Discover the unique Donskoy Sphinx cat, a hairless breed known for its wrinkled skin, affectionate nature, and playful personality.
Brief information about the breed
Breed name: Don Sphynx (Donchak)
Country of origin: Russia, Rostov-on-Don
Coat: absent
Weight: 3-6 kg
Life expectancy: 9-12 years.
Key facts
- Don Sphynxes refutes the stereotype of independent cats “walking by themselves.” They are very affectionate, implanted, and will serve their owners effortlessly.
- Donchaks have a calm and friendly nature. They are not aggressive and therefore should be taken by families with kids or other pets and animals.
- Though people commonly refer to these cats as hairless, they could have some hair.
- Don Sphynxes are often confused with Canadian Sphynxes, but these are completely different breeds that arose and developed independently of each other.
- As with all hairless cats, they get excessively hungry because they have to spend more time ‘heating’ the body.
- The skin of the Sphynx, devoid of hair, must be washed, wiped, kept clean, and groomed all the time.
Characteristics of the Don Sphynx breed
Don Sphynxes are medium-sized cats that are completely or partially hairless. Because of this, they have no hair on their bodies, and the skin of the muzzle and head is the most folded; they look serious and even threatening at times. But this has nothing to do with their character, the axis of which is friendliness, The distinctive permeating character of the individual. Don Sphynxes quickly become attached to their owner and other family members, including children. Such pets love to be the center of attention, so loneliness is not for them.
They are smart and clever, so there are rarely any problems with raising pets. If desired, it is easy to teach them simple tricks – they perceive training in a playful form with pleasure.
Like other hairless cats, Don cats are very heat-loving. Sharp temperature changes and drafts are harmful to their already not-very-strong health. Therefore, when getting such a cat, it is necessary to take care of a favorable microclimate in the house.
History of the breed
The Don Sphynx is a relatively young breed of cat. It was officially registered in 1996, but the history of the Don Sphynx began 10 years earlier. In February 1986, while walking through one of the squares of Rostov-on-Don, researcher Elena Kovaleva picked up a homeless kitten. It was a 3-4 month old cat with a creamy-blue tortoiseshell coat. The baby was named Varvara and left to live at home. At first, she did not stand out in any way, but by the age of seven months, she gradually began to go bald: hair began to fall out on her head, then on her back and sides. The coat was preserved only on her muzzle, chest, and tail and in the form of “pants” on her paws. Elena took Varvara to veterinary clinics, where they tried to treat the baldness but to no avail. At the same time, all the tests were normal; the cat’s skin remained healthy, she felt great, was active, and ate with appetite.
Two years later, Varvara was shown to specialists, but she did not make much of an impression on them since, at that time, technologists had a rather vague idea of hairless cats. Only amateur breeder Irina Nemykina was interested in her.
In 1990, after mating with a European shorthair cat, Varvara gave birth to kittens. One of them was given to Irina. It was also a girl: for her unusual appearance with a bald spot on her head and “monkey” habits, the little cat was named Chita. It was she who became the full-fledged ancestor of the Don Sphynxes.
Chita was mated with a European shorthaired cat several times, but the kittens were born only partially hairless. Then Irina Nemykina decided to inbreed – crossing related individuals of different generations. Chita was mated with one of the grown-up kittens of her litter – Hannibal. The result met expectations: one of the babies was born completely bald. Subsequently, inbreeding was used more than once, and as a result, a population of kittens with “rubber” skin was formed, which became the standard of the new breed. In 1996, a standard was developed for it and officially registered. And just 4 years later, the first Don sphinx, named Vityaz Mif from Irina Nemykina’s cattery, became the world champion in the WCF system. Currently, Don Sphynxes are popular everywhere and are highly valued by lovers of hairless cats.
Photos of Don Sphynx cats
Appearance standards
Don Sphynxes are small to medium-sized pets with a strong skeleton and pronounced “dry” muscles, which does not deprive them of grace and elegance. Males are always somewhat larger than females: their weight can reach 5.5-6 kg (females rarely grow more than 3-3.5 kg). The height of the animals at the withers is 25-30 centimeters.
Head
Wedge-shaped. Cheekbones and brow ridges are clearly defined. The forehead is flat, with many vertical folds of skin. The nose is medium-sized, with a straight bridge and a barely noticeable stop. The muzzle is not too long, with rounded features. The jaws are strong; the upper canines sometimes protrude slightly from under the lip.
Ears
Fairly large, set high, with rounded tips, not too wide at the base. Their outer edges form a single vertical line with the outline of the head, not going beyond the line of the cheeks. Slightly tilted forward, thus creating a feeling of alertness.
Eyes
Medium, almond-shaped, slightly slanted, not wide open. The color of the iris is not regulated by the standard (any is allowed).
Frame
Medium length, strong and dense, proportionally built. The croup is wide, and the groin line is deep, with characteristic folds of skin.
Limbs
Slender and strong, the back ones are slightly longer than the front ones. The paws are oval, with long and mobile toes.
Tail
Long and straight, flexible. Tapers from the base to a rounded tip.
Leather
Elastic, hot, folded in the head, neck, armpits, and groin area.
Coat and whiskers
All Don Sphynxes are divided into 4 types depending on their coat type:
- Hairless (hairless born) – this includes pets that have no hair at all since birth. Their skin is absolutely smooth and even slightly sticky to the touch. Such individuals are valued most highly and are actively used in breeding.
- Flock – the skin of such cats resembles a peach. It is covered with tiny hairs, which completely or partially fall out as they grow older.
- Velour – the body of pets of this type is covered with longer hairs (up to 2-3 mm), which fall out by the age of two.
- Brush – have rare but long and hard curly hair. Cats of the brush subtype cannot compete for prizes at exhibitions but are important for breeding since it is not recommended to cross two hairless Donchaks (with a high probability they will produce non-viable offspring).
The whiskers of Don Sphynxes are thick and stiff, usually curled, but can break off or be completely absent.
Faults and disqualifying faults
- Incorrect head shape (short, round, or narrow);
- Round or straight-set eyes;
- Small and low-set ears;
- Excessively compact or light body;
- Kinks in the tail and its insufficient length;
- Solid pubescence;
- Underbite (up to 2 mm).
Pets with inverted eyelids and undershot lower jaw of more than 2 mm are subject to disqualification from competitions.
Breed colors
Although the colors are not as noticeable on the bodies of hairless cats as those of their furred counterparts, Don Sphynxes also have a variety of colors. The most popular of them are:
- Solid (white, black, blue, etc.). It can be difficult to accurately determine them by the pigmentation of Don Chak’s body, so you should pay attention to the color of the paw pads, nose, testicles in cats, eye lining, and ear edging.
- Bicolor or two-color – a combination of the main color with white, while the latter can be from 10 to 90%. Among them, such colors as van (on a white body, only a “cap” on the head and tail stands out) and harlequin (a completely colored tail and several dark spots on the body) stand out.
- Particolor combines white (50% or more) and tortoiseshell.
- Tabby – since the pattern on the body of the sphinx is impossible to fully distinguish, regardless of its type (marble, spotted, tiger, etc.), such pets are combined into a common group.
- Colorpoint was obtained by mating Donchaks with Thai cats, which were allowed at an early stage of the breed’s development. Blue eyes are required for this color.
There are also Don Sphynxes with a tortoiseshell color (a combination of black and red or blue and cream), but for genetic reasons, this is typically only for cats.
Character and habits
Nature has given Don Sphynxes a gentle and friendly character. With proper upbringing and timely socialization, these pets never show aggression towards people and other pets. Even children will not be able to irritate them. Donchaks always play with children with pleasure, but if their behavior becomes too intrusive or even rude, they will prefer to retreat rather than “release their claws.”
Cats of this breed are wonderful companions. They do not tolerate loneliness, so they are happy with any company – be it the owner, members of their family, or other pets. They get along with the latter without problems if they do not try to infringe on them. Sphynxes perceive even small rodents and birds as equal members of the family – hunting instincts are extremely poorly developed in them. But still, it is better to accustom kittens to such a neighborhood from an early age.
Don Sphynxes can sense the mood of their owner and will not impose themselves if he is busy or not in the mood. But these cats are great lovers of affection and still require a lot of attention. They are sociable and curious, so they will approach any guests in the house to get acquainted first, and will not hide.
Donchaks are active at an early age. They are equally willing to participate in joint entertainment with the owner and other pets and play independently. In addition, they closely monitor what is happening in the house and try to be at the center of all events; they love to explore their territory. With age, they become calm and moderately lazy, preferring to spend most of their time near the radiator or in other warm places.
Natural intelligence, quick wit, and long, nimble toes allow them to learn to handle door handles and even bolts easily. Owners should make sure that they cannot reach the trash can or other objects that may be dangerous for curious pets.
Breeding
When getting a Don Sphynx kitten, keep in mind that although they are very attached to their owners, they perceive them as equal members of the “pride.” They will not do what they do not want and can often be willful. Therefore, the key to the successful education of a Don Sphynx is not to order but to motivate it to do what you need.
As soon as the baby comes into your house, take him to that place where he could defecate. Kittens will require some time when they are trained on how to use the litter box at home, so one should not be in so much of a hurry. In the future, when the cat is likely to claw furniture or wallpaper, let him use only a scratching post to do this. Noise deterrents, for example, clapping or the use of water-soaked spray bottles, can drive him away from areas he shouldn’t be.
The high intellectual abilities of sphinxes even allow them to be trained. But if you want to teach your pet commands, do not forget the main principle: you need to be interested in it and not force it to do what you want.
Possible health problems of the Don Sphynx
Unfortunately, Donchaks cannot boast of robust health. The main reason for this is errors in selection and intentional mating of closely related animals (inbreeding). The following hereditary pathologies are often found among them:
- Microphthalmos is a developmental abnormality and a reduction in the size of the eyeball of the newborn, the baby’s face, and the palpebral fissure, which is not fully opened. Here, it appears in combination with blindness or poor vision, tearing, and keratitis (inflammation of the cornea). It is not treatable, and if negative symptoms increase, the eye is amputated.
- Entropion (inversion of the eyelid) is an abnormal position of the skin fold around the eye, which turns inward and injures the cornea. In different cases, it is either unilateral or affects both eyes at once. It is treated with surgery.
- Fibroadenomatosis is a rapid and excessive growth of mammary tissue in cats as a result of excessive secretion of progesterone in their body or its intake from outside (for example, with drugs that suppress sexual desire). Therapy for this disease includes taking antiprogestins or removing the affected groups of nipples.
- Underdevelopment of the thymus gland or kitten “sleep” syndrome. Typical for hairless individuals. Manifested by growth retardation and sudden suppression of the sucking reflex, which ultimately leads to dehydration and death.
- Seasonal dermatitis – most often occurs in cats before or after estrus. One of its symptoms is severe itching, and as a result of the animal scratching the rash, secondary infections often occur with extensive damage to areas of the skin.
- Cutaneous vasculitis is an inflammatory disease of the walls of blood vessels, most often caused by various types of infections (bacterial, viral, fungal), stress, reactions to certain medications, etc. The main symptoms are brown spots and pinpoint ulcers on the skin’s surface, paw pads, and oral mucosa.
- Acne (acne rash) is possible in both male and female cats of the hairless type who are actively involved in breeding and in other types during puberty. It most often affects the surface of the tail, the back along the spine, the abdomen, the muzzle, the submandibular region, and the neck.
- The carp bite is a congenital lower jaw defect characterized by insufficient length. Because of this, pets can injure the palate with their lower fangs while eating.
In addition, Don Sphynxes are sensitive to low temperatures, which can lead to hypothermia and respiratory diseases. Excessive sunlight is also harmful to their bare skin, causing burns.
Nutritional Features
When developing a diet for Don Sphynxes, consider their two main physiological features: increased heat transfer and, as a result, accelerated metabolism. They need much more energy to warm up than their furry relatives. Therefore, they should be fed at least 3-4 times a day, and it is best to divide the daily norm into smaller portions. But you should not allow bald pets to overeat either: this threatens to put on excess weight, which provokes many health problems. Otherwise, the feeding requirements for Don Sphynxes are fundamentally no different.
Ready-made premium and higher-class feeds are also suitable for Don Sphynxes. They are not inferior in nutritional value to natural products, but they do not need to be cooked, and they are easier to store and divide into portions.
Maintenance and care
But actually, caring for Sphynxes is not so easy, even if they don’t have fur to comb. As one can see, there are so many subtle points that the owner should have in mind for his pet to stay healthy.
Bathing
One of the features of the skin of the Don cats is that it contains a large number of sebaceous glands that actively produce a special secretion. It is visible to the naked eye when the skin of the animals is covered with a brown coating, which, in addition, has an unpleasant odor. Therefore, it is correct to wash hairless cats every 10-12 days using a special shampoo. The water temperature during bathing should be at least 39-40ºС. After the procedure, the pet must be dried with a towel and allowed to dry completely in a warm place without drafts. Between bathing, the sphinxes’ skin can be wiped with alcohol-free wet wipes.
Leather
To avoid acne, regularly (especially during puberty) wipe the spine and tail area of the Don Sphynx with cotton pads soaked in a pH-neutral hygienic lotion.
Claws
Donchaks cannot fully retract their claws, so they are shortened as they grow using special guillotine-type nippers. They also accumulate sebum, which must be removed with hygienic wipes.
Teeth
Teeth cleaning is a must for Don Sphynxes, too. Clean their oral cavity at least three times a week. Specially made cat brushes are available at pet stores and should only be used for cleaning cats’ teeth.
Ears
Don Chaks’ rather large ears accumulate a lot of ear secretion. Clean them using cotton swabs or disks soaked in hygienic lotion. At the same time, do not attempt to clean as thoroughly as you ,can, and do not go too deep into the ear because it can produce an ear injury to your pet and may also affect his hearing ability.
Eyes
Bald cats have almost no facial veil and thus their eyes are easily affected by any form of dirt and objects. So it is advisable to wipe off any discharge that may have settled at the corner of their eyes with a clean cotton pad daily. If they have become yellow or greenish, or if other signs of inflammation are visible (redness, tearfulness), consult a veterinary clinic.
Pros and cons of the Don Sphynx breed
Pros
- Great companions
- Smart and resourceful
- They do not shed or leave hair behind
- Suitable for families with children and other pets
- Easy to train
Cons
- Poor health
- Can’t stand loneliness
- They require a lot of attention
- There are difficulties in care
- Sensitive to temperature changes
How to choose a Donskoy Sphynx kitten
Don Sphinx babies should be taken home at 12-16 weeks. It is not worth weaning them from their mother before the time, as the kittens may not be strong enough yet. It is best to buy them from officially registered nurseries. You will only be provided with the necessary documents – a veterinary passport with vaccination and deworming marks and a pedigree. Trying to save money and buying Don Sphinxes from random people’s ads is not recommended: this way, you will most likely get an animal with a whole bunch of problems without documents confirming its purebred nature.
Before taking the kitten, get to know its parents and evaluate their appearance and character. Also, pay attention to the baby’s appearance: its eyes should be clean, its skin should be free of ulcers and rashes, and its belly should be soft, not bloated. Study the breed standard in advance and evaluate the compliance of the little pet with all its characteristics.
“Don Sphynxes are not easy to keep. They are more suitable for experienced cat lovers than for beginners. But for a caring and attentive owner, these pets will become devoted and loving friends for life.”
