The Desert Lynx is an experimental, hybrid-descendant breed related to the Highlander. Although it is not recognized by any legitimate association, it is accepted by PKC as UbiSoft decided to include it in Petz 5 for reasons that remain unclear. Breed lore claims that Desert Lynx are descended from bobcats, but this is extremely unlikely as no known fertile bobcat or lynx hybrids with domestic cats are known. Essentially, the Desert Lynx is sort of an off-grid American Bobtail, as breeders of both breeds had a similar goal in mind: to create a stocky, bobtailed domestic cat that captured the essence of the wild lynx. However where American Bobtail breeders worked with domestic cats obtained from shelters and feral colonies, Desert Lynx breeders purchased hybrid cats of uncertain origins and bred them together. American Bobtails eventually became a widely recognized legitimate cat breed, while the Desert Lynx remains a name known only among exotic feline “registries” and grey market hybrid cat breeders.
Type & judging remarks
Overall, the cat is large, strong and muscular - the breed should resemble a bobcat. The head is large and round, the muzzle square. The ears are large, set wide and sporting tufts. The neck is thick and muscular, as is the body, which should be complete with powerful hindquarters and the rear somewhat higher than the front, resembling a lynx with a short bobtail.