I have tried to simplify this explanation as much as possible to give those looking and comparing Pixie-Bobs an idea of what they should be looking for.  It is not meant to be a description of the standard.  To see an illustrated description of the standard, please visit the Northwest Outlaws site.

 

A head study between Joy (an F1 generation Bengal) and Cedar (a champion male Pixie-Bob).

 

The above photo is a head study comparison between a Bengal and a Pixie-Bob.  Note that the Pixie-Bob has a distinctive "stop" or indent in is facial profile, while the Bengal's profile is straight, almost Roman.  The Pixie-bobs head should be an inverted pear shape with a definite muzzle while a correct Bengal head is more like an egg shape with a pinch to create the whisker pads at the small end of the egg.

                                                                                                                          

 

For show purposes, 50% of the points go towards the head.  The heavy brow, giving almost a hooded appearance, large chin, small almond shaped eyes (rather than big round expressive eyes), medium sized ears with little tufts, the correct indented profile with a rounded forehead, give an authentic "bobcat" look.

 

The coat on a shorthaired Pixie-Bob is quite rough in texture, very wild to the feel.  The appearance should be very ticked (banding of lighter colour on the end of the hair shaft) giving an extremely grizzled look.  This ticking almost obliterates the spot pattern.  If you think of a Bobcat, you don't think of a spotted cat, you think of a ticked, wild coated cat.  This is the way a Pixie-Bob should look.  Definite spots on a Pixie-Bob which distract from the overall wild look are undesirable.  While most Pixie-Bobs are spotted, these are generally small buckshot type spots or a combination of mackerel lines and spots.  

True mackerel tabbies are undesirable.  Classic patterns (similar to a marble Bengal) do show up in the Pixie-Bob breed due to the domestic classic tabby influence, but these are not accepted for showing and are generally not used in breeding programs except by those experienced in genetics.  Using a "classic" pattern Pixie-Bob bred to a cat with a mackerel tabby pattern will actually help to break up the mackerel pattern into spots on the offspring.  Black, or bi-colour cats (those with areas of true white), solid colours, pointed, etc, would not be found in the breeding programs of those breeding to the standard.  All true Pixie-Bobs should have a mousy gray undercoat when you part their hair and look down by the skin.  The overall colour may range from a dove gray to tawny to a reddish colour - ONLY Bobcat colours.

 

The coat of the "longhaired" Pixie-Bob is not really a long coat, but is a little longer than the shorthaired.  The major difference is in the texture.  The longer coat is much softer, but still quite wild to the touch.  The longer haired cats tend to have longer ear tips as these tend to go along naturally with the longer coat.

 

Pixie-Bobs should have incredibly substantial boning. This is definitely more pronounced on males than on females.  Males will range quite a bit from l2 - 18 pounds at maturity with some going even larger.  Females are generally smaller in the 8 - 12 pound range.   A "rangy" appearance means they are not short like a Manx cat, but do have a bit of length in proportion to their bodies.  Legs are quite long.

 

Tail lengths can vary quite a bit.  A cat with no tail is called a rumpy.  A one digit tail is referred to as a rumpy riser.  Next is a stumpy, with a l - 2" tail.  The preferred tail length is a bobcat length tail of 4 - 5 " on an adult cat.  next comes a hock length tail, then a half length tail, 3/4, etc.  Some Pixie-bobs do have full length tails.  The extremes on both ends (no tail and longer tails) are pretty much sold as pets.

 

I have tried to provide a variety of photos throughout the site of various Pixie-Bobs to give you a visual image of correct male and female types.