Introduction
Cats are lovely pets that many people prefer keeping in their homes. Different breeds of cats exist in the world today. Some of these cat breeds are hairless, while most have their bodies covered with hair. Most breeds of cats with hair on their bodies tend to have soft skin with attractive hairs.
This makes many people love them for their beauty and many other purposes. However, not all people desire to keep hairy cats. In this article, I will take you through the cat breeds with hairless skin that exist today.
In my research, I realized that most people who dislike keeping cats with hairy skin are allergic to cats. As a result, they are limited to keeping only hairless cats at home to maintain their love of having a pet at home. Even at that, it is still a fact that no pet can be fully hypoallergenic to some people.
For instance, if you prefer hairless cats due to the allergic nature of your body, this does not mean that the pet will now be hypoallergenic to you. Even hairless cats produce a certain amount of dander.
However, hairless breeds will have their allergy levels reduced compared to hairy breeds. This makes them a winning option because they make you healthier by reducing the levels of sniffing in your body caused by an allergy. Taking that in mind, there are up to nine known hairless breeds that exist in the world today.
Each of the breeds has unique characteristics that differentiate them from each other. Therefore, I will have to take you through each breed to differentiate them. Here are the 8 known hairless cat breeds in the world today.
1. Donskoy Cat Breed
The Donskoy cat is a Russian cat breed that has hairless skin. This breed of cat loves cuddling; most exist in large numbers in the Russian Empire. It is a friendly cat breed that enjoys playing with children. You can also find them playing with other pets, such as puppies, as they are very gentle and affectionate. The most interesting characteristic of the Donskoy cat breed is that they are highly trainable.
For this reason, you can easily make the pet learn the most basic voice commands and boost communication between you and the pet. In addition, the Donskoy cats love to play with open boards, bags, and boxes during their leisure time.
Looking at its history, the Donskoy cat breed is believed to have been created by Irinia Nemikina, a professional pet breeder. This happened after Elena Kovalena, a professor in the country, hunted and rescued a cat from a group of boys. The professor decided to save the boy with part of his head bald from the boys he thought were torturing him.
Elena kept the kitten and later gave it to Irinia, who adopted the young cat. Irinia later used the partly hairless kitten to create a new breed of fully hairless Donskoy cats. This also gave the breed of cat other names, such as Russian hairless cats and Sphynx cats.
The Donskoy cat breed has skin that is soft and smooth. For this reason, you should use wipes that are specifically made to be used for wiping down pets to bathe them. You also need to bathe them gently, which is much healthier for them in terms of maintaining their good skin condition than if you bathe them. When you over-bathe the Donskoy cat breed, their skin can easily get dried out due to their nature.
There are also some interesting facts about the Donskoy cat breed. For example, the hairless cat breed came about because of a dominant gene change while making the breed. During the birth period of this breed of cat, some kittens come out with some hair, while others are born hairless. However, the hairy Donskoy breed kitten loses their hair during their growth period.
During the winter, the Donskoy cat breed’s skin grows some small hairs that help keep their bodies warm. When the season changes to summer, they lose their hair again and become hairless. To keep this breed healthy, maintain brushing and bathing their teeth regularly. They always suffer from gum problems and tooth decay, which makes them lose their lives easily.
2. Bambino Cat Breed
The Bambino cat breed is an example of a Munchkin hybrid cat found in many places in Italy. The Bambino cat breed commonly kept today has small bodies with short legs. They can also be found with hairy tales, which can make you confuse them with a little hairless lion. It is always rare to find a Bambino cat breed that has grown to more than nine pounds in a normal environment.
They are always known to have more energy than other breeds of cats and to be playful. In addition, bambino cats are prone to depression. For this reason, you should always not keep the cat alone and make it feel lonely for a longer time.
Because they are very friendly, they will love playing with humans and have a good level of affection. In history, the Bambino cat breed was first introduced to the world in 2005 by Stephanie Osborne and Pat. When the Sphynx cat breed was made in Arkansas, the genes that make hairless cats more likely to be hairless were taken out.
The gene was combined with the Munchkin cats to form the Bambino cat breed. Because the gene mutation of the breed caused many abnormalities, some organizations rejected the breed. For instance, the American Cat Fanciers Association did not accept the bambino cat as a genuine breed.
The Bambino cat breed has a beautiful skin appearance. The skin appears to be very thin and soft. The soft nature of the cat results from the layer of fur found on the pet’s body, which tends to be fine and smooth. When you keep the Bambino cat breed, you must maintain the pet’s body by practicing a regular bathing routine.
This prevents the cat’s skin from attracting oils, dirt, and sebaceous secretions. The Bambino cat breed always has small and unique bodies, making them look like kittens even when fully grown into cats.
3. Minskin Cat Breed
The Minskin cat breed was first found in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, in 2000. It is a true millennial cat with a curious and cute-looking nature. The cat breed also lacks hair in its body and has short legs. You can also find a Minskin cat breed with little hair on its skin that has different appearances in colors.
The hairless Minskin cat breed also has different colors of appearance, giving you a wide range of options depending on your color choice. They are also friendly with people and a little more intelligent than other common breeds of cats. This makes them easier to deal with than the other common breeds. Because f their friendly nature, Minskin cats love playing with dogs, kids, and also other breeds of cats.
The Minskin cat breed was created by crossing Sphynx cats with the Munchkin cat breed. In the spirit of experimentation, Paul McSorley, a pet breeder, began breeding the two species in 1998. He did the breeding experiments in Boston, and in 2000, the Minskin cat breed was created in its final form.
In 2008, the Minskin cat breed was accepted by the International Cat Association as a new genuine cat breed. The cat breed, which has hairless skin, however, faces many skin challenges caused by sunburn. For this reason, they are not suitable for keeping in areas that experience stronger sunlight.
You must shelter your Minskin cat breed if you come from such areas or experience the summer season with strong sunlight. They also need protection from cold temperatures, especially during the winter. You can also keep the cat’s skin clean and hygienic by bathing it regularly with wipes designed for bathing pets.
4. Peterbald Cat Breed
This is also a hairless Russian cat breed commonly found in Russia. The cat breed first came into existence in 1980. However, the breed was accepted by the body governing cats, the International cat Association, in 1997. In 2003, the World Cat Federation accepted the Peterbald cat breed as a genuine breed for keeping at home.
Peterbald cats are more friendly, curious, and intelligent than other cat breeds. In their appearance, Peterbald cats have almond-shaped eyes, long legs, a thin tail, and a slightly larger ear. They always got along with other pets, such as dogs, and liked kids.
The Peterbald cats are very loyal and affectionate and do not like being left alone at home. They may not withstand being lonely for a longer time and will love to play with other pets to keep them busy. They will let you know if they feel lonely due to their vocal nature. Most of the existing species of Peterbald cats have fur-free skin. However, there are also species of cats with peach-like fuzz, wiry hair, and a fur coat on their skin. To maintain the beautiful nature of your skin, you will have to keep the skin clean by practicing regular bathing. The skin may have increased oil and attract more dirt if not perfectly cleaned.
5. Ukrainian Levkoy Cat Breed
This cat breed was created by crossing Donskoy cat breeds with Scottish fold cat breeds. Even though it has existed for more than twenty years since it was first created, the Ukrainian Levkoy cat breed still needs to be recognized by some bodies governing cat breeding. However, the breed gained straight of existence after the International Cat accepted its breeds Association.
In recent years, the Ukrainian and Russian cat clubs, where the breed is found in large numbers, have accepted it as a safe cat breed for keeping at home.
The Ukrainian Levkoy cat breed is friendly, curable, and very playful. It is also intelligent and hairless, with a slender and muscular body. The fur-free skin is also soft and may suffer from yeast infections if not well maintained. Some species may also have a thin coat of down and soft fur. The cat breed also loves welcoming strangers and is very vocal, making them easily share their opinion with you.
To keep the Ukrainian Levkoy cat breed well and safe, they will require you to provide them with much love and attention throughout its life. As a reward, the cats will provide you with an endless cuteness nature and cuddling behavior.
6. Sphynx Cat Breed
The Sphynx cat breed was first found in Ontario, Canada, in 1966. It was discovered that a cat with short hair on its skin gave birth to a kitten with hairless skin. The little male kitten was then named Prune. The little Prune’s birth was similar to a naturally occurring gene mutation that made it lack hair on its skin. From there, many breeders experimented with Prune to see if they could produce more hairless cats from the pet. It is from these experiments that the Canadian sphynx was created.
Sphynx cats are known to be happy breeds of cats recognized by the bodies governing cat breeding and keeping in the world. They will always provide you with a lot of lap time and love at home. They also like playing with kids, dogs, and other pets.
Despite the Sphynx cats’ having fur-free skin, they still produce dander. However, their dander is less harmful to allergic people, as it doesn’t get trapped in the layers of fur. It would be beneficial if you provided basic care for the cat to live a longer and healthier life. For instance, the cat breed has oily skin and needs frequent baths to keep their skin clean.
7. Elf Cat Breed
Elf is a new cat breed made by Kristen Leedom and Nelson Karen, two cat breeders, in 2004. The Elf Cat breed was formed by crossbreeding the American Curl and the Sphynx breeds. The Elf cats have curled ears and a physical elegance with hairless skin. Some species of the elf cat breed have fine fur covering their bodies. You might not easily notice the appearance of the fur on the body due to its fine nature. They have straight-up ears with curled tip ears that face backward. You may notice it flapping its ears sometimes.
The elf cats have bright eyes and intelligent minds that love staying in a stimulating ecosystem. They are still new to the cat world, and most of their characters may still need to be discovered. However, people who keep the elf cats notice that the breed loves playing with other pets and kids. They also like soaking up and are friendly to other pets and kids.
8. Dwelf Cat Breed
The Dwelf Cat breed was created in early 2000. It was developed by crossbreeding American Curl, Sphynx, and Munchkin. The result of the crossbreed was an adorable, hairless, and lovely Dwelf cat with curled ears. The Dwelf cats weigh less than five pounds, with their skin covered with light fuzz. The Dwelf cats are very sensitive to heat and cold, so you’ll need to give them a place to stay when it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The Dwelf cats are very playful, energetic, and intelligent.
Most people who keep this species of cat note that they love playing with miniature dogs and cuddling. They are also known to be very affectionate and will always want to be part of your life. When you keep Dwelf cat breeds, you will always learn to provide them with enough play time and mental stimulation, as they love being close to people in the environment. You should also avoid living alone for a longer time.
They cannot withstand being lonely for a long time if they are away from home as they may easily get depressed. Just like other hairless cats, Dwelf cat also needs little maintenance to make it stay healthier all the time. For example, you must give the cat regular baths so that dirt doesn’t stick to its skin. Because the skin is hairless, it produces a lot of oil that attracts dirt easily when the cat plays.
Final Thoughts
Many people always like keeping hairy cats, as they are known cat breeds. However, hairless cat breeds are also available for keeping too. However, maintaining hairless cat breeds might be much more complex than hairy cats. This is due to their hairless nature, which makes them prone to many skin conditions caused by cold and warm temperature effects.
However, hairless cat breeds are always preferred for keeping by cat lovers who are allergic to dander produced by cat furs. Therefore, hairless breeds give a suitable option for them to keep the pet at home. By reading this blog, I hope you can successfully choose the hairless cat breed of your choice and learn its nature and how to keep them at home.
