This page was last updated on: September 6, 2008
Highland Lynx
Celebrating Thirteen Great Years!


Brief History

On July 1, 1995, the very first Highland Lynx litter was born at Timberline Cattery.  Joe Childers developed the breed by crossing two existing breeds--Desert Lynx  and Jungle Curls.  The primary foundation breed for Highland Lynx is the Desert Lynx. Outcrosses to the Jungle Curls were made specifically to add the unique curled ears to the cats. Essentially, Highland Lynx are Desert Lynx with curled ears.  Today, ten years later, there are breeders throughout the United States.  Over three hundred and fifty Highland Lynx have been registered with the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. 

people they know. We always advise people to plan on giving Highland Lynx cubs a couple of weeks to adjust to a new environment. Once they make the adjustment, however, they are an absolute delight.

Do not expect Highland Lynx to just sit around your house all day. They are active cats, but they are not curtain climbers, as are some of the more active breeds. They are usually not very vocal.

Highland Lynx do get along well with dogs, children, and other breeds of cats.

Colors and Patterns

Highland 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

A Highland 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 Highland Lynx.


Size

Bobcats range in size from fifteen to thirty-five pounds. Twenty to twenty-five pounds is the average size. Highland Lynx are not that large. Most Highland 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. Highland Lynx males are considerably larger, although they are slow to mature. They frequently take up to three years to reach their full weight.


Registration

Highland Lynx are registered with the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry, P. O. Box 543, Walnut Cove, NC  27052.


Breed Grouping

Highland Lynx and Desert Lynx are part of the same breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Desert Lynx and Highland Lynx may be bred together. The curled-eared kittens may be registered as Highland Lynx, and the straight-eared kittens may be registered as Desert Lynx. The breeds are identical except for the ears. 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 the two breeds are bred together, the straight-eared kittens resulting from the breeding do not carry any genes for curled ears. 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.
Breed Characteristics

Highland Lynx cats are strong, muscular cats,  medium in length, with longer hind legs. Their 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 curled ears are smaller than in the Desert Lynx and set wide apart, usually with  feathering and tufts on the tip.  Ears curl backwards at the tips. The degree of the curl may be slight or extreme, with the tip of the ear actually curling back and touching the back side of the ear. The gene which causes the ear to curl actually hardens the cartilage in the ear dwarfs the ear size. The gene for curled ears is a dominant gene.

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.

Highland Lynx are affectionate and outgoing to
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