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Introduction

A Don Sphynx cat is one genuinely unique and very intriguing domesticated feline. These cats are completely hairless, with some types displaying various degrees of hairless, as well as showing adorable wrinkled skin! Apart from being bald, these cats also have long fingers considered as “monkey fingers” and can be described as elegantly “longish” cats. The longish depicts the Donskoy’s long and graceful body parts from its body, neck, tail and limbs (except of course the coat, which they don’t have or have very little of it).

These hairless Russian cats are officially recognized under the name Don Sphynx with breed code DSP by Fédération Internationale Féline or Fife. The World Cat Federation or WCF also recognizes it as Don Sphynx and classifies it under the Shorthair breeds. The WCF also recognizes that Don Sphynx as synonymous to the Donskoy, a name for the hairless Russian cats which is officially recognized by The International Cat Association or TICA (with minor differences on the standards when it comes to coat or skin types). FIFE recognizes three different skin types ranging from hairless to wire-haired in variety. The WCF does not have standards for non-hairless Don Sphynx. TICA’s Donskoy has four coat type.

Official Name

Don Sphynx

Don Sphynx was the name given by Ms. Irina Nemykina, the breeder who first developed and pushed the cat’s recognition as a new domestic cat breed.

The Don is from the Don River, the area where the progenitor of the Don Sphynx was discovered. The Sphynx depicts the similarities that this breed shares with the American cat breed Sphynx, as the two breeds share similar “naked” look, strong muscular body, long legs, oval paws with long fingers that tagged as monkey-like fingers. The difference between the two is that the Don Sphynx has a relatively heavier boning structure. The two are not genetically related.

Some registries and breeders call these cats as Donskoy, Don Hairless and Don Bald cat.

Origin

The Don Sphynx was first discovered in 1987 and seriously bred during the early 1990s in Rostov-on-Don, one of Russia’s port cities. Two people are credited to the existence of the modern Don Sphynx.

The first is Professor Elena Kovaleva of Kovaleva of the State Pedagogical Institute for being the first to discover the genetic mutation that resulted in the hairless trait of the breed. She was also technically the first breeder, like all Don Sphynx cat, today can trace their ancestry to the first hairless cat that the professor rescued from the streets near the Don River in Rostov-on-Don.

Ms. Irina Nemykina, a professional cat breeder and owner of the Myth Cattery played a vital role in this breed’s survival, future and official recognition. When people were discarding these hairless cats thinking that the bald trait was unhealthy, Irina pushed a serious breeding development program to save these and eventually produced an entirely new breed.

Interestingly, both discoverer and breed creator rescued Don Sphynx from its eventual demise.

Quick FAQs

Size: The Don Sphynx cat is generally medium in size.

Coat Type: Don Sphynx cats may come in three different skin varieties from bald, flocked, velour and brush as recognized by The International Cat Association or TICA.

Body Type: The Don Sphynx cat has a body that is known as Foreign or Svelte in type.

Grooming Requirement: Don Sphynx cats are usually bald but some do come with fur. Obviously the hairless cats are easier to groom but also more prone to various skin problems and will need occasional visits to the vet. The Don Sphynx with body hair will require grooming twice every week.

Vocal Tendency: The Don Sphynx is among the vocal cat breeds known and will display their talkative nature most of the time.

Energy Levels: Don Sphynx cats are highly energetic domestic felines.

Time Alone: The Don Sphynx will require 4 to 8 of “alone time” every day.

Care: Don Sphynx cats require lots of attention and will be moderately docile in handling.

Recognized By

Fédération Internationale Féline – Recognizes the Don Sphynx with breed code under the Category III Breed Group. It also recognizes three different skin varieties:
• Hairless
• Flock
• Brush

World Cat Federation – Recognizes the Don Sphynx under the Shorthair Breed Group. The WCF currently has no indication of other skin variants of this breed except for being entirely hairless.

History

The international cat community led by the major feline registries, especially those affiliated with the World Cat Congress has varying standards, names and historical accounts for this hairless Russian that originated in the port city of Rostov-on-Don.

Below is a breakdown of the generally accepted history of the Sphynx Cat Breed:

• 1987 – The eventual progenitor of the Don Sphynx was first discovered and rescued in the streets of the port city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Accidentally discovered by Professor Elena Kovaleva of The State Pedagogical Institute. The professor named the rescued kitten as Varvara and kept it as her own. Varvara gradually lost all her fur even with constant medication.

• 1989 – The now hairless Varvara produced her first litter, producing kittens that have hair on their bodies and also completely hairless kitties. After a couple of months, the other kittens in the litter that was not born bald gradually lost their hair as well.

• 1990 – 1993 – Sometime between these years, professional Russian cat breeder and owner of the Myth Catter pursued a selective breeding development program produce consistent specimens of Varvara and her pro-genies. Ms. Nemykina started the development by using one of Varvara’s progenies; a black female was crossed with several European Shorthairs and Domestic Shorthairs. The pro-genies of these crosses created Don Sphynx’s foundation stock. Ms. Nemykina can be credited for the Don Sphynx’s survival and future for her efforts to save these very unique hairless cats.

• 1993 – Ms. Nemykina first registered the newly created breed at a Russian cat show, where it was exhibited and introduced to the international cat community.

• 1994 – The relatively young domestic cat breed Don Sphynx was paired with a Siamese/Oriental type cat. The pro-genies of this crossbreeding eventually produced the foundation stock of another hairless cat breed known today as the modern Peterbald Cat.

• 1997 – The World Cat Federation or WCF and The International Cat Association or TICA granted recognition to these hairless cats. WCF officially recognize them under the Don Sphynx name. TICA calls this breed as the Donskoy. Although considered by most as the same cat breed, WCF and TICA have different standards especially when it comes to the breed’s coat or skin type.

• 2005 – The now internationally known Don Sphynx was again used to develop an entirely new breed. Don Sphynx was crossed with the Scottish Fold, producing litters that eventually became the foundation stock of the Ukrainian Levkoy cat.

• 2007 – Fédération Internationale Féline or FIFE granted recognition to the Don Sphynx and categorized it under the Preliminary New Breed Group.

As of 2014 the WCF and FIFE both granted these bald cats from Russia Full Recognition and eligible for Championship competitions.

Personality

The Don Sphynx cat will get your attention with their unique hairless appearance that is complemented by the cat’s long, sexy and graceful physical traits. This breed will then make you fall head over heels and deeply in love with its very desirable personality. They are cats that will be highly sociable. These bald domestic felines may be bald and naked in appearance, but they will never be shy about it. Welcoming and greeting everyone with a very friendly demeanor. The Don Sphynx is also known for being very intelligent and as well as being very active. These cats will be amiable and loving their masters. Overall, the Don Sphynx is well-balanced, fun to be with and an extremely affectionate cat breed that is an ideal companion or part of the family.

Standards

Appearance
The Donskoy’s very unique and captivating appearance as completely bald or nearly bald or with very little hair on their bodies is the single most distinguishable trait that makes them distinctive from other breeds.

General
These are cats that have distinctive hairless or nearly hairless bodies, displaying adorable wrinkled skin that is warm to the touch with a velvet-like texture. The Don Sphynx is also famous for having monkey fingers with very long fingers that enable them to grab stuff with their paws.

Body
Don Sphynx cats have bodies that are medium in length, moderately strong and muscular in appearance. They have broad, rounded chests, solid and strong shoulders and back.

Head, Ears and Eyes
Don Sphynx cats have wedge-shaped heads that is slightly longer than it is broad. These cats have prominent cheeks, flat foreheads and well-developed jaws that have a strong chin. Their eyes are medium-sized that are almond in shape with an alert expression. The eye color depends on the skin or coat color. These cats have large ears that are tapering to rounded tips. Ears are set high on the head and slightly tilted forward and always held in an alert stance.

Coat and Tail
A Don Sphynx cat will have a slender tail that is broader at the base and tapering to the tip. The tails may display slightly curly hair on some specimens. When it comes to the coat, FIFE recognizes three-coat or skin type. The ideal Don Sphynx cat is absolutely hairless with skin that is elastic and well-wrinkled.

The FIFE recognizes three skin types with standards for each:
• Hairless – These are the cats born completely bald or hairless.
• Flock – Cats with residual flock hair that is no more than 2 mm in length.
• Brush – These are Don Sphynx cats with fine, wavy and often wire-haired. Bald spots are seen on the head, upper part of the long but graceful neck or on the cat’s back but should not exceed 2 mm in length.

Color
Don Sphynx cats can come in all colors and patterns of skin or coat, depending on the skin type.

Health

Don Sphynx cats may be naked and appearing unprotected, this breed’s warm skin is actually resistant to health problems and infections known to other cat breeds. Don Sphynx is one of the breeds considered to have very high immunity.

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