Donskoy | |
---|---|
Other names | Don Hairless, Don Sphynx, Russian Hairless |
Origin | Russia |
Breed standards | |
FIFe | standard |
TICA | standard |
Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
The Donskoy cat, also known as Don Sphynx or Russian Hairless, is a hairless cat breed of Russian origin.[1] 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.[2]
Donskoys, whose baldness is caused as a result of a dominant mutant gene, were first discovered in Russia in 1987. They are often mistaken for the Canadian Don Sphynx breed whose characteristic hairlessness is caused by a recessive gene.