Halfway between a cat and a human, evolution created the Donskoy. It’s an exotic, polarizing creature that, yes, smells nice. Let’s bust some of the main myths about this breed.
Breed History
Don’t let the name “Don Sphynx” fool you: these unusual kittens have nothing to do with Egypt. Their hometown is Rostov-on-Don in Russia. In 1987, a kind soul named Elena Kovaleva picked up a 3-month-old hairless stray kitten off the street. The foundling was named Varvara, and for a long time she was treated for hair loss: ringworm, dermatitis, and all sorts of other things were suspected. The list of what she was treated for could go on and on, but along the way it became clear that Varvara wasn’t suffering at all and actually felt great.
When the time came, Varvara had beautiful kittens with a local tomcat named Vasily. One of the girls from that litter, Chita, took after her mom and was just as hairless. That’s when people realized the lack of hair was a genetic mutation, and breeders set about developing a new breed.
The first experimental standard was created in 1992. Around the same time, the question came up: what to call these newcomers from the Don? Options included “Nu” (French for “naked”), “Nyushka,” “Kazachka” (Cossack girl), “Scythian,” and “Dandelion,” but in the end the breeders settled on “Don Sphynx” (a nod to the already well-known Canadian Sphynx and to the breed’s birthplace). In English, the breed is best known as the Donskoy.
Today the Donskoy is recognized by TICA. The better-known sphynx is the Canadian Sphynx.
Donskoy Personality and Traits at a Glance
| Affection for family | ★★★★★ |
| Shedding | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Health | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Playfulness | ★★★★☆ |
| Vocality | ★★★☆☆ |
| Good with kids | ★★★★★ |
| Friendliness toward strangers | ★★★★★ |
| Ease of grooming | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Gets along with other pets | ★★★★★ |
| Intelligence | ★★★★☆ |
Donskoy Breed Overview
By an amazing coincidence, a cat from the Russian provinces really does look a lot like the Egyptian statues. The Donskoy has soft body lines, a huge dose of harmony, and a pinch of ancient magic. Let’s look at the breed’s features.
- The Donskoy’s head is wedge-shaped, with well-defined cheekbones and brow ridges. The flat forehead has lots of vertical wrinkles that fan out above the eyes. The standard calls for a “strong” chin:
- the nose is straight and of medium length, with a barely noticeable transition to the forehead;
- the ears are large with rounded tips, and the breed standard says the Donskoy’s ears tilt slightly forward;
- the eyes are almond-shaped, medium-sized, and set at a slight angle. There are no eyelashes. The eyes can be any color. The breed’s quirks show up from the first hours of life. Unlike kittens of other breeds, newborn Donskoys sometimes open their eyes within the first few hours after birth! And the closer the kitten is to the standard, the sooner the eyes open (some are even born with their eyes open);
- the whiskers are curly or may be missing entirely.
- The way a Donskoy looks shocks a lot of people. With no hair, the cat’s build is on full display, so every strength and flaw of the figure is plain to see. According to the standard, the body is sturdy and muscular, with broad hips. The hips are often wider than the shoulders, giving the Donskoy a “pear-shaped” figure. The cat is medium-sized.
The legs are long, graceful, and straight, but not delicate. The hind legs are longer than the front legs. The toes are long too; this kind of paw is called a “monkey paw.” In general, you could call sphynxes “stretched-out” cats. The ears, muzzle, body, legs: everything seems to go on forever. The long, straight tail, rounded at the tip, stretches into infinity too.
Adult males weigh up to about 15 lb, while females don’t get much heavier than 11 lb.
- Skin and color.
“The emperor has no clothes.” Only, unlike the emperor in the fairy tale, the Donskoy really is naked and proud of it. Signs of a proper Donskoy are elastic skin that gathers in elegant wrinkles on the neck, groin, belly, and armpits.
IMPORTANT! Not every “Dandelion” is completely naked. The standard lists several skin types:
- rubber bald (born hairless): no hair at all, and the skin feels “rubbery”;
- flock or velour: hairs up to about 1/16 inch long, and the skin feels like a peach;
- brush: a sparse, wavy coat. These cats can periodically “undress” and “dress” again.
All kittens are allowed a little hair. It should be gone by about 2 years of age. Any color is allowed. A Donskoy can be black, gray, red, white, cream, or blue: something for every taste!
Donskoy Personality
The Donskoy’s out-of-this-world looks shape its personality too. Owner reviews all say the same thing: this is an otherworldly “kissy” cat! Not only will you want to kiss its nose for being good, but this companion cat constantly wants to wrap its paws around its favorite person and smother them with kisses. Some people call them clingy.
Donskoys aren’t jealous and will get along with your other pets and small children. Keep in mind that the Donskoy loves toys. They’re just like kids! So every now and then you should spoil them with a new toy. In general, these naked cats are ready to play at any moment. They’re firecracker cats: one second they’re circling your feet, and the next, after bouncing off the walls, the pictures, the chandelier, and the curtains, they’re already in the far room.
The Donskoy tends to pick one leader of the pack and stay devoted to that person. Keep in mind that Donskoys are sensitive. They won’t take revenge by ruining your shoes or your bed, but they’ll look you in the eye in a way that leaves you no choice but to beg for forgiveness, smothering the kitty with kisses and offering treats from the fridge.
Donskoys are smarter than average, and very clean too.
Some people believe Donskoys have healing energy. That myth is hard to disprove. At the very least, they’re more likely than other breeds to come “treat” their owner by lying on the sore spot.
Health
How can you tell your Donskoy isn’t feeling well? Sometimes you can tell by the smell. Sphynxes don’t smell like other cats. Their personal scent is a mix of spices, milk, and skin. If you notice a sour note in the mix, pay attention to your pet’s health.
If your first move is to take their temperature, remember that a Donskoy’s is higher than a human’s (about 103–104°F), and to the touch (since they have no hair) they can feel even hotter, so only a thermometer will give you the real picture.
Make sure your Donskoy kitten doesn’t get chilled: they can catch a cold even indoors.
Of course, the Donskoy’s main health problems are skin conditions:
- dermatitis caused by parasites, allergens, or a lack of the thyroid hormone thyroxine;
- eczema (inflammation of the outer layers of the skin);
- ringworm (a fungal infection), and so on.
Since Donskoys have no eyelashes, discharge can build up in the corners of their eyes and needs to be cleaned regularly.
The Donskoy is not hypoallergenic. No hair doesn’t mean no allergies. The main culprit is a glycoprotein found in cat saliva. Sphynxes have it on their skin too, but frequent wiping and bathing definitely lower the risk of an allergic reaction.
The average lifespan is 12–15 years.
Care and Living Conditions
The Donskoy’s skin needs special, constant care.
Here’s something everyone thinking about getting a kitten should know: sphynxes sweat. Few people write about it, but Donskoy owners know that sphynx sweat has color and, if you don’t wipe it off in time, can stain surfaces around your home. The same substance that makes their sweat dark also builds up in their ears and on their claws. Inexperienced owners start treating their pet for mites, when in fact all it takes is wiping the cat down weekly with a sponge and a gentle pet skin wipe or lotion.
Sphynxes also need frequent baths. Use mild shampoos when you bathe them; you can even use baby shampoo.
From time to time, let them soak up some sun with you: Donskoys benefit a lot from sunbathing, and a light tan makes their colors more beautiful and striking. Just keep the sessions short and supervised, since hairless skin can burn.
Care for a sphynx with the motto “Toughen up to stay healthy!” A sphynx needs exercise and occasional walks.
Feeding
You can feed a Donskoy commercial cat food, regular food, or a mix of both. Just remember that you must never give them salted freshwater fish, fatty meat (pork, lard), bones, smoked, spicy, or pickled food, or sweets and baked goods.
Feed a young “Nyushka” 4 times a day; from 10 months, a kitten eats 3 times a day, and an adult cat should be fed twice a day, with the biggest meal in the evening.
Photos
Thanks to its exotic look, the Donskoy often becomes a celebrity pet, and over time these cats become social media stars themselves, striking funny poses in photos. Although, if you think about it, who knows who’s choosing whom, and who the real star is!
Where to Buy a Donskoy Kitten in the US
Unlike many young breeds still waiting for worldwide success, the Donskoy is already basking in fame. Catteries in Europe and America offer beautiful kittens that meet the breed standard and the expectations of the people who fall in love with them. In the US, though, the Donskoy is still rare, so be ready for a waitlist.
In the US, a Donskoy kitten usually costs about $500 to $2,500.
Lots of factors affect the price, and the cattery’s reputation is one of the biggest. For a kitten from a reputable breeder, expect to pay toward the upper end of that range.
Choose a Donskoy cattery:
- TICA (The International Cat Association) breeder listings – https://tica.org/find-a-cat/find-a-cat-breeder-listings/;
- Life Of Donskoy (a US cattery that breeds only Donskoys) – https://lifeofdonskoy.odoo.com/.
Since there are only a few Donskoy breeders in the US, many owners bring their kittens in from European catteries.
The Donskoy. A few hundred more years of evolution and breeding, and it’ll practically be human!
