Many cats sport a beautiful, thick coat, which gives them an attractive wild look. However, some feline breeds stand out for exactly the opposite: the absence of hair. This curious appearance usually arouses different feelings in people. While some admire them for their peculiar beauty and highlight the advantages of having a hairless animal, such as facilitating home hygiene or being less likely to cause allergic reactions in their owners, there are those who feel fear or some discomfort just seeing a photo of a "bare pussycat".
Maybe you have already had or know someone who lives with a bald cat, but few people know that there are several breeds that retain this characteristic. To discover the 7 breeds of hairless cats that are known today, our site invites you to continue reading this new article.
Why are some cats hairless?
Currently, it is known that the absence of hair is the result of a natural genetic mutation In reality, it is assumed that a new feline breed naked can be born every 15 or 20 years. As in most feline breeds, the gene for baldness is rare and recessive, which is why hairless cats are often very expensive. In addition, they require specific care to preserve the he alth of their skin and their entire body, mainly in the face of climatic adversities such as cold, rain, incidence of sunlight, wind, etc.
The discovery of some hand-painted ceramic objects revealed that the ancient "pelados" of today's hairless cat breeds already lived alongside the pre-Columbian civilizations So far from being a fad of our contemporary times, naked cats have accompanied humanity for many centuries.
Although the appearance of all these feline breeds seems to reveal the total absence of hair, in reality, most of these kittens have a very fine layer of small millimetric hairs, which is imperceptible to the naked eye. However, when petting a bald cat, we can feel this very fine and soft fluff that covers its body. And in some cases, when exposed to cold, these felines can develop slightly more noticeable fur on certain regions of their bodies, such as tails or legs.
The "bald" gene is also present among canines, mainly those with Latin American origins, such as the famous hairless dog from Peru. And if you want to get to know the hairless dogs, be sure to visit our article "5 breeds of hairless dogs".
Hairless feline breeds: the sphynx cat
The sphynx breed is the most famous of all hairless cat breeds, and also the first to be recognized as a breed Independent. The sphinx cat is native to Canada, although its name is a tribute to the Egyptian goddess Bastet, whose silhouette was quite similar to that of these cats.
The absence of hair can give the impression of fragility, but the sphynx have a strong body, with well-developed muscles, and are usually very he althy. In addition, they stand out for their medium size, large ears and eyes in shades of green or blue. What we must take into account before choosing them as a pet is that they require a lot of care when cleaning their skin to avoid excess oiliness and associated skin disorders.
His appearance is often strange to some people, but his character is truly charming. They are friendly and affectionate felines, owners of a very balanced temperament If you are interested in adopting a sphynx cat, we recommend you read our tips for bathing your hairless pussycat.
Elf cat, the biggest of all
This is one of the most curious feline breeds in the world, considered one of the strangest breeds of hairless cats. In addition to their baldness, elven cats are named after their particular ears, which naturally bend backwardsIts striking physical characteristics are the result of a cross between two other breeds: the Sphynx cat and the American Curl.
This is a very young breed, which stands out for its size and robustness. An adult elf cat can weigh up to 10 kilos without presenting symptoms of obesity, being the largest hairless cat breed.
Donskoy cat
Donskoy cats are also known as Don sphynx This breed originates from the villages on the banks of the Don River, in Russia, is so similar to the sphinx cats that, for many years, it was believed that they descended from them. It took a few years of genetic research to reveal that they are separate breeds. An important difference in their genetic characteristics is that the gene for baldness, in the Donskoy breed, is dominant, while in Sphynx cats it is recessive.
The character of a Don sphynx is equally mild, but they tend to be more sociable, making them an excellent pet for homes with children and other felines.
If you are looking for a hairless cat because you have allergies, we encourage you to read The best cat breeds for allergy sufferers.
Ukrainian Levkoy
This breed comes from the Ukraine and is also quite recent. Although some specimens were already seen in the early 2000s, the Ukrainian Levkoy was recognized and consolidated as a breed in 2011 It was born from crosses between the scottish fold breed and donskoy cats, which explains their absence of hair, their great physical resistance and also their ears folded forward As well as their ancestors, they show a character calm and sociable, being very faithful to his family.
Bambino
The bambino has very particular physical features, such as its short legs, looking quite different from that of other cat breeds without hair. Its appearance is easily explained when we know that this kitten is the result of the cross between the sphynx cat and the munchkin breed It is a young feline breed, having been recognized a little over 10 years. In addition, their skin is drier than that of other bald cats, so they often require simpler care to stay he althy.
Peterbald cat
This breed, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, emerged during the 1990s as a result of crosses between the Donskoy and Siamese breeds. Its fine and elegant features give it a particular oriental appearance, making it easy to distinguish it from other hairless feline breeds.
When they are babies, peterbald cats have a very fine layer of millimetric hairs, which falls off over the years. Just like the bambino, its skin is drier, not needing as much grooming as the sphynx cats.
Kohana
The Kohana cat, also known as the Hawaiian cat, originated on the island of Hawaii in the early 2000s. However, the breed has not yet been officially recognizedUntil now, it is assumed that it results from a natural mutation of the sphynx cat, but this hypothesis has not yet been scientifically proven. In addition to the total absence of hair, Hawaiian cats have many wrinkles distributed throughout their bodies, making them another of the rarest hairless cat breeds.
