Don Sphynx

First things first; this breed of cat is not related to the better known Sphynx (aka "Canadian Hairless", "Moon Cat" and "Moonstone Cat"). This cat is native to Russia (poor thing being hairless in Russia). The Donsky follows the Sphynx in terms of date of origin (1966 for Sphynx and 1987 for Donsky).

OK, the Don Sphynx (aka "Don Hairless", "Russian Hairless", "Don Bald Cat", "Donskoy", "Donsky") is not the same as the Sphynx, but how is it different (other than the name)? Obviously, there is a fairly wide variation between cats of the same breed, all of whom could be fine cats. It is therefore, difficult, at least for a layperson, to see an immediate difference.

One difference is hidden. The mutated gene that produces the hairless coat is dominant in the Donsky. This make breeding easier as at least half the litter on an outcross would be hairless. This has meant a fairly quick development to recognition by the WCF and TICA. The Sphynx mutation is recessive.