Lil-BuckaRoo's Don & Peterbald Sphynx
PurrBald-Aliens Russian Hairless
Peterbald Sphynx history and info
The Newest Breed of Hairless Cats
The present day Peterbald originated in Russia in 1988. The cat was first thought to have a fungal infection and was treated. It soon became obvious that this was a hairless cat. After genetic testing, it was found to be a total different gene than what is found in the Sphynx. The Peterbald carries a dominant gene meaning that if a Peterbald was mated with a normal coated cat, bald kittens could be expected in the first generation, whereas in the Sphynx which is a recessive gene, the same mating would produce all normal coated kittens. The first cat discovered was a blue tortie cat and is the foundation cat of the Peterbald Breed. This cat was rescued by Irina Kovalyova.
These cats were first called Don Hairless and was mated to European Shorthairs and domestic shorthairs. In 1993, an oriental looking brown mackerel tabby was bred with a oriental female. This occurred in St. Petersburg, Russia. These latter cats became very popular in St. Petersburg, but the Don Hairless remained popular in Moscow.
To this date, both the Don Hairless and the Peterbalds can be found in the United States. The Peterbald gained acceptance in The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1997. It is currently in the Preliminary New Breed Status.
The Peterbalds of today, has a graceful body, with fine boning. This is a lean, muscular cat that has large ears set lower than an Orientals or a Siamese. Although, they look similar to an Oriental and a Siamese, they are there own unique breed.
The Peterbald appears hairless, though they are not truly hairless. The skin is wrinkled, elastic and loose and feels like warm chamois cloth or the skin of a peach. Some kittens have a fine soft down. The degree of hairlessness can vary from full nakedness to a "brush" coat to a "flocked" or a straight coat. More of a soft coat can appear on the ears, muzzle, tail and feet. All of this depends on the genes that is carried by the parents. Flocked is more of a velour and brush is partially bald but covered with curly, rigid residual hairs.
The Peterbald coat is unusual and is actually quite difficult to describe because it can range from sticky bald to having course, curly hair. This curly coarse coat is only found in one other breed - the Don Sphynx which is the foundation breed for the Peterbald. Many Peterbalds are born with a curly course coat that slowly disappears as the cat matures. Some may lose the curly coarse coat by 4 months, others may take up to 2 years or may not lose the coat at all. The dominant hairless gene found in the Peterbald is not very predictable.. Kittens from the same litter can range from having a brush coat to being completely bald. This hairless gene needs to be analyzed further to gain a better understanding of how the gene works. Once the gene or genes that contribute to the hairlessness are better understood, this information can be to help Peterbald breeding programs. COAT DESCRIPTIONS There are three basic types of coat: There is a spectrum of these coats. Peterbalds can combine coat types. For example, a bald Peterbald can have brush coat on its extremities/points. 1.) Bald - Some cats are born bald - this type of coat is the greatest degree of hairlessness and can feel sticky to the touch, but not all do. Some (see illustration below) are born with curly, course hair and then become very bald. Their skin has a wonderful silky feel to it. Peterbalds that are bald can have a small degree of hair on the points (tail, ears, feet) 2.) Velour - This coat is lovely and feels like crushed velvet. You can see the very short hairs (only a few millimeters long) even from a distance. 3.) Brush - This coat is very unusual. It is a wiry, curly hair. Good brush coat Peterbalds have some curly coarse coat, but you can always see through to the skin. Thicker brush coats (where you cannot see the skin) or "straight" coats are not desired in the Peterbald Personality and traits
