Peterbald

The Peterbald is a hairless cat from Russia, and its name is a play on Saint Petersburg, the city where it was born. In 1994 a breeder named Olga Mironova paired a hairless Donskoy male, Afinogen Myth, with an Oriental Shorthair female, Radma von Jagerhof, and the kittens became the first Peterbalds.

The look is Oriental. A Peterbald has a long, slim, graceful body, a wedge-shaped head, huge ears and almond-shaped eyes. The legs are long and fine, and the paws are small and elegant, with long, flexible toes that the cat uses like hands.

The coat varies. The Peterbald may be completely bald, with a sticky, rubbery texture, or covered in a fine flock, a peach-like fuzz, or a velvet or brush coat of short, wavy hair. Some kittens are born with a coat and lose it, and a few keep a full coat, so each cat is a surprise.

The personality is Oriental as well. Peterbalds are intelligent, sociable and talkative, and they bond closely with people. They are active, climbing, jumping and investigating, and they like to follow and help. They get on well with children and other pets, and they do not like to be alone.

These cats seek warmth. Without a full coat they feel the cold and look for laps, blankets and sunny spots. The skin may need an occasional wipe or bath to remove oils, and sunscreen or shade in summer. A sweater in winter is practical, and many cats enjoy it.

Health notes include skin issues, dental disease and, in some lines, heart problems and amyloidosis, so ask breeders about screening. A healthy Peterbald can live twelve to fifteen years. Give it warmth, company and plenty to do, and it will give you a loving, velvet-skinned companion.