At a glance
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History
The Peterbald is a man-made breed that originated in St Petersburg, Russia. The breed was created by crossing a Don Sphynx (also known as Donskoy) male to an Oriental female.
The first two litters produced two bald Peterbald kittens which were to become the foundation stock for the breed.
Unlike the Sphynx cat, which needs two copies of the gene to be hairless, the gene responsible for hairlessness in the Peterbald is dominant. Therefore only one parent needs to carry the gene to pass it on to the offspring. Allowable outcrosses are the Siamese and the Oriental.
TICA accepted the Peterbald for registration in 1997.
Appearance
The Peterbald is a long, lithe and elegant cat reflecting its Oriental heritage. They have fine boning but are still a muscular cat. Legs are long and fine-boned, with small, oval paws. The tail is long, tapering and whip-like.
The head is wedge-shaped with large, wide-set ears; eyes are almond-shaped and medium in size, the neck is long and slender.
The Peterbald comes in several coat types and all colours and patterns.
- Bald – Completely hairless.
- Flock – Down like peach-like fuzz.
- Velour – Shorthairs between 1 – 5mm in length.
- Brush coat – Hair is wiry or wavy in appearance and dense, it is between 5-15mm long.
- Straight coat – These cats have a normal coat.
Temperament
The Peterbald is an intelligent and affectionate breed of cat. They bond closely with their human companions and like to be close.
Peterbalds are active, playful, curious, and friendly. They get along with people, including children and other pets, and make an exceptional family pet.
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