Hairless cat breeds are affectionate, cute and like to be the center of attention and how can they not be? They are not the cats you see everyday.
Hairless cat breeds are becoming more and more popular with each passing day and why not? These breeds tend to be sociable, very affectionate, playful and good with other animals in general. They generally like to be close to their human parents because they are generally cold due to their lack of fur.
However there are a couple of misunderstandings about these cats. Let’s clear them up before we move on to our list.
Are Hairless Cats Hypoallergenic?
The short answer is not necessarily because there are hypoallergenic cats which don’t have fur but not all naked cat breeds are hypoallergenic. The reason behind this is that the substance that causes allergy is not actually the cat fur, but dander and a protein that is called Fel D1 which is found in cat saliva.
Because cats lick their fur all the time and their saliva and the dander on the skin spread around with the hair, hair is associated with allergies. Since hairless cats still have saliva and dander, they are not hypoallergenic. To be honest, there is no completely non-allergenic cat at all. However, allergic people can tolerate hairless cats better as they don’t shed or shed little and they need bathing in order to prevent oil-build up on their skins therefore removing allergens from the immediate environment more often.
Are Hairless Cats Low Maintenance?
People think that hairless cats are low maintenance because they don’t need grooming but instead of grooming they have other needs such as bathing and protection from cold or sun. Also their skin is more prone to irritation and is not as protected as furry cats so they are also more prone to injuries such as cuts and scratches while they play with other pets.
Being hairless makes their metabolism work faster, too which means that they need more nutritious food in order to stay warm. If you want to have a long, healthy and happy life with a hairless cat, you need to make sure to that you are ready for such a commitment otherwise you will be just another human who abandons an adorable, loving bag of affection to loneliness in a shelter.
Now back to the topic. Here is our list of hairless cat breeds.
Sphynx
Maybe the most famous breed of all hairless cat breeds and often the answer to the question “what is the name of a hairless cat”. Most people think that there is only one breed of hairless cat and that is Sphynx but since you are reading this post, you already know that this can’t be further from the truth.
Sphynx is an extremely social and vocal breed which originated in Canada in 1960s due to a naturally occurring recessive genetic mutation but later on breeders included some shorthair genes to create a healthier and broader gene pool.
Bambino
Bambino is a dwarf cat which is a cross of Sphynx and Munchkin. The name Bambino means “baby” or “child” in Italian which is really appropriate because Bambinos really become the little child of the family with their affectionate and outgoing nature. They love cuddling and playing and they are also good with children so they are definitely family material.
Some Bambinos can have a little bit of hair on their face, legs, tails and ears but generally they are hairless.
Donskoy
Donskoy is a Russian breed as the name suggests. It is a cat with many names: Russian hairless, Don hairless and Don Sphynx (although it is uniquely different from Sphynx as Donskoy’s hairlessness come from a dominant gene while the hairlessness of Sphynx is due to a recessive genetic mutation).
Donskoys have a few different coat types and not all of them are completely hairless:
- Brush: They have some hair but occasionally have some bald spots.
- Velour: A bald spot on the head with hair on their face, legs or tail.
- Flocked: They may look as if thy are bald but they have a super-soft hair but may eventually become bald.
- Rubber Bald: They are bald from the birth and stay bald all their lives.
Donskoys are extremely affectionate cats with plenty of love to give.
Ukrainian Levkoy
Ukrainian Levkoy is a cross between Donskoy females and Scottish Fold males. Although they are not recognized by western cat associations, they are accepted as separate breeds in Ukrainian and Russian cat clubs.
These are amazing creatures with loyal, affectionate, playful characters and they want to be around their human parents all the time. They are very good with children and other animals and even love the company of them.
They are considered healthy cats as there aren’t much reports of genetic illnesses although Donskoys and Scottish Folds are known to carry some.
Peterbald
Another Russian hairless cat, Peterbald is a descendant of Donskoy and Oriental Shorthair. They are elegant creatures with large pointed ears and almond shaped eyes.
Peterbalds are very friendly and cuddly who often greet you at the door to say welcome and hang around you a little bit. Their incredibly fast metabolism allows them to heal quicker than other cats.
Interestingly, not all Peterbalds are born hairless. Some of them are born with fine and downy coats that they may shed or keep for their their life and although rare sometimes a unique Peterbald is born with a full coat like a typical cat and keeps the coat.
Elf Cat
These are not the Elves you know from the Lord of the Rings but you may name it Legolas or Arwen anyway. Crossing Sphynxes with American Curls gave birth to an amazing creature among hairless cat breeds which is Elf. These are amazing creatures who are active, playful, exceptionally friendly and just like other hairless cats affectionate and loyal.
They also love the company of other cats and they are very smart.
Elf cats have a soft skin with a feel similar to peach-fuzz and some of them have light patches of hair over their paws, ears, tails or noses.
