Health
As the breed is frequently outcrossed to "legend cats", Pixie-bobs are genetically diverse and are not prone to problems caused by inbreeding. Pixie-bob breeders use a disease database to ensure that health information can be recorded and monitored. Some rare genetic diseases includes the following:
- Cryptorchidism - Only a few cases have been recorded since the conception of this breed (1980s).
- Dystocia and cystic endometrial hyperplasia - A very small percentage of Pixie-bobs do suffer from delivery problems, and are removed from breeding.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - Since the advent of the Pixie-bob breed in the 1980s, only a few cases have been reported. In some of those cases the Pixie-bob was cross-bred with other breeds of cats, such as Bengal and Maine Coon. In the majority of cases, HCM occurred spontaneously. HCM is hereditary in at least 50% of occurrences necessitating annual ultrasound screens to confirm continued health of the cats.
Read more about this topic: Pixie-bob
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