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Desert Lynx Cats

Description

The goal of Desert Lynx breeders is to capture the pattern and head of the bobcat with a substantial, cobby body, long hind legs, and disposition of the domestic cat. These cats come officially in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, and lilac--including silvers and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and marble.

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. 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 must be good, giving a distinct pattern. 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 shall be 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 highly desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking of 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 penciling. Necklace tracings are also frequently seen.

The marble pattern, while derived from feral modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern with as little bull's eye similarity as possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast must be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.

Desert Lynx cats are strong, muscular cats with heavy boning in proportion to body size. The legs are medium in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. They are very alert intelligent cats. Males are larger than females, slower to mature, and may have ruffs, britches, and longer belly 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 be the bobcat tail, which 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.