The Donskoy / Don Sphynx is a Russian breed whose history starts with the story of the first hairless cat which was found in the city Rostov-on-Don in Russia in 1986. Elena Kovaleva, Professor of the State Pedagogical Institute, encountered a wild scene as she headed home. Boys playing soccer with a bag and inside the bag was a kitten squalling in fear and pain.

Elena took the bag and brought the kitten home. She named the kitten Varvara who grew up... loosing her hair.Varvara was treated against lichen and demodecosis, but all in vain and within a couple of years she had given birth to completely hairless kittens. People decided the kittens had to be unhealthy and decided to get rid of them. That is all except one of the kittens which got to Irina Nemikina who was enthusiast and professional cat breeder. In several years Irina had generated a completely new breed of Russian hairless cat - the Donskoy!None of the experts took the news about the Russian Sphynx seriously. People thought it was just one more trick; it was a unified decision all around Russia not to take it seriously. Later they examined the cats and found no one shaved or epilated them. The experts had to change their resolve.During the next few years the new breed of hairless Russian cat the Donskoy witnessed drastic development in Russia. In spite of high prices it turned out to be very prestigious to have a Donskoy in your home.

But there were problems with the breeding of the new cats. The limited number of purebred animals was the main difficulty. It was allowed till 2000 to breed the Donskoy with other Russian aboriginal breeds which were close to the Donskoy. ONLY the Siberian and European short-hair cats were used for breeding. At present purebred Donskoy cats are becoming more numerous and there is no need to use other cat breeds to maintain the breed of Donskoy.Some breeders choose to mix the Donskoy with other breeds, e.g. with Siamese cats. The resulting breed received the name Petersburg Sphynx (Peterbald). Though Peterbald is a hairless cat, although not bald, it is a completely different breed with different distinguishing traits.

One of the main characteristics of the Donskoy is its complete lack of hair in one of its coat types. It can be completely bald. No down or light covering of any kind that is found in other breeds that are considered hairless.
In 1997 the breed was registered in World Cat Federation (WCF).

The Donskoy is quite different in appearance from the Canadian Sphynx and there is no connection between these types of hairless cats. In fact they are so genetically different that the two can not be bred. The Canadian Sphynx carries a recessive gene while the Donskoy carries a dominant gene.

The Donskoy have characteristically large ears and elongated compact muscular bodies. Folds appear around the main joints during movement. The tail is long and rat like but soft and swishy like that of a mouse. Their limbs are long and agile. The paws have long fingers and toes (called monkey fingers) that make them look like little hands. Their eyes are medium to large and almond-shaped. The face is short, with large cheek-bones and a powerful chin.Donskoy have a strong healthy heart and high resistance against stress and illness.

The Donskoy is usually Bald; although some have Flock, soft Velour or Brush Coats. The Don Sphynx has the least fur covering of any breed of cat. They are described as feeling velvety and hot to the touch. The Brush coat, although rare, is ideal for a child that suffers from allergies to cat hair, yet still wants a fluffy kitten. If the child is not allergic to cat saliva, it can usually have one of these fluffy kittens of this coat type. The gene causing the allergic reaction to cat hair appears to be missing in the Donskoy. This is one of the only breeds suitable for humans allergic to cat hair. If you are allergic to cat saliva you may still be allergic to the Donskoy.

Donskoys are totally indoor cats. Thorns, sharp stones and the claws of other cats that "hairy" felines might not notice can cause wounds on them. Even brushing against a wall may cause scratches. Donskoy are sensitive to cold. Because they are without hair they are susceptible to skin cancer. Donskoy love to lay in the sun and tan. They develop pigment and absorb vitamin D, which is necessary to metabolize calcium. So it is necessary for Donskoy to have access to a sunny place. But beware; they will burn in excessively sunny places just like we will.

Donskoy are said to be one of the most affectionate of all cats. They are highly intelligent and very resourceful. They are among the most special, loving, kind-hearted and spiritual little beings!

If you want to get a Donskoy, you need to make sure your rooms are draft free and well heated in the winter. It should be warm enough so that a human could walk around naked without risking a cold. If you are away at work all day this is not the cat for you. They need company and they thrive on giving and receiving attention.