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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Junglebob Information

Junglebobs have been bred since the early 1990's.  With the advent of the Pixiebob and Chausie breeds, many breeders opted to take alternative directions with their programs.  Some exclusively bred Pixiebobs with no Jungle Cat in them; some bred Pixiebobs with Jungle Cat in them but not documented as such, and some bred Chausies, which had no extra toes, no short tails, and no spots.  The Junglebob breed is a medium to large feral/domestic hybrid, with no feral cats other than the African Jungle Cat accepted as an outcross.  The breed unites many traits of the Pixiebob and Chausie, as well as bringing in influences from other spotted breeds such as the Bengal.

The goal of the Junglebob is to create a jungle cat hybrid with a spotted pattern, either a larbe bold spotting or smaller ticked spotting.  The leopard spotted coat comes in all shades of brown tabby (gold, bronze, and brown, with black to brown spots).  It also comes in other eumelanistic colors, including silver, snow, and sepia leopard spotting.  Solids are not desired.

The cats should have a thick pronounced muzzle and a lion-type look (more so in males rather than females).  Eyes should be hooded, and ears are medium to large and placed high on the head.  Ocelli on the backs of the ears are desired, as are eartips.  Males should be heavily muscled and are typically larger than females.  Males and females should have substantial boning and long legs and bodies.  Hind legs should be slightly longer than the front legs.

The Junglebobs are bred to have short tails (absence of tail is not desirable), with 2.5" to 6" length being the most desired range on an adult.  The short tailed gene is a dominant gene, and therefore one parent must have ashort tail in order for kittens to be born with short tails.  The polydactyl trait (extra toes) is strongly desired with all expressions of the gene being accepted.  It is a dominant gene, so one of the parents must exhibit the trait in order to produce polydactyl kittens.

Short coats as well as long coats are accepted.  The long hair version is more medium in length with long hairs around the face, belly, hocks, and tail, with longer ear tips and furnishings.  This gives the cat a lynx type look.  The longhair gene is recessive, so both parents must carry this gene in order for kittens to be born with long hair.

Accepted outcrosses are the Jungle Cat, Pixiebob, Chausie, Bengal, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, Snow Bob, American Bobtail, Maine Coon, Siberian, and Savannah.

The Junglebob is typically an aggressive eater, very interactive with people, and bonds very strongly with its owners.  They are intense at times, playing rough games of tug of war.  They may growl like a puppy, and can be intensely affectionate as well.  Some are secure and confident with everyone they encounter, while others may be shy, choosing to hide from strangers.  They are intelligent cats, and they may learn to open drawers, doors, or cabinets.  They are easily taught to fetch, and many are successfully taught to walk on leashes.

Males are typically sterile for the first three to four generations.  Some males have wxhibited fertility as early as the F2 generation, but they are often only temporarily fertile.  Once fertile males are created, outcrossing back to a pure domesitc breed is discouraged in an effort to maintain the feral appearance.