Don Sphynx Cats: Affectionate, Hairless Companions

The Don Sphynx cat also called Donskoy is a cat originally from Russia and as is often the case it came out of a stray cat. This cat, who was called Varya, was taken in by a lady and treated by her for all kinds of dermatitis, as her fur was almost non-existent, but the problem was not solved.

When this kitten had her first litter, of kittens that were born with a slight down, after the first year of life they had already lost it all, so it was realised that the gene of these naked cats was not recessive like that of the Sphynx, but dominant. It was the discovery of another breed of naked cat. A kitten daughter of Varya was adopted by a breeder Irina Nemykina, who by mating with various stray cats embarked on a path of selection that led to the present Don Sphynx cat.

It was named Don Sphynx because the history of this cat began in the city of Rostov on the Don River.

Character of the Don Sphynx Cat

The Don Sphynx cat is one of the most affectionate feline breeds. Very attached to its owner, whom it follows like a shadow, it is also affectionate with other family members. It loves to lie on its lap or crawl into its master's bed, both out of affection and because, being hairless, it constantly seeks a source of warmth. It is in fact a very cold animal and needs warm places to stay when it sleeps but also when it is awake.

However, he also has an entirely feline characteristic, namely that he decides when he wants to be cuddled, in this he has a fairly independent character. He loves, however, to be an integral part of the family and, above all, he absolutely does not like being alone. If you cannot stay indoors for a long time, it is advisable to take two Don Sphynx cats especially so that he does not suffer from loneliness. However, he also gets along well with cats of other breeds and even with dogs.

With strangers he is quite shy, but after an initial period, he will not deny a head rub and even jumping on his legs.

However, it is to be considered the classic flat cat, cold by nature and not very fond of the outdoors. In the home, however, it is a good idea to provide it with toys and ways of releasing its vitality, as it is a very active cat.

To date, this breed is still very rare in Italy, in contrast to the Sphynx which is much more widespread, whereas it is much bred in Russia and in many North-East European countries.

Appearance of the Don Sphynx cat

The main characteristic of the Don Sphynx cat is its hairlessness, so this cat may or may not appeal to everyone because of its very curious appearance. Not all cats of this species are completely naked, some have very sparse hair that feels like that of a peach. As soon as it is born it has a lot of wrinkles which gradually diminish as it grows, although a certain amount of wrinkles remain forever.

It is a medium sized cat, agile and supple, the body is strong and muscular, especially in the chest and back, the hind legs longer than the front ones, oval feet with long prominent toes.

The tail is broad at the base and tapers gradually to the tip, which sometimes has a fine layer of curly hair. The head is very distinctive, wedge-shaped, slightly longer than wide with large ears set well straight on the head and well spaced apart. The eyes are almond-shaped, large, very bright blue, aquamarine, gold, yellow and green.

As far as the skin is concerned, this breed can have complete nudity, such as a slight hairiness that it loses around the age of two, sometimes hard, short hairs remain on the paws, muzzle and ears.

Health and care of the Don Sphynx cat

This cat has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. Its health is excellent and no particular pathologies have been found. He is particularly afraid of changes in temperature. However, its skin must be cleaned regularly, as its skin is often greasy due to the sweat that is not retained by the hair as in other cat breeds, which is why it should be bathed at least 3 or 4 times a year.

It tends to eat a lot, as it is a nude cat with a metabolism designed to maintain a high body temperature. This results in a natural tendency to put on weight, which could compromise its state of health, so the diet of Don Sphynx must be carefully looked after, meals must be regular but never too abundant and above all prepared with top quality ingredients.