If you want to know what a Pixie-bob is meant to look like as a winning show cat, TICA's breed standard will tell you.
From Pixie-Bob to Home Page
Then if we check the books on cat breeds - a good idea I think to get out of the incestuous and copycat nature of the internet - we can't find any reference to the Pixie-bob....correction, Legacy of the Cat (a fine book by the way) spells it "Pixiebob". That clashes with Wikipedia...
The almighty Wikipedia spell it as I have in the title to this article. That is why I spelled it that way. But why the hyphen? The British Shorthair cat is not spelled British Short-hair is it?
And then do we use lower case after the hyphen: Pixie-bob or upper case: Pixie-Bob? God knows. No I guess he doesn't.
Now I have that little dilemma out of the way temporarily I'll discuss the origins of this interesting cat breed that did not, is appears, progress as far as it might. I feel that it is decidedly on the fringes, which is supported by the fact that it is not listed some mainstream books on cat breeds such as the Encyclopedia Of The Cat
. Another cat with a wild appearance that failed to progress is the California Spangled. There was a rush of wildcat looking cats at one time. That has faded and legislation at state level in the USA is further limiting progress it would appear.Which leads me nicely to the next interesting topic - the "wildcat connection" as I shall call it. Is this cat a wildcat hybrid, a cross between a bobcat and domestic cat? No is the answer based on DNA testing - pretty conclusive I would have thought. However this cat breed was founded by Carol Ann Brewer at a time in the American cat fancy (mid 1980s) when wildcat hybrids where all the rage. They were the cat to found, develop and get accepted (by TICA as the CFA don't recognise wildcat hybrids). For example the Bengal cat was founded in the mid 1970s and the Savannah cat in 1986. The all domestic, but wild cat looking, California Spangled was launched in 1986 by Paul Cassey.
There is no doubt in my mind that the idea was to create a wildcat hybrid type cat that would be desirable. Apparently Carol Ann Brewer claimed that the foundation cat was a wildcat hybrid.
This cat does have the appearance of a wildcat hybrid - obviously the objective of the breeding programme. The bobbed tail (short tail) was an added point of interest to match the American Bobcat's short tail. This was apparently introduced by cross breeding with a Manx, the famously tailless cat.
Here are some pictures....
Pixie bob pictures
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| Pixie-bob "Assam" Photo copyright Helmi Flick |
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| Pixie-bob cat Photo copyright Helmi Flick |
The cat immediately above looks like he is polydactyl. Look at his huge paws (and fantastic face - what an expression!).
 | All the photos and text on this page are protected by copyright © except where indicated. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA). |
Pixie-bob kittens
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| Pixie-bob kittens - Photo copyright Helmi Flick |
I expect that you are looking for breeders if you are searching for Pixie-bob kittens. Please read the sections below. Apparently some breeders show pictures of bobcats in cages to give the impression that this cat is a hybrid. Beware, Carol Ann Brewer, says.
Pixie-bob rescue
This is a purebred cat and quite a rare cat, so you'll need to go to specialist rescue groups/organizations to find a rescue cat. Well, that is my opinion. Wrong? Please leave a comment. I have a page on purebred cat rescue.
I like the Yahoo Groups as a resource where people who want to learn and adopt can network with other like minded people including breeders and Pixie-bob keepers. Fortunately there are a few nice Yahoo Groups concerned with this cat breed:
The first group was active in the early 2000s but less so now. Is this indicative of a lessening of interest in this cat? Click on the following link to read and join: PIXIE-BOB
The next is all about rescue cats. Click Pixiebob_Rescue. See a list of Yahoo groups associated with this cat.
Pixie-bob kittens for sale
This section is about breeders. A simple Google search will suffice. Pick the long established breeders and it is highly recommended that you visit the breeder. Location is therefore important.
The major cat associations help in a breeder search as do the cat clubs. These don't always show up in a search.
TICA list six breeders, four in the USA and one in Norway. This must be a good starting point.
This page lists four breeders in the USA. (Note: links to third parties sometimes break because the page has disappeared).
If you want to know what a Pixie-bob is meant to look like as a winning show cat, TICA's breed standard will tell you.
From Pixie-Bob to Home Page
Love the photos. Helmi is the best. I'll try and rescue one!
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