BREED - DONSKOY

The Donskoy is a very young naked cat breed. With large ears and almond shaped eyes, these felines have a unique look and a delightful temperament that will melt your heart. Not very large, somewhat active and extremely affectionate and devoted to their masters, these naked cats have an unusual high body temperature.

The dominant hair loss gene is the result of a natural and spontaneous mutation which occurred in a Russian village called Rostov-sur-le-don in 1987. This gene causes different levels of hairlessness for a same breed:

• Rubber bald: 100% bald. These cats are born bald without whiskers or eyelashes. The skin has the appearance of rubber and is very soft to the touch.
• Flocked: 90% bald. An extremely short coat is present - no longer than one millimetre - but it's impossible to feel the fine hairs to the touch. Feels more like our hand is 'sticking' to the skin. Under a magnifying glass, it's possible to see a few hairs here and there. The skin looks as bald as rubber and also feels very soft to the touch.
• Velour: 70% to 90% bald. The kitten is born with hair but most of the time the coat will gradually disappear during the kitten's development. Sometimes, hair will remain on the legs and tail. The level of baldness varies a lot in this category.
• Brush: Born with only one allele of the gene, this cat has wavy and wiry hair. A portion or none of the coat is lost during the first two years of the animal's life.
  

With all these different features, Donskoy cats are worth discovering!