Cat breed · Russia
The Donskoy cat, also known as Don Sphynx or Russian Hairless, is a hairless cat breed of Russian origin. It is not related to the better-known Sphynx cat (Canadian Hairless) whose characteristic hairlessness is caused by a recessive mutation in the keratin 71 gene. The Donskoy's hairlessness, on the other hand, is caused by a dominant mutation.
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Physical Appearance: The most striking physical characteristics of Donskoy cats is its hairlessness. Donskoys are medium sized, muscular cats in build. Their heads are triangular, with large ears and eyes which give Donskoys an elf-like appearance. Donskoy skin is very wrinkled, especially concentrated on the face, neck, chest, and the base of its tail.
Skin and eye color can range in Donskoy cats. Skin pattern colors tend to appear faded. While eye color can range from blue, green, amber, orange, yellow, or brown.
Some Donskoy cats may grow a faint fur coat during colder winter months, but the hair eventually falls off as warmer weather months return.
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Health: Not all cat registries recognize the Donskoy, and there are some concerns about the genetic health of the breed. The dominant genetic mutation causing hairlessness in Peterbalds and Donskoys could cause feline ectodermal dysplasia in its homozygous form, causing problems including poor dentition and compromised ability to lactate or sweat. Similar dominant mutations (such as in FOXI3) cause the condition in hairless dogs, and the symptoms in dominant-type hairless cats and dogs mirror those of human ectodermal dysplasia (which also results in sparse or absent hair).
History: The Donskoy breed is able to be traced back to one kitten. This breed started in 1987 with the discovery of a hairless cat in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don by cat breeder Elena Kovaleva. She had rescued a blue tortoiseshell kitten, which she named Varvara. At around four months of age, the cat began to lose fur. Varvara mated with a local tomcat and produced a litter of kittens. Some were born hairless, and the others started with hair but lost it like their mother. These kittens are the founding stock of the Donskoy breed and were later outcrossed with European Shorthair cats.
Over time, breeders learned more about the Donskoy's hair loss gene. Unlike the recessive gene carried by the Sphynx, the Donskoy's gene is dominant. So, all cats with the gene either are born hairless or lose their coats as they grow.
The Donskoy was first officially recognized by the World Cat Federation (WCF) in 1987 and by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 2005. The standard of points describes the cat as being medium-sized and muscular, with large ears, almond shaped eyes and distinctive long, webbed toes. They require frequent grooming, in spite of their lack of coat. However, over-bathing can cause the skin to become very oily.
