Pixie-bob

The origin of the Pixie-Bob is unclear. A legend claims that male red lynx mated with cats living on isolated farms and that kittens were born with the appearance of the father but with the character of domestic cats. In any case, in 1985, Carol Ann Brewer, already a breeder in the State of Washington, launched the Pixie-Bob breeding program. She acquired a cat named Sacha supposedly descended from the legendary cross (it was among other things polydactyl) and married it to a female supposedly descended from these famous crosses. A female resembling the red lynx was then born which served as the basis for the work of the breeders. It was named Pixie and its name was kept, associated with that of its supposed wild ancestors, the bobcats, to name the breed. Blood tests were performed to see if genetic traces of hybridization could be detected but they all proved negative. It was not until 1994 that TICA recognized the breed as a "new breed". It could not compete in championship until 1998. In France, the breed has been recognized by LOOF (Official Book of Feline Origins) since June 2002.

Despite its wild appearance, the Pixie-Bob is renowned for having a very balanced character. A dog disguised as a cat, say the Canadians. It would like to follow its master and would accommodate the presence of children.

The Pixie-Bob resembles a North American lynx: the Red Lynx. Its body is powerful and muscled, long, with prominent shoulders. When in motion, its gait is the same as its wild ancestors, rolling. It is desirable that it has a ventral pouch (the primordial pouch). The legs are long, with thick bone structure, and well-muscled. At the end, the feet are almost round, large and wide, similar to those of wild cats. Some subjects exhibit polydactyly. Since 2002, this characteristic has been recognized by LOOF and TICA within the limit of seven digits per paw. The tail must be short, with a minimum length of approximately five centimetres and not exceeding the hock of the animal (LOOF standard) or at most two centimetres more (TICA standard). It is the length of the caudal bone that is the reference. Bone irregularities are accepted.