Pixiebob
Updated July 19, 2026
The Pixiebob is a large, muscular American domestic breed selected to resemble a Pacific Northwest bobcat, with a short flexible tail, spotted brown coat, heavy brows, optional extra toes, rolling gait, and loyal, companionable nature.
Family-devoted, Trainable, Even-tempered, Inquisitive, Quietly communicative
8-17 pounds
13-15 years
At a Glance
Maintenance Level
Affection Level
Energy Level
Good with Kids
Vocalization Level
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About Pixiebob
The Pixiebob is a large, muscular American domestic breed selected to resemble a Pacific Northwest bobcat, with a short flexible tail, spotted brown coat, heavy brows, optional extra toes, rolling gait, and loyal, companionable nature.
Coat Length
Short Hair
Breed Group
Natural
Weight
8-17 pounds
Great For
What Makes Pixiebobs Special
A rangy, muscular, heavy-boned body with prominent shoulder blades, deep flank, higher hips, large feet, and rolling stride produces the intended wild silhouette without wild ancestry.
The brown spotted tabby coat has muted small-to-medium spots over a warm ground, while facial hair grows downward into mutton-chop shapes beneath heavy brows and hooded eyes.
Pixiebob History & Origin
Carol Ann Brewer developed the breed in Washington State after acquiring short-tailed, polydactyl, wild-looking domestic cats in the mid-1980s. A female kitten named Pixie, born from one of these foundation matings, inspired the breed name and the appearance Brewer documented in a 1989 standard.
Other Pacific Northwest domestic foundation cats broadened the program; alleged bobcat parentage remains unverified folklore.
TICA accepted Pixiebob for exhibition in 1994 and advanced it through new-breed status in 1996.
Championship approval came in 1997 for the 1998 show season.
Pixiebob Characteristics
Individual Variation
Cats are individuals and not all cats, even those of the same breed, will exhibit all the same qualities.
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Grooming Needs
Shedding Level
Pixiebob Appearance
A medium-to-large, brawny, substantial cat with a pear-shaped head, hooded expression, broad muzzle, muscular body, shortened tail, and large feet that may carry extra toes.
Both short and long coats are recognized; this profile centers the shorthair, whose stand-off woolly double coat is longer over the belly and marked only as brown spotted tabby.
Physical Features
Ears
Medium, wide and deep at the base, rounded at the tips, set as much to the side as top, with lynx tipping desirable.
Eyes
Medium, soft triangular and heavily hooded, set beneath bushy brows; gold, brown, or gooseberry green complements the brown coat.
Nose
Wide, slightly convex, and fleshy with a large brick-colored leather, framed by a broad muzzle.
Coat & Build
Tail
At least about two inches and preferably hock-length, flexible and articulated, carried low, with kinks and curves permitted but enough length for natural movement.
Pixiebob Temperament
A rangy, muscular, heavy-boned body with prominent shoulder blades, deep flank, higher hips, large feet, and rolling stride produces the intended wild silhouette without wild ancestry.
The brown spotted tabby coat has muted small-to-medium spots over a warm ground, while facial hair grows downward into mutton-chop shapes beneath heavy brows and hooded eyes.
Temperament Traits
Good With
Health
Formal breed-health data remain limited. A large genetic survey found one of three tested T-gene short-tail variants in every sampled Pixiebob, including longhairs; these variants were first characterized in Manx cats, but the study did not establish the same rate or severity of spinal disease in Pixiebobs. Responsible programs should therefore document more than a cat's rugged appearance.
Common Health Issues
Preventive Care
Ask for pedigrees with recorded tail length, gait, continence, litter outcomes, longevity, and causes of death. Breeding and veterinary examinations should assess the whole spine, sacrum, tail mobility, hindlimbs, anus, bladder, bowel function, feet, patellas, hips, heart, and retained testicles—not just DNA or appearance. Keep weight lean and seek prompt care for pain, hopping gait, weakness, constipation, urine leakage, tail sores, or difficulty jumping.
Caring for Your Pixiebob
Grooming Requirements
The short coat is dense, woolly, and weather-resistant, with a longer belly coat; a separately shown longhair also occurs and needs more frequent combing.
Brushing
Brush the shorthair once or twice weekly and daily during seasonal shedding, reaching the undercoat gently. Inspect the shortened tail base, hindquarters, belly, and every toe and nail, especially on polydactyl feet.
Bathing
Bathe only when dirty with a mild cat-safe shampoo, rinse the dense coat completely, and dry to the skin so moisture does not remain trapped.
Eye Care
Wipe minor discharge with a separate soft damp cloth for each eye; persistent redness, pain, cloudiness, or colored discharge needs veterinary care.
Nail Care
Every 2-3 weeks, checking each standard and extra digit for hidden or non-wearing nails.
Essential Grooming Tools
Exercise & Play
Substantial and strong rather than frantic, Pixiebobs often combine calm household participation with climbing, retrieval, exploration, and leash skills.
Daily Requirements
Provide about 40-60 minutes of interactive activity in several sessions, plus strong low-to-high climbing options, long scratching surfaces, running room, and joint-friendly exploration.
Mental Stimulation
Teach recall, targeting, carrier entry, and object retrieval, rotate scent and puzzle games, and provide window observation. Modify jumps immediately if gait or spine discomfort appears.
Recommended Activities
Nutrition & Feeding
Feed a complete-and-balanced life-stage diet and judge body condition beneath the dense coat. A broad chest and primordial pouch are breed features; a thick fat layer over ribs and loss of waist are not.
Daily Amount
Use the manufacturer's guide as a starting estimate, measure all food and treats, divide the daily ration into at least two meals and enrichment, and adjust with a veterinarian using ribs, waist, muscle, age, neuter status, and activity.
Special Considerations
No raw, grain-free, or wildcat-style diet is required. Support hydration with fresh water and an appropriate wet-food component, and use a veterinary plan for constipation, urinary, joint, heart, kidney, or weight disease.
Living Environment
Space Requirements
Can adapt to an apartment or house with strong broad perches, large litter boxes, stable scratching posts, clear walking routes, and enough floor and vertical space for a substantial cat.
Climate Preferences
The double coat offers insulation but not outdoor safety. Provide temperature-controlled indoor shelter, dry warm beds, shade, ventilation, cooling, and fresh water.
Ideal Lifestyle Match
Well suited to families wanting an involved but often even-tempered companion. Many travel or harness-train successfully, but safe introductions and individual temperament remain essential with children and animals.
Colors & Patterns
The recognized show color is brown spotted tabby in shades from tawny to cooler mouse tones, with warm belly color, ticking, muted spots, pale eye surrounds, and dark facial lines. Seasonal and age-related changes are expected.
Solid Colors
Patterns
Eye Colors
Gold, brown, or gooseberry green
Fun Facts About Pixiebob
The breed is fully domestic despite its deliberate resemblance to a coastal red bobcat.
A foundation female named Pixie inspired the name.
TICA is notable for permitting polydactyly in the Pixiebob show standard.
Up to seven toes per foot are allowed in TICA.
Every Pixiebob sampled in a large genetic survey carried one of the tested T-gene short-tail variants.
The breed occurs in both shorthaired and longhaired forms.
Brown spotted tabby is the characteristic exhibition color and pattern.
TICA championship competition began with the 1998 show season.
Training Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Pixiebob part bobcat?
No verified bobcat ancestry has been demonstrated. TICA and modern care guidance treat the Pixiebob as a fully domestic cat bred to resemble a bobcat, so wild appearance should not be used to justify exotic-animal care or legal claims.
Are all Pixiebobs polydactyl?
No. Extra toes are allowed but not required. TICA uniquely permits up to seven toes per foot in the breed, and every digit must be checked because some extra nails do not wear normally.
Can a bobtailed spotted stray be identified as a Pixiebob?
Not by appearance alone. Short tails, spots, and extra toes occur independently in random-bred cats; verified breed identity requires pedigree documentation and the full standard.
Specialized Care Guides
Kitten Care
Ask for parental tail, spine, gait, continence, hip, foot, testicular, and heart records. Have every vertebral and polydactyl feature examined, feed for steady lean growth, protect joints from repeated hard landings, and begin nail, dental, carrier, and harness training.
Senior Care
Arrange examinations every 6-12 months as advised, monitoring spine, tail skin, bowel and bladder function, hips, feet, teeth, kidneys, heart, blood pressure, weight, muscle, and mobility. Add ramps, broad steps, traction, and low-entry large litter boxes.
First-Time Owner Tips
A possible first breed for a diligent owner who can handle a large cat, dense shedding, every extra nail, and ongoing neurologic and orthopedic observation, and who rejects unverifiable bobcat ancestry claims.
Looking for a Pixiebob?
Connect with responsible breeders, rescue organizations, and pet adoption services in your area.