Brief History
Feral bobcats, Lynx rufus, inhabit most of North America, from as far south as the Florida Everglades and northern Mexico north into Canada. The bobcat is somewhat larger than domestic cat breeds. It is a powerful animal with long legs and a muscular body and is noted for its short tail. The Desert Lynx today is a completely domestic cat, bred to resemble the feral bobcat. Through generations of selective breeding with different breeds of domestic cats, the breed has incorporated many characteristics similar to those of the bobcat. Desert Lynx are medium in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats come in both long and short hair.
Breed Characteristics
Desert Lynx cats are strong, muscular cats medium in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats come in both long and short hair.
The head is large but not round, with a full, well-developed muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads. The ears are large and set wide apart, usually with feathering and tufts on the tip. The wide set eyes are large and expressive, set at an angle, with colors ranging from gold to green, with blue eyes in the snows.
The tail may come half way to the ground, or it may be lacking entirely, as in the Manx, or it may be any length in between. Desert Lynx officially come in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, and lilac--including silvers, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. However, it is not uncommon for them to occur in red and cream colors
Desert Lynx are affectionate and outgoing to people they know. We always advise people to plan on giving Desert Lynx cubsa couple of weeks to adjust to a new environment. Once they make the adjustment, however, they are an absolute delight.
Do not expect Desert Lynx to just sit around your house all day. They are active cats, abut they are not curtain climbers, as are some of the more active breeds. They are usually not very vocal.
Desert Lynx do get along well with dogs, children, and other breeds of cats.
Colors and Patterns
Desert Lynx officially come in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, and lilac--including silvers, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. However, it is not uncommon for them to occur in red and cream colors.
The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds. A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.
The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.
The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.
Dietary Requirements
Being a domestic cat physiologically, a Desert Lynx does not require a specialized diet. They thrive on high quality cat chow such as Iams or Hills Science Diet. Our cats' diets consist primarily of dry chow, but we do give kittens a good quality canned food as a treat in the evenings. Dietary supplements or vitamins used with any other domestic cat may also be used with Desert Lynx.
Size
Bobcats range in size from fifteen to thirty-five pounds. Twenty to
twenty-five pounds is the average size. Desert Lynx are not that
large. Most Desert Lynx males will regularly weigh in at about
seventeen pounds. Females are generally smaller, averaging ten or
eleven pounds.
The average "alley cat" male probably weighs around ten pounds.
Desert Lynx males are considerably larger, although they are slow to mature. They frequently take up to three years to reach their full weight.
Registration
Desert Lynx are registered with the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry, P. O. Box 543, Walnut Cove, NC 27052.
Breed Grouping
Alpine Lynx, , Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Mohave Bobs are part of the Desert Lynx breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Mohave Bobs, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Alpine Lynx may be bred together, with offspring registered as follows:
All white kittens (including straight and curled coats and straight or curled ears) are registered as Alpine Lynx.
All non-white kittens with curled coats are registered as Mohave Bobs.
All non-white kittens with straight coats and straight ears are registered as Desert Lynx..
All non-white kittens with straight coats and curled ears are registered as HighlandLynx.
The curled ears of the Highland Lynx are caused by a dominant gene which both curls the ears and somewhat reduces the size of the ears. When these breeds are bred together, the straight-eared kittens resulting from the breeding do not carry any genes for curled ears.
Non-white kittens do not carry the gene for white color. Therefore, breeders wishing to work with Desert Lynx only would not have to worry about getting curled-eared recessive genes in Desert Lynx who have Highland Lynx in their ancestry. Breeders not wishing to work with the Alpine Lynx would not have to worry about white kittens as long as neither parent is an Alpine Lynx.
The curled coat is caused by a dominant gene. Breederes not wishing to work with Mohave Bobs do not have to worry about this as long as neither of the parents have curled coats.
These breeds are identical in body type.
