Similar in appearance to the bobcat, as they both have characteristic short tails, the pixie-bob cat is growing in popularity. Born in the heart of the New World, these peculiar American kittens are called "cat-dogs" by many because of their affable nature and incredible loy alty.
Of relatively recent appearance and of uncertain origin, what we know of the pixie-bob is that it won the affection and admiration of all who were able to share time with them . Would you like to meet these friendly cats? Well, on PlanèteAnimal we share all the characteristics of the pixie-bob cat!
Origin
- America
- United States
Physical Characteristics
- Big ears
- Strong
Size
- Average
Average Weight
- 5-6
Life expectancy
- 18-20
Character
- Active
- Extrovert
- Affectionate
- Smart
- Curious
Climate
- Temperate
Hair type
- Short
Origin of pixie-bob
The Pixie Bob is one of the cat breeds that originated in the United States. Specifically, its origin is in a mountainous area of Washington known as the Cascade Mountains and its appearance dates back to the late 60s.
These cats emerged naturally, without human intervention, so it is not known for sure which particular cross resulted in the birth of the first specimen of the breed. After numerous examinations, experts have suggested that they are the result of crosses between American wild lynxes, bobcats and domestic cats.
As a curious fact about the history of the pixie-bob, we can say that the first cat of the breed was called Pixie, hence the name of the breed, pixie-bob, mixing the name of this precursor with the prefix of the lynxes in English (bobcat). Regardless of the crossbreed, the breed was recognized by the CFA in 1998.
Physical characteristics of pixie-bob
Pixie-bobs are medium to large in size, with an average weight of 5 kilos, although most specimens weigh closer to 4 kilos, with males being a bit larger. These cats are very slow to mature, since their full development does not occur before the age of 4 years, while the norm in the rest of the breeds of cats is that in 1 year they have finished growing.
Continuing with the characteristics of the pixie-bob cat, the body has a strong, elongated skeleton and musculature and a normally short tail, although there are specimens that do not don't even have a tail or have a long one, being always thick. The head is long with a prominent forehead and a strong jaw. The eyes are medium sized and oval, with a color that matches the coat. The ears have a broad base and rounded tips, with lynx-like tufts.
The colors of the pixie-bob cat
The coat of a pixie-bob is short, dense and abundant, this hair is woolly and waterproof. Colors include various shades of brown and red with flecks to match the main color.
Pixie-bob character
One of the most important features of pixie-bob is their special character, because that's what made them so popular. These cats are really affable and affectionate, which is why many consider them the ideal cat for families with children, since they are extremely tender and patient, so we don't have to worry about conflicts between them and the little ones of the house.
These cats adapt wonderfully to apartment life, as they are calm and like to enjoy long naps and their grooming sessions in the armchairs or sofas of the house. In addition, these cats are attentive and very intelligent, so they learn very quickly, being one of the easiest cat breeds to train, you can even teach them a few tricks if you are consistent in their training.For this, we recommend that you consult the article "How to educate a kitten" .
How to take care of a pixie-bob?
One of the things we need to pay attention to when caring for pixie-bob is daily physical exercise. Although these cats are not nervous, they are active. So we have to make sure they can exercise every day. To do this, we can play with them or prepare toys of different types to entertain them, we can be inspired by ideas to prepare search games or intelligence games. In this sense, it is more than recommended to prepare an adequate environmental enrichment, in which we provide scratching posts of different heights in addition to toys, in order to encourage this exercise practice and stimulate their minds at the same time.
As for the care of the hair of the pixie-bob, it will be enough to brush it once a week so that it is beautiful and clean, avoiding the accumulation of hair which can cause the formation of balls of hair in the digestive system of our feline.In the same way, we must provide him with a he althy and balanced diet, and ensure that he always has fresh and clean water at his disposal. Also, we need to keep their ears and mouth clean and be aware of their possible alterations.
Pixie-Bob He alth
Due to the natural origin of the pixie-bob breed, she exhibits really strong he alth. But of course, that doesn't mean these cats are immune to everything. Typical diseases of the breed that are alarming have not been detected, however, a series of genetic anomalies that could affect them stand out, although due to their recent appearance and consolidation as a breed, it it will take some time before we can say that these cats tend to suffer from it.
Some of these diseases are dystocia or cystic endometrial hyperplasia, which would affect the reproductive system of females, making the reproductive system and reproduction difficult.Another condition that seems to be common in pixie-bob cats is cryptorchidism, which is when one of the testicles fails to develop or develops inguinally. Finally, it appears that pixie-bob cats are more prone to heart disease such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is thickening of the myocardium with no apparent cause.
To detect any of these conditions, the most important thing is to go regularly to the veterinarian in order to carry out regular checks that allow us to know the state of he alth of our cat, being able to detect any alteration as soon as possible. If we give him all the care he needs, we give him all our love and, in general, a good quality of life, a pixie-bob cat can live up to 20 years!
Pixie-bob pictures
