I recently came across a breed of cat which surprised me. I’d never seen one, and don’t recall spotting any reference to it in books or magazines (probably due to going around with half-closed eyes!). It was the Sphynx, a breed which is hairless due a mutated gene, and was named after the ancient monument in Egypt. As one writer put it, if you ever wanted to see what a cat looked like naked, then now you know.

Now that I’ve opened my eyes and looked around I find that The Sphynx is not alone as a hairless breed. To my mind (and I’m sure I’m bound to annoy more than one person here) the other two I’ve come across – the Peterbald and the Donskoy – are even stranger, the latter being extremely wizened. And yet, like all breeds each has its enthusiasts. Each to his or her own, say I.

It seems that the Sphynx breed probably originated in the 1960 when a shorthaired domestic cat in Canada had a male kitten which was hairless. The younger male then mated with his mother and so a new hairless breed was born. It took until the 1990s for the Sphynx to be recognised officially and not until 2002 could it be widely shown.

Sphynx cats are friendly, loyal companions, who delight in a lot of personal attention and purr happily when a favorite person is nearby. They are athletic athletic and enjoy tree climbing. The Sphynx have strong personalities and don’t enjoy being lonely. Another cat companion, not neceassarily another Sphynx, will help to keep a Sphynx happy and occupied while the owner is away from the house.

As implied in my opening comments these unusual cats are not to everyone’s liking. But with its unique appearance and bubbly personality you might just decide that one would make a great new companion.

Tags: cat breeds, Donskoy, Peterbald, Sphynx