Donskoy

The Donskoy is considered a hairless cat breed, though some have either patchy fur or very short peach-fuzz fur. Some are born completely hairless, while others lose their hair over time. The gene that controls the coat in the Donskoy is considered a hair losing gene. Donskoy is a breed with the foundational cat discovered in Rostov-on-Don in Russia in 1987. Elena Kovaleva, a professor encountered boys playing soccer with a bag--inside was a kitten squalling in pain. She named the kitten Varvara. Varvara grew up losing her hair. A couple of years later she gave birth to both haired and hairless kittens. The kittens with hair began to lose it, people decided that they were unhealthy and got rid of them. Irina Nemikina, enthusiast and professional cat breeder rescued a kitten and in several years generated a new breed of hairless cat, one which she named Don Sphynx. In TICA it is known as the Donskoy.