The Ukrainian Levkoy cat is a breed of the 21st century that is not yet well known outside its place of origin nor has it been recognized by international feline federations. It is a breed of Ukrainian origin that originated after crossing a Don Sphynx with a Scottish Fold. The result was a hairless kitten with its ears folded forward.
Do you want to know all the characteristics of the Ukrainian levkoy? Well, continue reading this article on our site to discover its origin, character, care, he alth and where to adopt this endearing feline.
Origin of Ukrainian levkoy
The Ukrainian Levkoy cat is a fairly recent breed, appearing in Ukraine in 2004 after cat breeder Elena Birjukova crossed a Don sphynx cat with a scottish fold As a result, a hairless kitten was born like the Don sphynx, but with the ears folded forward like the scottish fold, which they called 'levkoy first'.
Being such a recently created feline breed, it is not yet admitted as a breed by the main cat organizations, such as the World Cat Federation (WCF) and The International Cat Association (TICA). However, the breeding clubs of Ukraine and Russia do consider it as such and in 2008 they had already registered more than 200 specimens in these two countries alone.
Characteristics of Ukrainian levkoy
The Ukrainian levkoy is a medium-sized feline, weighing between 3.5 and 5 kg for the female and between 4 and 7 kg male and with a height at the withers between 20 and 25 cm.
Beyond the fact that it is a hairless cat, or with very little, and that it has itsears folded forward , the main physical characteristics of the Ukrainian levkoy are as follows:
- Muscular, thin and long legs.
- Thin and thin tail.
- Oval and wide chest.
- Well-defined muscles.
- Numerous wrinkles all over the head and body.
- Angular face, wedge-shaped and somewhat flattened.
- Prominent cheekbones.
- Short, slightly wavy or curly whiskers or whiskers.
- Big eyes, slanted, almond-shaped and light-colored.
- Big ears, wide and folded forward.
Colors of the Ukrainian levkoy cat
Because they lack hair or have hair less than 3 mm, the colors of this feline breed will depend on the color of the skin, which can be white, brown, black or gray, and all patterns are accepted. They are accompanied by wrinkles on their body surface that make this new feline breed characteristic.
Ukrainian levkoy character
The Ukrainian levkoy cat has a temperament cheerful, sociable, affectionate and that adapts, unlike other breeds, very well to changes, suffering fewer episodes of stress. He is very attached to his favorite caregiver, whom he does not hesitate to follow around the house. Likewise, they don't like to be left alone at all, so it is not a feline for people who spend many hours away from home.
He is a very curious and intelligent cat that will exhaustively explore every corner of the house and new acquisitions. It is important that, being so active and dependent, he is continuously stimulated with toys and interactions. He is very sociable and gets along well with children and other animals, so it is a good idea for him to live with other cats or dogs, especially so that he does not get bored when he is alone.
Ukrainian levkoy care
The first thing to highlight about the care of the Ukrainian levkoy is that referring to his skin. Due to the absence of hair, Ukrainian levkoy specimens present a high risk of suffering burns and damage from high and low temperatures. For this reason, in summer, or if you are going to be exposed to direct sunlight, it is essential to apply a sunscreen to protect you from UV rays that can burn you and encourage the appearance of skin diseases or tumors such as squamous cell carcinoma. In winter we should keep the house at a suitable room temperature and, if this is not possible, we should cover him with blankets and use some type of cat coat to keep him warm. in heat.
With regard to hygiene, it does not need to be bathed or brushed, but we should wipe it with a damp cloth or wipe for cats to clean the grease that naturally secretes its skinHygiene of the eyes, teeth and ears should be frequent to prevent infection and inflammation. In addition, due to the lack of hair, it has an accelerated metabolism that increases its body temperature to compensate for this lack of protection, so we must feed it with a complete and balanced food for the feline species, which includes all the essential nutrients in their correct proportions, as well as offering a higher amount than other medium-sized breeds due to their high needs and their high degree of activity. Find out what cats eat in this other article.
Being such a dependent cat, it needs caregivers to be committed and dedicate enough time daily to play and interact with it, as well as apply environmental enrichment measuresat home, specially designed for when you are home alone. You also need at least a scratching post and a litter box with a suitable type of litter that will not irritate your delicate skin.
Ukrainian levkoy he alth
The life expectancy of the Ukrainian Levkoy cat ranges between 9 and 15 years and, although it is a strong and he althy cat, its two attributes that characterize him, that is, his folded ears and his absence of hair, do not play in his favor. With regard to folded ears, this type of morphology predisposes the accumulation of detritus and wax that favors the proliferation and arrival of pathogens, causing otitis With regard to the absence of hair, is prone to suffering dermatological diseases and burns For this reason, it is essential that these cats have good hearing hygiene, protect their skin with sunscreen and kept warm to prevent colds and infections.
Where to adopt a Ukrainian levkoy cat?
Outside the Ukraine and Russia these cats are not well known, so their adoption is quite difficult in local shelters or shelters, but we can always approach to ask and, who knows, you might be dazzled by any other cat that needs so much and deserves your adoption in the same way as a Ukrainian levkoy. However, you can always use the Internet and search for rescue associations of the breed or of shynx or scottish fold cats in case there is a Ukrainian levkoy among them.
