A hairless cat certainly doesn’t pass unnoticed. Besides their particular appearance, these felines have many other characteristics that contribute to make them unique, but there are also many precautions to keep. Let’s discover them together!
But are they really naked?
First of all, we have to say that the absence of a hairy coat cannot be attributed to human intervention, but to a natural genetic mutation due to the gene… of baldness!
If you observe more carefully, however, you will discover that calling them naked cats is not entirely correct: in fact, by caressing them you will actually perceive that their skin shows to be covered by a really light hair layer, which sometimes can be more present in the cat’s most sensitive areas such as legs, tail and muzzle.
A light hair layer covers the skin of these felines.
Other typical physical characteristics of this kind of feline are very large ears, the eye shape recalling lemons, pronounced cheekbones and more developed paw pads.
The most common breeds and their character
Hairless cat breeds are several:
- Sphynx, the well-known hairless Egyptian feline with light eyes;
- Dwelf, the “elf cat” with ears folded back;
- Peterbald, the Russian breed crossed with the Siamese;
- Levkoy, born from more recent crossings.
Apart from these breeds with a gentle vellus, there is a breed that’s truly lacking in coat: the Kohana, which lacks hair follicles, a feature that makes his skin so smooth to seem fake.
The characteristic that have in common the specimens of this kind of felines is that they’re friendly and sociable. They’re actually very loving cats, who steadily connect with their owners and for this reason they could suffer from loneliness, especially when prolonged. Their ideal environment is the domestic one, where they can express their lively and playful nature with children and with other pets like dogs.
The home is the most suitable environment for hairless cats.
Cleaning, care and diseases
In general, animals’ hair is a tool of protection and insulation from the external environment. For this reason, hairless cats can be more exposed to sudden changes in temperature, to sunburns, rashes and skin lesions (also caused by playing).
A such delicate skin therefore requires particular attention from the owner, who has to regularly take care of his skin in order to preserve his cat’s well-being. Indeed, the advice we can give you is to regularly bathe him through Yuup! Gentle Shampoo for Sensitive Skins and Puppies which will keep his skin clean and will remove sebum excess on skin. Another advice we can give you is accurately and constantly cleaning the ears by using a specific product such as the Yuup! Ear Cleansing Lotion.
A periodic bath will keep their skin always clean.
During the winter season, covering him with a specific coat will protect him from the harshest weather conditions, while during summer the application of lotions like Yuup! Sun Protection Spray will definitely help him to avoid rashes and to prevent other skin discomforts.
Hairless cats, despite being animals with a solid physical structure, are subject to various diseases indeed. The most common pathologies are especially the cutaneous ones, with the possibility of incurring burns, dermatitis and in some cases even skin tumors.
Burns and rashes can be common if not properly prevented.
It is therefore advisable to always keep our cat friend under control, and bringing him to the vet at the first sign.
If you are thinking of adopting a hairless cat, it would also be important for his sake to consider the aspects related to his vulnerability, which require commitment and endurance for caring for these wonderful specimens.
