DON SPHYNX CAT PERSONALITY AND BREED (ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW)
Are you curious to know more about the Don Sphynx cat personality? Despite the name, this breed has nothing to do with the Sphynx.
It is also known by a large variety of different names, including Don Hairless, Russian Hairless, Donsky, and Donskoy. At a glance, the Don Sphynx is a naked Russian breed, energetic, with an athletic constitution and very rough skin.
Let’s know more about the Don Sphynx cat personality and breed.
WHAT IS THE DON SPHYNX CAT GENERAL ASPECT AND SIZE?
The high cheekbones, the big slanting eyes, and all those wrinkles give him a stern old look, but in reality, the Don Sphynx is a friendly and playful cat who feels like a family member.
The Don Sphynx is also known as Donskoy or Don Hairless. Typically this cat is devoid
of coat, but the kittens can have a slight fluff.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DON SPHYNX CAT
Characteristic | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|
In summary | Recently created hairless Russian breed | Better known as Donskoy |
Personality | Outgoing, sociable, and eager to be at the center of attention in the house | |
Appearance | Despite the lack of hair, it is a different mutation from the Sphynx | It was a breed created by crossing Oriental and Siamese |
In the house | He loves to play, and especially the puppies are very athletic and full of energy | Better to not let him out |
Behavior | His playful nature dictates that he has a play area all to himself in the house | |
Grooming | Wipe the body with a damp cloth. Check his ears too | |
Most common health problems | Do not clean the body too frequently to remove excess fat | It is counterproductive and increases the sebum secretion |
Size | Medium, around 4 kg | |
Ears | Large, triangular in shape, with rounded points | |
Eyes | Almond-shaped, sunken and oblique | |
Head | A little longer than wide, with well-defined cheekbones, a straight profile, and wrinkles on the head and chin; the latter is defined and prominent. | |
Paws | Muscular, tapered, and arched; those rear paws are a little longer than the anterior ones; very long and rounded fingers. | |
Coat | Thin hair up to two years, then complete or nearly complete nudity | |
Allowed colors | All, including the point variety with its blue eyes |
The Don Sphynx has long fingers. Without the fur, they look like fingered humans. Another peculiarity is the brittle vibrissae. They are curled like in the Rex but also
very fragile, and they break easily.
The Don Sphynx has a very long tail. It is very long and tends to thin a lot starting
from the base to the end. The nails of the Don Sphynx need to be roughly adjusted every ten days.
The operation needs to be performed with maximum attention to avoid hurting the animal.
APPEARANCE
While the Sphynx has at least a semblance of fur on the ends of the body, the Don Sphynx is almost entirely naked. It is the color of the skin that determines that of the cat.
In some cases, kittens covered with hair are born, which, however, disappears with growth, so much so that at the age of two years are totally hairless. Instead, the body is velvety and warm to the touch.
As you can tell from their build, they are very athletic cats.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE DON SPHYNX CAT?
The origins of Don Sphynx date back to 1987, when a hairless female cat was discovered in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, located near the northeastern coast of the Black Sea.
She was named Varya and became the progenitor of the new breed. The first litter, born in 1989, consists of naked kittens with regular coats.
Since this alternation is absent in the case of the Sphynx, it confirms that the Don Sphynx was an utterly distinct mutation and explains why hairless kittens were born when Varya was mated with a normal cat.
The new breed gained official recognition in 1997, and from that time, the number of Don Sphynx available increased rapidly.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE EUROPEAN SHORTHAIR CAT?
The Don Sphynx was born of a stray found in the Russian town of Rostov Na Donu. The kitten presented a rare coat, if not absent in certain traits. Considering initially that this aspect was due to dermatological problems, the cat was treated.
However, with the first litter, it was noticed that the cause was genetic and not clinical. At this point, the cat’s daughter was adopted by a breeder.
She attempted a selection of several stray cats discovering that these naked cats did not have anything to do with the Sphynx, whose gene is recessive. But, at the same time, it appeared to be immediately dominant.
The Don Sphynx was recognized in 2005 by the TICA.
DON SPHYNX CAT PERSONALITY
Don Sphynx immediately wins the love of his family for his extremely jovial character, tender attitude, and elegant bearing. It is a lively cat, brilliant, and from overwhelming sympathy.
Overall, he shows that he has a strong personality and well balanced; he is remarkably cheerful and affectionate as he is, but he cannot absolve thinking about staying too long
away from his family or feeling somehow excluded from their daily activities.
HOW TO CARE FOR AND FEED THE DON SPHYNX CAT
The hairless skin needs regular cleaning as the sebum produced and unabsorbed can create foul odors and greasiness of the skin. There is no problem to bathe him will not bathe him because the Don Sphynx does not disdain contact with the water.
It is good practice to clean the ears at least once a week with cotton soaked in warm water. The Don Sphynx is a cat with a robust constitution, but the lack of hair makes it particularly sensitive to harsh climates as well as to sunburn.
Like the cousin Sphynx, it needs more input of calories that must be paired with a balanced diet in which meals are divided at different times of the day.
AN ADVICE
Because of his nudity, Don Sphynx shouldn’t stay in the sun. But it is not a problem if they wear sun creams or full-cover clothes.
▷ The ears of Don Sphynx must be cleaned at least once per week.
AN ADVICE
For cleaning a Don Sphynx, the ideal is a bath every two weeks with specific products. However, washings the cat too frequently can, in the long run, create oily skin and intensify the smell that the cat’s skin tends to assume.
THE VIRTUES OF THE SPHINX
Anyone who owns a Don Sphynx knows as well that these cats are irreplaceable companions. It seems that they instinctively know which part of the body of the master aches and that they seek almost to cure it by crouching on it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Don Sphynx (Donskoy) cat price?
The Don Sphynx or Donskoy cat can cost up to $2500 because it is a pretty rare cat. The price depends on the kitten’s age, the purity of the breed, and the reader.
How long do Donskoy cats live?
The Donskoy or Don Sphynx cat can live up to 15 years of age, depending on how well the cat was cared for ( quality of food, medical care, and a good environment).
Are Donskoy cats hypoallergenic?
Although the Donskoy or Don Sphynx is a hairless cat, it is still not hypoallergenic. The cat still produces the type of particles that create allergies in humans.
Do Donskoy cats shed?
The Donskoy cat has a very low level of shedding. The cat is bold with a little bit of fur, which is completely lost when he becomes an adult.
Are Donskoy cats good pets?
Donskoy cats are very good pets because they are friendly and want to be part of the family. They are also lively and entertaining. In addition, you can expect this cat to be brilliant.
What is the difference between Donskoy and Sphynx?
The differences between the Donskoy and the Sphynx are a few. For starters, the Donskoy cat is from Russia, while the Sphynx comes from Canada.
In addition, while they both have a gene responsible for their lack of fur, in the Sphynx, this gene is recessive ( meaning that it is not constantly modifying the genetics and that some cats might be born with the fur), in the Donskoy the gene is dominant (constantly influencing the newly born kittens).
Both cats are affectionate and loving.