Donskoy Cats

The Donskoy cat breed is a hairless cat. Their appearance is characterized by excessive, wrinkled skin. Donskoy cats were originally from Russia where they were known as Don Sphynxes. They are still commonly called Don Sphynx cats. The Don Sphynx is the foundation cat breed of Peterbald cats. Peterbald cats are a crossbreed of Don Sphynx with Oriental shorthair cats.

This cat breed is not accepted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. The Donskoy cat is in the class of preliminary new cat breeds of The International Cat Association (TICA). The preliminary new cat breeds are not eligible to earn titles in cat shows. The Donskoy cat breed may eventually be accepted as a championship cat breed.

Donskoy cats are medium in size. They are muscular. A Don Sphynx cat should not be fine boned. They are muscular with medium bone density. Male Donskoys may be larger than the females. Donskoy cats have medium long, whippy tails.

They have large ears that are set well apart. Their almond-shaped eyes are medium to large in size. The outer corners of the eyes are slanted towards the ears. The neck is rounded and muscular. The skin should have wrinkles, especially around the jowls, cheeks, and under the chin. Wrinkles are a desired characteristic of the breed. The more wrinkles the better. Though complete hairlessness is most desirable, some Donskoys have some fine, downy hair.

Some Donskoy kittens are born bald and remain that way. The flocked coat type has fine hair, but appears hairless. Some Donskoy kittens are born with a wavy coat. This is called a velour coat. The Donskoy kitten with a velour coat may be bald on top of the head and loses its wavy coat within the first year. Some hair may remain, but the Donskoy kitten is usually completely hairless by two years of age. Donskoy cats with a full, wiry coat are not eligible to participate in cat shows.

Donskoy cats are generally friendly and outgoing. They are active and playful. Donskoy cats do not require much grooming, though an owner should keep in mind that the unprotected skin of the Donskoy is susceptible to sunburns which can cause cancer.