Sphynxiebob and BamBob cats, half-ken dogs wow pet lovers

THERE are new cats on the block and they are the Sphynxiebob and BamBob breeds that were recently revealed to the world, tbe Daily Mail Online reported.

A BamBob is a cross between the adorable Bambino cat and Bobtail cat, while the SphynxieBob has its genes from Sphynx and Bobtail cats.

A BAMBOB CAT. (Photo by James Lea / Barcroft USA, from Daily Mail UK)

The US-based cattery named Lil Nudists Cattery by April Arguin that created these two new special bobtailed cat breeds put in three long years to develop the SphynxieBob and BamBob.

A SPHYNXIEBOB. (Photo by James Lea / Barcroft USA, from Daily Mail UK)

The SphynxieBob is the spitting image of an average Sphynx which is hairless and has long, big and erect ears, but this one only has a stub for a tail. The same tail feature makes the BamBob almost the doppelganger of the Bambino cat which is hairless and with short legs. 

Arguin is working to get the new Sphynxiebob and Bambob cats to be recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. Interested buyers, however, must expect to fork around  $2,800 (£1800) for the  charmer SphynxieBob and about $3,500 (£2,270) for the cute BamBob.

For about a quarter of the price of these two new lovely cats, one could buy a “half-ken” dog in Japan. A half-ken is basically a mixed-breed dog that is becoming another Japanese craze. 

A CHIHUAHUA AND POODLE A.K.A. "CHIPOO" IS AN EXAMPLE OF A HALF-KEN. (Photo from aboutdogfacts.com)

Half-kens are usually a cross between two popular toy dog breeds that can produce mostly beige and fluffy litter. They are sold with details of their forebears. For 100,000 yen to 200,000 yen (US$800 to $1,600), half-ken dogs cost less than purebreds, but they provide pet shops good business as they are one of the top three types of dogs that customers prefer. 

Also called mix-ken, their popularity comes after that of the toy poodle and the tiny chihuhua. Experts, however, are concerned that demand for half-kens could result in irresponsible breeding that fails to foretell the outcome in terms of looks and health.