TICA Breed Standard...

HEAD     40 points
Shape     10
Ears     5
Eyes     10
Nose     5
Chin    5
Muzzle     5

BODY      40points
Torso     10
Legs     5
Feet     5
Tail     10
Boning     5
Musculature     5

COAT/COLOR AND PATTERN     20 points
Length……………………….5 Texture………………………5 Pattern……………………….5 Color…………………….…..5



GENERAL DESCRIPTION : The goal of the Pixiebob breeding program is to create a domestic cat having a visual similarity to the North American Bobcat. Necessary to this bobcat-like appearance is a large rectangular frame, with prominent shoulders and hips; long, heavy boned limbs; a spotted stand out coat; a short tail that is carried low; deep, wide, cupped ears with lynx tipping; and above all, an inverted pear shaped head that has all it's features in the lower half of the face. The heavily-hooded, deep-set eyes and large fleshy chin are it's most notable trademark characteristics.

This wild bobcat-like appearance does not reflect the true nature of the cat, which is loving, trustworthy, devoted, and fearless. The Pixiebob comes in the short hair and the longhair varieties.

Females are proportionately smaller than males.

The Pixiebob is fully mature at 4 years of age.

HEAD:

Iinverted wide pear; in proportion to the body, having gently rounded curves. Large rounded forehead. Facial features in lower front half of the head, below the imaginary line drawn from base of one ear to the other. Profile displays a convex nose and blunt muzzle, with deep chin in line with nose. Nose break obvious.

EARS:

Medium/large in height; cupped, as wide as tall and deep at base. Medium set on the head, as much on the side as on the top, with slight outward tilt. Top of ears rounded. Light thumb print spot behind each ear. Black lynx tipping.

EYES:

The wild looking eyes are the most important trait of the Pixiebob. Medium sized, soft triangular shaped eyes. The brushy brow, which is part of the heavily hooded appearance, is the top side of the triangle; the almost straight line downward on the inside corner of the eye is another side of the triangle and the bottom line of the eye, which slants upward toward the base of the ear, is the third side of the triangle. Deep set, one eye width apart. The appearance is that of feigning sleep, gazing through partially closed eyes, when relaxed, however, the heavily-hooded eyes will open when cat is alert. From profile, the eyeballs themselves should be barely visible because they are so deep set. Gold, brown or light gooseberry green.

NOSE:

Wide, gentle convex across the bridge and in viewing the profile. Large nose leather, brick in color. Part of the 15 point muzzle.

MUZZLE:

Equilateral soft diamond, measured from between eyes to chin, and to edge of each whisker pad, making muzzle as deep as it is wide. Definite whisker break. Brown/black spots or bars on whisker pads.

Nose/muzzle/chin are very important to the overall look of the Pixiebob and equal 15 points.

CHIN:

Deep, very fleshy and in alignment with the nose. Chin hair not short and has noticeable grooves. Part of the 15 point muzzle.

Pixiebob breed group standard 12/01/04










BODY:

Torso:
Profile displays a tall rectangle, due to long body and long legs. Prominent shoulder
blades produce a rolling gait. The back is not level, having a dip behind the shoulders
and an upward slope toward the hips, which
are medium width and quite prominent, being slightly higher than the shoulders. From the
hips follows a downward slope toward the
tail, which is carried low due to the long croup, reminiscent of a quarter horse croup.

Substantial muscling and large boning in both males and females. Cat is heavier than it appears. Great depth to body. The flank is deep and powerful in appearance, the chest is broad and well-developed.

A primordial pouch is evident and desirable.



Legs:
Long, with heavy boning. Unusually
curved stifle in rear legs is desirable.



Feet:
Large, long and wide, almost round, having
big knuckles and fleshy toes. Paw pads to
the hock must be brown/black.



Tail:
Articulated tail is desirable however, kinks, knots and curls acceptable. Minimum of 2 inches in length (approximate woman's thumb length), maximum to the hock, when the hind leg is fully extended. Bone of tail determines the length. When relaxed, the tail should be carried low.



COAT/COLOR/PATTERN:

Length (PB SH ): Short coat must stand up off the body. Semi-dense. Belly hair is always longer than the rest of the coat.

Texture (PB SH ): Soft and wooly, having loft. Is resilient to the touch.

Length (PB LH ): Medium, under 2 inches. Must stand up off the body, though not as much as in the short haired variety. Semi-dense. Belly hair is longer than the rest of the coat.

Texture (PB LH ): Soft, lying closer to the body than shorthair, yet still stands up off the body.

Seasonal coat changes affect color, length and density in both short and longhair Pixie-Bobs. Belly hair is longer that the rest of the coat. Hot weather reduces all but the ground color, which is intensified in summer season. Winter season brings a frosted appearance to the coat with ticking.

NOTE: In both coats, facial hair is full and brushy in appearance, having a downward growth pattern. Heavy brushy fur above eyes adds to the hooded appearance. Coat separates easily and is weather resistant.


PATTERN:

Small to medium spots brown/black spots, with or without rosettes, random spotting preferred but spots may be aligned in a classic or vertical dripped fashion. Greatly muted by heavy ticking in winter. Light cream or off white belly must be spotted. Legs must be banded with or without spotting. Facial markings must be strong: mandatory band of cream or off white color encircling the entire eye; mascara must follow the outer corner of the eye downwards to the cheeks . Markings on the muzzle are mandatory. Pattern is secondary to type.



COLOR:

All shades of brown spotted tabby. The agouti hair must have several bands of color (reversed ticking). This wild hare appearance has a mandatory mouse gray band at the skin; the next band is the ground color, being any shade of brown; the next band is the darker brown to black bands for the spotting and finally, a band of silver ticking is found at the tip of each hair, giving the hair a frosted appearance, more apparent in winter, less so in summer. Chin to belly to inner legs should be off white to cream color with mouse gray base underneath. Paw pads to the hocks must be dark brown/black. End of tail should be brown/black. Coat color is secondary to type.



ALLOWANCES:

Small lockets. Rib barring.


PENALIZE:

Head too flat. Close lying short coat. Coat too long on longhair, over 1 1/2 inches. Ruff around the entire neck in longhairs. Hips and chest too narrow in proportion. Lack of prominent hips. Tail carried too high. Belly hair too dark, belly tucked up.



WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS:

Round eyes. Brow lacking. Chin lacking. Nose ridge pinched sharply upward, distorting the soft diamond muzzle. Any color/pattern not described in standard. Any color/pattern not described in standard. Lack of ticking or lack of pattern. Cat that resembles another recognized breed including and especially the Jungle Cat (Chausies) and Asian Leopard (Bengals), Manx and Maine Coon. Tail less than one inch of bone. Full tail.













Pixiebob breed group standard 12/01/04