The Donskoy cat, also known as Don Sphynx or Russian Hairless, is a hairless cat breed of Russian origin. It is not related to the better-known Sphynx cat (Canadian Hairless) whose characteristic hairlessness is caused by a recessive mutation in the keratin 71 gene. The Donskoy's hairlessness, on the other hand, is caused by a dominant mutation.
History
The Donskoy breed is able to be traced back to one kitten. This breed started in 1987 with the discovery of a hairless cat in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don by cat breeder Elena Kovaleva. Varvara mated with a local tomcat and produced a litter of kittens. Some were born hairless, and the others started with hair but lost it like their mother. These kittens are the founding stock of the Donskoy breed and were later outcrossed with European Shorthair cats. and outcrossing is not permitted, except with the domestic shorthair, due to the effect of the Donskoy's dominant hairless mutation.
Breeding ban
Since 2014, it is illegal in the Netherlands to breed with parent cats which bear genetic mutations or other physical abnormalities that cause health or welfare issues in their offspring. The lack of protective fur in hairless cats, such as the Donskoy, is one of these banned mutations in parent cats.
Physical appearance
The most striking physical characteristics of Donskoy cats is its hairlessness. Donskoys are medium sized, muscular cats in build. Their heads are triangular, with large ears and eyes which give Donskoys an elf-like appearance. Donskoy skin is very wrinkled, especially concentrated on the face, neck, chest, and the base of its tail.
Skin and eye color can range in Donskoy cats. Skin pattern colors tend to appear faded. While eye color can range from blue, green, amber, orange, yellow, or brown.
Some Donskoy cats may grow a faint fur coat during colder winter months, but the hair eventually falls off as warmer weather months return. and Donskoys could cause feline ectodermal dysplasia in its homozygous form, causing problems including poor dentition and compromised ability to lactate or sweat. Similar dominant mutations (such as in FOXI3) cause the condition in hairless dogs, and the symptoms in dominant-type hairless cats and dogs mirror those of human ectodermal dysplasia (which also results in sparse or absent hair).
Demeanor
Unlike some other cat breeds, the Donskoy cat is extremely social. Beyond its hairlessness, the Donskoy cat is very inquisitive and soft-hearted. Donskoy cats are typically active, therefore they require sufficient stimulation to keep them entertained. They spend more time moving around than the average cat. Due to their social behavior Donskoy cats do not do well being left alone for long periods of time.
Additionally, Donskoys are friendly and extremely intelligent. These characteristics make Donskoy cats ideal for training. The Donskoy cat’s good and gentle nature, along with social demeanor, makes them perfectly suited for families and are also great with children. The general disposition of the Donskoy cat is loving and amiable.
Thanks to their demeanor, Donskoys usually get along well with other cat breeds especially other playful cats. Their activity levels can cause challenges with older cats. Donskoys are capable of getting along with dogs as well, if properly introduced.