If you've heard of a lykoi cat or wondering what a wolf cat iswe bring you the answer. Surely you have seen it and it has already surprised you, since its appearance is reminiscent of a wolf and, therefore, leaves no one indifferent. It is one of the most recent breeds of domestic cats and, in fact, it is still in the process of being fully admitted as a breed. In fact, there are few copies in the whole world. This feline is rapidly gaining popularity, especially in North America, which is the place where it emerged and, therefore, where it is best known at the moment.
Keep reading this file on our site where we explain everything you need to know about the lykoi or wolf cat, a breed with a and incredible character that begins its history in the United States.
Origin of the lykoi cat
The lykoi cat began to be seen in 2010, in two unrelated litters, with little time difference. One of the litters was born in Virginia and the other in Tennessee. Thus, the origin of this feline breed is in the United States of America The appearance of this breed was due to a natural mutation of the domestic short-haired cat Although over the last 20 years some kittens have been seen with some differentiated trait, they did not seem to be of any other breed than the common short-haired cat until that the first totally different ones appeared and began to breed to become this other race.
Although the mother was a common black cat, the kittens were born with this strange fur and with some hairless parts and For this reason, it was believed that they could have a genetic relationship with the sphynx or sphinx cats. Veterinary and genetic studies were carried out in American universities, since the owners were concerned that they had any he alth problems and, therefore, it was ruled out that it was due to some disease and the relationship with the sphynx was also denied. Thus, are not genetically related to hairless cats or others like the Devon rex.
On the other hand, the name given to these new felines is interesting, because based on their appearance the word “Lykoi” was chosen, which means “wolf” in Greek Indeed, although they are not related to wolves by any means, their fur and eyes remind us of these animals.
Currently, at the moment, there are only a a few dozen cat wolves on the entire planetIn order to establish a consolidated breed, breeders have the help of the University of Tennessee to avoid the appearance of diseases and genetic problems.
Wolf Cat Physical Characteristics
Physically, as you can see in the images of the lykoi cat that you will find at the end of this sheet, wolf cats are a breed with a stylized body, very peculiar fur and large yellow eyes that, together, they give it the wolflike appearance that gave them their name. In addition, it should be noted that of these lykoi cats, the color of their eyes intensifies when they grow.
They are domestic felines of normal size, since they weigh between 3, 5 and 7 kg, with males being larger than females. The shape of the head is a bit triangular and his nose is always black.
The coat is short and roan in color, that is, they are black or gray in color with white hairs and tufts, giving them a messy, mixed coat look. In addition, the type of hair is soft even if it has a hard or rough appearance Although there are people who wonder what the breed of hairless cats is, it is not of lykoi cats or wolf cats, but of sphynx cats.
A curious fact is that when they are born they have very little or no hair on their snout, around their eyes, belly, the ears and sometimes also on the legs. The most common thing is that as they grow their fur increases and ends up covering all these parts, although it is lighter in some, but there are adult specimens that have continued with their face and belly quite clear
Character of lykoi cats
Although its appearance may seem somewhat fierce and may even give some some respect, the wolf cat has the normal character of any other domestic feline. For this reason, people who have already lived with some of them, describe them as very affectionate and friendly, very intelligent, somewhat mischievous and quite active.
Furthermore, wolf cats have a strong hunting instinct and are a little wary with those they don't know yet, although they take a short time to approach and let yourself be known. In fact, they have come to compare them to dogs in character.
These felines are always like that and they have been used since childhood to live with people and other pets, which until now has been made because there are so few copies. They are very curious and playful cats who love intelligence games
Discover in this other article on our site some of the intelligence games for cats that we recommend.
Lykoi cat care
Caring for his coat requires normal brushing, because being short-haired, two weekly brushings and daily during the shedding season will suffice As cats clean themselves, in principle, it is not necessary to bathe them, thus avoiding damaging the natural protective layer of their skin. It is only advisable to clean it when the animal gets very dirty and, in this case, it is advisable to use dry cleaning shampoos or wet cloths or wipes. If we use a shampoo to wash it with water, it should be special for cats and never for humans or other animals.
Furthermore, as with any other domestic feline, we must observe that his ears, eyes, nails and mouth are clean and do not present damage. But, we may need to clean his eyes, teeth, and ears from time to time and also trim his nails, especially if any break.
How to cut a cat's nails? If you are asking yourself this question and you also want to know how to clean a cat's eyes, do not hesitate to take a look at these two other articles where we explain it to you.
Lykoi cat feeding
As for the feeding of this feline breed, it has to be of quality otherwise, we will begin to see he alth problems due to lack of necessary nutrients. It is important that we adapt your diet to your age, physical activity and your state of he alth.
Wet food contains 80% liquid, while in feed it is only 8%. For this reason, the fact of deciding whether to give it feed or wet food will fall on the guardians of this feline. One option is alternate between commercial feed and wet food We can offer our wolf cats rations of wet food every day combined with feed.
Even so, you must not forget to offer your feline his daily dose of water, regardless of the food you offer him. Feeding the wolf cat is essential, since deficiencies in its diet can lead to he alth problems.
Check out this other article on our site where we explain more about homemade wet cat food.
Wolfcat He alth
At the moment, from what has been verified in its short existence, it is believed that the life expectancy of the werewolf is the same as that of a common cat, so it is estimated that it can reach 20 years of life.
So far, no diseases or conditions specific to this breed have been detected and no tendency to any specific he alth problem has been found, but it has been shown that their he alth is excellent Thus, the problems they may have are those that affect any other domestic feline, that is, they may suffer from some of the most common diseases in cats.
Thus, to prevent any condition or disease it is vital to follow the cat vaccination schedules and also comply with the external and internal deworming, whether the animal spends all the time at home or leaves the home. Finally, to take good care of his he alth, we advise you to go to the vet every 6 or 12 months to make sure everything is going well.
Check this article about the most common diseases in cats and how often should I deworm my cat? for more complete information on the subject.
Where to adopt a wolf cat?
Although there is great curiosity to know the price of the lykoi cat or wolf cat, from our site we do not encourage the purchase of animals and we do not want to perpetuate this type of behavior. In this way, the best option to be able to let wolfcats into your life is by adopting In addition, it is worth mentioning that they are only found in 30 kennels around the world. world and race is more present in the United States than in Europe.
The best way to adopt a cat is to go to an animal or protective associationLet us not forget that we should not only adopt an animal because of its physical appearance and that catches our attention, but rather we should adopt in order to provide the best care and affection to our new furry friend.
