Pixie-Bob Health Linked to Genetics

 

It is the Pixiebob's genetic background that contributes to strong health in our cats.  Our breed was started from feral legendcats, found in barns, mountainsides, and secluded areas. Nature built in a check system for genetic flaws, faults, and weaknesses in these feral cats, which has been termed "the survival of the fittest."  It has been said by Michel De Montaigne (1533-1592), "Let us permit nature to have her way, she understands her business better than we do."  Our founder saw what nature gave us and built a breed from the gift.  If we only continue to add in legendcats as an acceptable outcross, we keep our breed strong. Ethical breeders of the Pixiebob have learned an important lesson from nature and took heed.  We do not want the health problems found in some breeds of registered cats.

The Pixiebob is not a "recipe breed" created from the addition of many different registered breeds.  Although a few breeders have done the breed a disservice by adding in other breeds of cats in hopes to achieve some of the traits these breeds could offer, this breeding practice has never been acceptable or condoned.  This is why we request the judges to "WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS" to cats that resemble another breed.

Furthermore, the Advancement Board has discussed a plan for a professional approach to ensure our breed stays strong health-wise.  We are discussing a sound idea of testing our Pixiebob queens and kings for certain possible problems BEFORE they enter the breeding program.  One of our members, who has pledged support to the advancement of the Pixiebob into ACFA, has volunteered to set up a health database to record information.  She has experience in the dog world, having set up and monitored a database there that could be adapted to the Pixiebob.

 

We could then use this information to:

1.  Help breeders design healthy breeding programs and strengthen our breed

2.  Identify congenital diseases

3.  Monitor breed health

4.  Provide data to researchers to assist in studies of breed genetic diversity

 

It is thought that problems that other breeds of cats have should be things we should consider tracking also:

1.  Hip dysplasia and patellas would be good to consider testing because of the size of our cats.  So far, we have had no issue with these crippling genetic health concerns .

2.  Dystocia (painful, slow or difficult delivery) and Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia (CEH is a disorder of the lining of the uterus -- both MAY BE familial and are an important cause of infertility.  Pyometra might also be linked to CEH.  Pyometra occurs in a small percentage of Pixiebobs.  We are spaying females/lines that have this disorder.

3.  Cryptorchidism in males.  Inheritance suggested to be recessive and polygenic -- example of sex-limited trait (expressed in male, carried by females and males.)  We have seen this only a handful of times in 20 years.

4.  Polycystic Kidney Disease  (PKI) which is a problem Persian breeders deal with.  This disease has not affected any Pixiebobs to date.

5.  Amyloidosis which causes kidney failure that is a problem for Aby and Oriental/Siamese.  We have seen no sign of this terrible disease, either .

6.  Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease of all cats today and was first identified in the Maine Coon, but it is strongly suspected in 5 other breeds today.  Our breed has experienced 4-5 cats reported with HCM.  In each case it was in a line a breeder added to the Pixiebob using a recognized breed.  At this point it is not a significant number, but this still causes concern for our breed group.  We are carefully watching this program and urging people to steer clear of certain bloodlines for breeding and are working with the breeder to amend her program for the sake of the breed.

7.  Entropion which is thought to be an inherited eye problem where the eyelashes turn into the eye causing severe irritation.  We have seen only one case in 20 years.

8.  Immune system disorders, such as the herpes virus.  This virus has occurred in a lower percentage than it has in some other breeds.

 

In conclusion, our breed is remarkably healthy with no significant incidence of inheritable disease or health problems reported.  We attribute this healthy strain to our legendcats -- past, present, and future -- the cornerstone of our breed.  Ethical breeders with the best interest of our breed at heart wish to develop a program of testing and recording to keep our breed healthy.  It might mean deleting a line from the program in the future if it is found to be an unsound line. This has already occurred, and as mentioned, we are watching one particular line, having asked the breeder to delete the cat that the health issues trace back to, and to alter all his progeny.  It appears that this breeder is complying with our requests.  We are working continuously to make certain the Pixiebob breed stays healthy in the future.

Christy Humphreys
and
the Pixiebob Advancement Board