ANSWERS: 3
  • I have seen pictures and read about them, they appear to be a manmade breed created by mixing breeds such as the Japanese Bobtail (or more likely, the Manx since the Pixiebob's tail varies similarly to the way tail length in the Manx varies, Abyssinian or other cat which has the ticked tabby pattern , and breeds or mixed breed cats selected possibly for size. The brown mackerel tabby pattern is the most common pattern in domestic cats, is the natural wild pattern of smaller wild cat species (particulary those in temperate climates) and is genetically dominant in the domestic cat. The ticked tabby coat variation such as that of the Abyssinian also occurs in domestic shorthair cats of mixed ancestry. Spotted tabby cats also occur naturally in the domestic cat, but both ticked and spotted are much less common than the dominant mackerel and the more common classic tabby patterns. The mention of classic tabbies occurring sometimes in Pixiebobs but not being a wanted trait, shows the cat's domestic heritage plus the selection being made for wilder looking coat pattern. The quality of the double coat described in articles about the Pixiebob is also a very common coat type found in the domestic cat. Cats with such coats often confuse people when trying to decide whether to call the cat longhair or shorthair. The coat isn't as long as longhairs, not sleek like the oriental shorthair types, but is plushy with heavy undercoat and outercoat. http://www.pixiebobbreed.com/about.htm When you read the breed description at this link, you see a number of characteristics that are being promoted as some of the qualities that supposedly set the breed apart from other breeds. Breeding cats for larger size is easy too, using breeds that are large with ordinary features such as the Maine Coon cat, would produce size and short hair is genetically dominant over long hair (and longhaired cats have often been secretly used in shorthaired breeds, such as Persians used in developing American Shorthairs with better eye color, rounder heads, and more substance...the gene for longer coat is recessive and carried by most shorthaired cats. Thus there is no legitimate reason to question longhaired kittens in litters from shorthaired parents. (Such things were done mostly before the era of DNA technology, when there was no concrete way to prove or disprove such things) Longhairs do occur in Pixiebob breedings, btw. The standard calls for the breed to have coat color and patterns resembling bobcats, requirements easy to meet when the bobcat has the same dominant brown mackerel tabby coat color and pattern that the domestic cat has! Descriptions of variations of the ideal color for Pixiebobs are all common variations seen in brown mackerel tabby cats. Most domestic cat breeds and heavier breeds such as the Persian, take three years to become fully mature. In fact, most oriental cats also take three years to mature, which is why most oriental cats such as the Siamese breed are shown heavily when very young and usually not shown when they get older, because the mature features such as stud jowls detract from the sleek tubular body and the lean wedge head type called for in the standard! The vocalizations of the Pixiebob that are described, are characteristic of all cats, with the exception that the trait of seldom meowing is a trait typical of Abyssinian cats. The doglike traits described for the Pixiebob breed are traits that are often seen in Siamese cats. Quite a few cats of various breeds and mix breed cats can learn to walk on a leash, I taught many to walk on leash when I used to take cats to places to do pet therapy. TICA is one of the registries with less stringent requirements for getting a new breed recognized and registerable. Personally, while I see nothing wrong with creating a new cat breed, I don't like the fictional breed origins and other false claims. To me, the Pixiebob cat's origins are just as questionable as the original claim by the founder of Ragdolls, who claimed the breed was born after her pregnant cat was hit by a car..a total fabrication that nevertheless many people believed was true...but which in fact, is a genetic impossibility. Interesting too that Pixiebob cats are not supposed to be bred to bobcats and that all Pixiebobs must trace their lineage back to "Pixie the cat." Whenever I see someone claim a new breed with fictional or questionable claims of how the breed was created, attempts to highlight normal cat characteristics as being unique to the breed, and with Pixiebobs, further support of the fictional bobcat heritage claim by noting that the breed is legally considered a domestic cat, I'm very skeptical that the true origins of the breed was much different and much more ordinary than the claimed origin of the breed. Its not the breed itself that I'm questioning, it's the very dubious honesty of those involved in creating and promoting the breed. A Pixiebob probably is as enjoyable to live with as any other cat whose appearance you like, and who hopefully has the kind of temperament that the breed promoters claim it has (and which cats of other heritages also can possess). I also laugh when I see a cat that's obviously fat being held with the statement that this cat is "massive." I have a big spayed mackerel tabby rescue cat here, who is also fat and looks just as massive as some of the Pixiebobs I have seen in photos. She also possesses the same kind of coat and temperament they have, and could easily pass for a Pixiebob! All she lacks is a good fictional heritage and a promoter! Reading the creator of the breed's site, it contains much of the same b.s. that the promoters of the Ragdoll used in their early breed websites. http://www.immaculateconceptsanddesign.com/pixie-bob/all.htm The creator's site says in her "info" on determining ethical from unethical breeders. Do they talk up their lines while talking down others? I laughed when I read this because this breed must trace back to the founder's cat Pixie...thats a bit hypocritically beyond just "talking up your lines" In the situation of a mutation, then of course all cats of the mutated breed would trace back to the original mutation although in some cases, there have been more than one spontaneous mutation that proved to be the same mutation and completely unrelated cats that were of the same mutation were not only utilized but welcomed as a source of unrelated blood to work with. The tall tale of "LegendCats" the breed creator tells is also very funny and full of b.s. Part of it reads "All of the others in the original program are verified Legend CatsTM found in barns in the Pacific Northwest, coming with unique legends of bobcats breeding with domestics." In many parts of the USA its common for people to claim that really large barn cats may have some bobcat blood in them. Such claims are often made either to impress or intimidate other people or to try to get rid of kittens by claiming those kittens are unique and special in some way. This claim by the breed founder validates this fact. There are, however, Legend CatsTM from other parts of the country who possess a markedly different look from those in the Pacific Northwest, but who verify the legend of their specific region. Do we ignore these gifts of nature because they are a little different from the original Pixie-Bob? No, absolutely not. This means that anybody who has a big cat with the right looks and a good tall tale of fiction to accompany it, can be considered a Pixiebob. Another thing usually seen with a new breed someone has created and promotes with much hype is the fact that almost none of the breeders of this breed (who are few in number and who work together in trying to increase demand for the breed while trying to discourage people from going into breeding the breed too and thus becoming competitors for sales) mention prices. The only breeders who had any prices listed gave these as prices... Pet Quality: $400 - $800 Breeding Quality: $1500 Show Potential: $2000 Price: 600.00-$800.00 high end pets High prices (IF mentioned), hype and careful selection of words to promote the breed as being a unique luxury, sites set up to withhold such information as price so that you must contact the person to find out prices and indepth info, thus providing that person a chance to give you their sales pitch, all are tactics typical of people who come up with something that they want people to think is special and rare so that people are willing to pay a high price for it. And in this case, evidence points toward this breed as being nice big ordinary cats coupled with a high price tag.
  • Yes I have and Breed this cat I have Foundation pixiebobs. NO Hype here I think they are wonderfull and very friendly My prices are not listed due to the face i like to ask questions and am Very picky who gets my babies. Yes babies i bottle fed 5 kittens and sold them for the vet bills that went into them. I also have been Very busy questioning 8 families for 1 boy i have left . When you look at a cat and think of the price for the animal ask the Breeder why so much money. I go by the Vet bills food and what went into the animal to make him Healthy and happy the love tears and joy are all mine i wont Sell you thouse but i do love my criters . Dog like is a correct statement and So is Bobcat Look alike. In alot of cases. By the way This is a great Question there are several Breeders on 1 list in particular who are working as a Breed group. Not all of us agree but we do all get together and work on all sorts of thing like where we would like to see these cats in 10 yrs . In fact alot of us will not have the cat the potential buyer is Looking for and will forward them onto a Breeder we believe would . I love this breed and i was Not a cat person befor i got them. Oceanspritepixiebobs.googlepages.com Check it out the first page is Destiny she is FOUNDATION Stock No papers but a barn cat. do i think she has bob cat in her lines LOL NO but what caused her to look like one ?
  • Spirit Wolf, what qualifications do you have that would back up all of your assumptions and accusations about how the Pixiebob breed was created? Do you own, or have you ever owned a Pixiebob? I have Pixiebobs and they are very DIFFERENT from ordiinary domestic cats. I've owned cats all of my life and I very clearly can see the difference. People shouldn't make comments or accusations out of ignorance or without proof.

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