Variety:
Peterbald
Country of origin:
Russia
Colours:
Various colours
Characteristics:
Intelligent, friendly, sociable, peaceful, sincere, loyal
Weight:
3-5 kg
Longevity:
13-15 years
Other names:
Peterbald, Peter Rex
Peterbald – a cat of exceptional oriental beauty, which first of all captivates with its extremely graceful body and expressive eyes.This breed is a cat that is sure to leave no one indifferent: some adore it, while others wonder and shrug how they could have chosen such a cat. However, Peterbald breeders agree that it is simply impossible not to admire these cats – they seem to have come from a different world, and their character is captivating from the very first moment.
History of the litter
Peterbalds – a young cat breed that was created in 1994. It is the work of Olga Mironova from St. Petersburg, who introduced the dominant mutation of hairlessness into the genotype of Siamese and Oriental cats. The current breed is based on cats bred by Olga Mironova. The first breed was the result of a cross between a Don Sphynx called Afinoguen Myth and an Oriental cat called Radma vom Jagerhof. Although the Peterbalds and the Don Sphynx are descended from the same ancestors, the two breeds are very different from each other: firstly, the structure of the bones of the two breeds is different, as is the positioning of the ears, so that it is not very difficult to tell the two breeds apart. The earliest members of the breed (Muscat and Mandarin) had hair that was only a few millimetres long, which practically disappeared after a couple of years of age. This type of coat was later called „Flock“. There are currently as many as five types of hair on cats, and it is very difficult to predict how much, if any, of the cat’s coat will remain when it grows up (the body of the cat may remain bald, but there may be some hair on the paws, muzzle and tail). There is also the „Peterbald varietta“ type – adult cats do not shed.
Peterbald: appearance
The Peterbald has a graceful and elegant body, with a narrow, wedge-shaped head, flat cheekbones and forehead, large ears, which are raised on the sides of the head. The length of the skull is almost the same as the length of the snout, with vertical wrinkles on the forehead, horizontally above the eyes. Another distinctive feature of these cats – is the curled whiskers, which are prone to breakage (adult cats may have no whiskers at all). The eyes are relatively small, deep, incisive and may be green or blue. Body is stretched, muscular, legs strong-boned and long. Claws rounded, toes long, flexed. Tail long, straight, tapering towards the rear. Skin elastic, becoming wrinkled, redundant. Peterbalds have a premature baldness gene rather than a baldness gene, so that kittens may have as many as five coat types at birth. The bald („gummy“) Peterbald is born bald and often has no whiskers. These kittens require a lot of care – they should be bathed once a week and wiped daily with a wet wipe. The skin of „Velour“ coat type kittens is similar to that of a peach – the hair is usually 2 mm long. This type of kitten does not require a lot of care. The „Brush“ coat type is longer than 2 mm and rough. „Flock“ – soft fur, longer than 2 mm, which looks like a hairball. „Peterbald variety“ – these are kittens that do not have the hairless gene. Kittens of this type are born with a straight moustache and a short coat, and do not shed as adults. „Peterbald varietta“ – is the ideal choice for those who admire the character of the Peterbald, but do not want to buy a hairless cat.
Peterbald: character
This breed’s character tends to be intelligent, social, playful and inquisitive with a tendency to be active indoors or out. They are generally calm, patient and docile but they can be boisterous if they don’t have the attention they need. Peterbald hybrids are usually more energetic than purebred cats according to their dominant genetic traits.