Pixie Bob F.A.Q.

For the answer to this question, please click the following link to read the description of the Pixie Bob breed.  The Pixie Bob breed description covers such things as physical traits, temperament, and trainability in fairly good detail.

None and there never has been any.  As discussed in the description of the Pixie Bob breed, reputable breeders do not use Bobcats in their breeding programs and DNA testing has never borne out the breed founder's initial claims of Bobcat parentage, either.  Using Bobcats (or any wild animal) in a breeding program designed to produce pets would be a terrible idea, anyway, because offspring of a wild parent will most often possess that parent's wild nature, making them too capricious and unpredictable to even be pets.  It would require several generations to dilute and mellow the "wildness" of the offspring in order to make them good pets, at which point the breeder and buyer might as well have been dealing with an already domesticated animal like the Pixie Bob!

Absolutely!  We love to have people come to our home to see our Pixie Bob kittens.  By coming to see our Pixie Bob kittens in our home, you get to see them at their most relaxed and comfortable - and you'll be able to see their parents.  By meeting the Pixie Bob kittens in surroundings familiar to them, you'll get to see their individual personalities and interact with them to a much greater degree, instead of having them distracted by new and unfamiliar surroundings.  Also, it's easiest for us to have you come to our home to see them and their parents, who we are equally proud to show off.  The only thing we ask is that if you make an appointment to come to our home, please either keep the appointment or call us and cancel as soon as you know you need to cancel the appointment.

We feed Taste of the Wild's "Rocky Mountain Feline Formula" because, at 42% protein, it is the highest protein food we can find.  We opt to feed the highest quality food we can because good nutrition is the foundation of good health.  High quality food contributes to our Pixie Bobs' lustrous, soft coats and vibrant colors, and helps our Pixie Bob kittens grow quickly and reach their maximum genetic potential.  Finally, the higher the quality of the food, the fewer fillers the manufacturer adds, and fewer fillers means less poo to scoop - and less poo to scoop means less money wasted on litter, less work scooping poo, and less odor to control.  You see, we really have found that better food saves us money on litter.  We end up with virtually the same net cost.  So, the choice is yours: spend more on food and have a healthier, more beautiful Pixie Bob, or waste that same money on litter?  As with litter, you do not have to use the products we have selected.  If you change your Pixie Bob cat's diet, you should do so slowly and give your Pixie Bob time to adjust to their new food.

We use Pestell's "Easy Clean" unscented clumping cat litter.  Pestell does an excellent job of odor control and is inexpensive.  Of course, you do not have to use this particular cat litter.  We recommend you at least start with an unscented, scoopable cat litter and transition your Pixie Bob kitten to another product if you prefer a different litter.  Please note: We do not use a silica-based cat litter because of the special danger it presents to Pixie Bob kittens, particularly when they are learning to use the litter box.

Pixie Bobs tend to favor rough wood and sisal rope surfaces.  Sisal rope is a kind of twine, which can be purchased at Menard's and possibly other home improvement stores.  We provide cat trees for our Pixie Bobs, which provide both rough and smooth wood, sisal rope, and carpeting.  The Pixie Bob kittens naturally gravitate toward the wood and sisal rope, but we also train them not to scratch speakers, furniture, and curtains, among other things.  We recognize that cat trees are expensive, having made a considerable investment in three cat trees ourselves.  Therefore, we would like to tell you that you do not have to buy a cat tree.  Your Pixie Bob kitten will be perfectly happy with a simple wood or sisal rope scratching post.  You can even find a log in the forest, clean it up, optionally attach some sisal rope, and screw it to a base to make your own scratching post.  The point is, you don't have to spend a lot of money to provide proper enrichment for your Pixie Bob.

No....and yes.  It can be done, but it is not recommended.  Pixie Bobs have a primitive paw structure, which means their claws are attached further back into their feet than most other purebred and domestic cats.  So, if you declaw your Pixie Bob, you are actually going to end up hacking off quite a bit of their toes, which will significantly negatively affect their ability to balance and jump.  We have found that Pixie Bobs who have been declawed tend not to jump anymore or tend to only very rarely jump and their balance is quite poor.  Pixie Bobs are very easily trained with a squirt bottle or a loud "shhhhhhhh" noise and the word "no".  If you lack the patience to train your Pixie Bob, we recommend putting claw caps on them, instead.  These allow the Pixie Bob to still "scratch", but without damaging your furnishings.  Declawing a Pixie Bob should be your option of last resort!  We cannot emphasize that strongly enough.

This is mostly up to what you and your veterinarian think is best.  We do not allow our Pixie Bobs outside ever.  So, we worm all our Pixie Bob cats and Pixie Bob kittens on a regular basis, give distemper, one year rabies, and nothing else.  Pixie Bobs have a strong immune system and are very resistant to most diseases without the need of vaccines.  Pixie Bobs often react poorly to three year rabies and we, and other Pixie Bob breeders, recommend giving only one year rabies.  We do not inoculate against FIV, FIP or Feline Leukemia both because our Pixie Bobs are indoor-only and because there is still quite a bit of argument about whether these vaccines are helpful or sometimes cause the diseases they are intended to prevent.

You do not have to change veterinarians, but your veterinarian has to do one of the following two things.  They need to either study up on Pixie Bobs and really learn about them, or they need to be willing to consult with a veterinarian who knows about Pixie Bobs and, preferably, who has also treated Pixie Bobs.  If they are not willing to do either of those two things, then you should strongly consider finding a veterinarian specifically for your Pixie Bob cat.  Pixie Bobs are just not exactly the same as common breeds, such as Persians, Siamese, Abyssinians, Russian Blues, and others, and Pixie Bobs do require different veterinary care and consideration.  Even if you decide to find a different veterinarian for your Pixie Bob, you can always continue to take your current cats to their current veterinarian.  We did this for our three dogs because our female required female staff and we can assure you that it is not as inconvenient as you might first think.

Several things.  Most importantly, you can expect your Pixie Bob to be healthy and well-socialized.  There is a contract to sign that extends rights and protections to both you and us, including a generous health warranty.  Your Pixie Bob will have current inoculations, will be micro-chipped whenever possible, and - unless entering a breeding program - will either (A) be spayed or neutered or (B) come with a spay/neuter contract addendum.  You also receive a starter bag of Taste of the Wild "Rocky Mountain Feline Formula".

They'll be ready to go between 12 and 16 weeks old, depending upon gender and shipping method.  Male Pixie Bob kittens are able to go to their new homes earlier because they can be neutered at a younger age than female Pixie Bob kittens can be.  Shipping method plays a role because if you are not picking your kitten up (or having us deliver the kitten), the kitten has to be at least 12 weeks old and weigh at least five pounds before it can be shipped.  Even if you are picking your Pixie Bob kitten up or having us deliver it, it still must be at least 12 weeks old.  We find that Pixie Bob kittens who are slightly older adjust better to their new homes and, overall, it is simply better for the Pixie Bob kittens to be a bit older before going to their new homes.

The contract contains the health warranty, discloses any known medical conditions, and contains provisions for resolving disputes, among other things.  We provide a one year health warranty on our Pixie Bob kittens and a three month health warranty on our Pixie Bob cats.  These warranties are against birth defects and diseases acquired by the Pixie Bob prior to the Pixie Bob leaving our care.  Both of our health warranties are far and away more generous than any other Pixie Bob breeder, as far as we are aware.  In fact, a nearby Pixie Bob breeder's contract provides a three day health warranty only!  Read our Pixie Bob contract and see for yourself.

Our Pixie Bob kittens are priced according to how closely they meet the breed standard.  Pixie Bob kittens with full-length tails are going to be less expensive than kittens with nubs, which are less expensive than those whose tails are "Bobcat" length.  The face of the Pixie Bob kitten plays an important part in determining their cost, as well.  Other traits that affect a Pixie Bob kitten's price are color, markings, and polydactyly.

Yes, we will hold a Pixie Bob kitten for you.  There is a $300 non-refundable deposit required for us to hold a kitten for you.  The deposit is required to cover expenses incurred in finding the Pixie Bob a new home in the event you should change your mind - and, yes, this has happened to us before.  Unfortunately, without a deposit, we cannot hold a Pixie Bob kitten for anyone.

You may pay by cash, personal check, cashier's check, money order, or Paypal.  Clearly, paying in cash is only going to be an option if you or your representative personally pick up your Pixie Bob kitten.  If you pay by personal check, there is a 14 day hold while the check clears our bank, while with cashier's checks and money orders it is typically a seven day hold.  If you opt to pay using Paypal, you can use a credit card and this option does not require you to have a Paypal account.  If you have a Paypal account, you can obviously also use that to forward payment to us.  Unfortunately, there is a processing fee included when using Paypal, which is $20 U.S. for up to the first $500 and $4 per $100 after the first $500.

There are several options available, including air transit, ground transit, pick up, and (sometimes) drop off (within the United States and Canada).  Air and ground transit require additional paperwork, including a veterinary check, before travel arrangements can be made.  Cost for air and ground transit vary depending upon distance and other factors, and include the costs for the necessary additional paperwork.  Optionally, you or your representative may pick up your Pixie Bob kitten personally.  If you send a representative, we require two copies of a notarized letter stating they are authorized to pick up your Pixie Bob kitten.  Sometimes, we will be able to drop off your Pixie Bob at an agreed upon location.  The cost for this option varies depending upon such things as distance traveled, fuel prices, and whether the distance requires an overnight stay.  We will provide an shipping estimate as quickly as possible and this must be also be paid prior to shipping/delivery.

Well, that varies depending upon the Pixie Bob, the life experiences it has had, and the care it has received.  We cannot provide a health warranty and there is no contract to sign through us.  However, there may be paperwork to sign depending upon the person or organization making the Pixie Bob available for adoption.  For more complete answers to this question, please read our Pixie Bob rescue page and our Pixie Bob adoption page.

No, we do not.  We simply do not have the resources to rescue other animals on a regular basis.  We also lack the resources to advertise other animals for adoption, as well.  Our webmaster is zealous about maintaining the focus of our site.

Yes, we do.  Read our privacy policy.

Thank you and we're glad you like it!  Yes, as far as we know, our webmaster is available for additional projects.  You can reach him by selecting "Feedback" on our contact form OR you may email him directly at "webmaster" at our site address.  If you are looking for quality hosting, we recommend our hosting company, 1and1.com ↑.  For $5 U.S. per month, you get up to two domains, 1.2Gb storage space, 1.2Tb of transfer volume, up to 1200 email addresses, and you just can't beat the price!