Pet Information – Don Sphynx (Donskoy)

The Don Sphynx cat, also known as the Donskoy cat, is a very new breed originating in the Russian city of Rostov on the Don river. In 1987 a bald stray female cat was taken in by a woman who thought the cat must be ill to have lost all its hair. The cat actually proved to be rather healthy, and later had a litter of hairless kittens. The Don Sphynx is a mutation caused by a dominant gene, so the hairless quality is passed easily to offspring. They are muscular, medium-sized cats that surprisingly have few breed-related health issues when simple precautions are taken.

Life expectancy: 16-20 years
Originating country: Russia
Temperament: Intelligent, active, loving
Interesting fact: Don Sphynx also have unique paws which are very long-toed and webbed allowing these cats to grasp and hold things as if they had little hands.