|
|
|
Oriental cats
The Oriental isn't a specific breed of cat, but rather a group of cats with the shape of the Siamese and an incredible array of color patterns.
Oriental Colors and PatternsThe beautiful Oriental cat, which boasts an amazing range of colors and patterns (112 in tabby pattern alone and more than 300 altogether), originated with just that intent in mind. It would take more than one article to cover how each of the Oriental’s colors were created by outcrossing, but they have genes from an incredible variety of breeds, most of whom have the Siamese as their foundation. Differences Between the Oriental and SiameseThe main differences between the original Siamese and the Oriental are that the Oriental isn’t a color pointed cat, and they have green eyes instead of blue, except for the Foreign White, which does have blue eyes. Also like the Siamese, the Oriental comes in both shorthair and longhair but neither version requires excessive grooming. Oriental CharacteristicsOriental cats are the picture of elegance and grace. They have the same body type as the Siamese, including the wedge shaped head, large ears, and almond shaped eyes. The Oriental’s coat is soft and silky, even in the shorthaired varieties. Orientals have a very long, fabulously expressive tail that lends to their lithe appearance. Oriental TemperamentThe Oriental is mostly treasured for its personality. If you are looking for a docile cat, skip this article and go straight for the Persian because the Oriental is anything but! They are an active and vocal cat, insisting on your attention and companionship. They want to be actively involved in everything you do! Everything. The Oriental is incredibly curious and intelligent, and they maintain their playful personalities well into their later years. Orientals are well known for their affection and loyalty to their people. They need to be with you and will suffer if they are not. Your Oriental will be by your side to assist you and train you, they will be there to welcome you home from work, and they will make sure you have enough love and cuddles and someone to talk to. Oh yes, they are quite vocal! If you don’t have time and patience to devote to your kitty, reconsider adopting the more than devoted Oriental. Not only will they get lonely, but they will also get bored, and no one wants a bored kitty that is this creative and smart.
Peterbald
|
|
Bald – completely hairless, without even eyebrows or whiskers; the skin feels sticky to the touch, and these cats prefer to be massaged rather than stroked | |
|
Flock – a fine down made up of sparse, tiny hairs shorter than 1 mm; the coat feels like a warm chamois or silk to the touch; eyebrows and whiskers are curled or kinked, and possibly broken | |
|
Velour – hairs 1-3 mm in length, soft and dense with a sleek, shiny look; velour coats may change to flock over time | |
|
Brush – wiry, curly hairs a little longer than 3mm; whiskers are kinked or curled; sometimes a light brush coat gives way to baldness within 2 years | |
|
Straight – these Peterbalds lack the hair loss gene; the coat is relatively normal and whiskers are straight |
The Peterbald coat may be a combination of two types, and furred Peterbalds come in many different colours and patterns. Interestingly, some Peterbalds change their colours and patterns over time.
DK*Marseen
Smithsonian- started out as brush, is now velour ( 7 months old ) Lives at
cattery Petheaven
In 1986, Elena Kovaleva rescued a female tortoiseshell kitten from some boys who were throwing her around inside a bag. Elena adopted the kitten and named her Varvara.
When Varvara began losing her fur at 4 months, Elena thought she was ill and brought her to a veterinarian. After attempting to treat what they thought was an infection, they determined that the otherwise healthy kitten was becoming hairless for natural reasons.
When Varvara produced litters of bald or balding kittens and kittens, it became obvious that the trait was genetic and that Varvara was not simply a Sphynx. The Sphynx hairless gene is recessive, meaning that a Sphynx mated with a furred cat produces furry kittens. In Varvara, the hairless gene was dominant, so when she mated with a furry cat, the kittens were bald or nearly bald.
Varvara and her descendants became the Don Sphynx breed (also known as Don Hairless, Donskoy, or Donsky), and the Peterbald was developed by crossing Don Sphynxes with Oriental Shorthairs and Siamese cats. The breed’s name derives from its popularity in St. Petersburg.
Like its Siamese and Oriental Shorthair relatives, the Peterbald is highly intelligent and very active. Most Peterbalds are sociable, affectionate, devoted to their owners, and friendly with new people. These cats are not usually cool or aloof. Rather, they tend to be lap cats, and also like to follow people around. They can be chatty, but their voices tend to be softer than those of their Siamese cousins.
Peterbalds are good family cats, getting along well with most children, dogs, and other pets. They do best in households where there is someone home much of the time, as they need frequent interaction.
Hairless cats require baths every 2-8 weeks to remove dirt and grease from their skin (completely hairless Peterbalds require more frequent bathing than furred Peterbalds). They may also require removal of earwax and oily buildup around the nail beds from time to time.
Are Peterbalds Hypoallergenic?
Many people assume that hairless or nearly hairless cats are less likely to provoke allergic reactions than furry cats. While it’s true that some allergy sufferers are better able to tolerate breeds such as the Peterbald and the Sphynx, others find that they react just as intensely to nearly hairless and bald cats. The only way to know for sure is to spend time with the cat to be adopted beforehand.

