A wrinkled hairless cat from Russia. It looks like the Sphynx, but is bald because of a very different gene.
The Donskoy, also called the Don Sphynx, comes from Rostov-on-Don in Russia. The breed began in 1987 with a rescued kitten that slowly lost her coat. It is not related to the Canadian Sphynx: its hairlessness comes from a dominant gene, and one parent with that gene is enough. It is affectionate, clever and playful, and loves to find a warm lap. Good to know: since 2026 you may not take on a new Donskoy in the Netherlands, because a cat without fur and whiskers has a hard time. Cats that were already there may stay.
Very loving and loyal. It always wants to be with its people.
Likes to cuddle on the sofa and seeks out your warmth.
Often playful and inventive, sometimes well into old age.
Active and curious. It needs toys, places to climb and play every day.
Neither quiet nor loud. It usually speaks up when it wants something.
Clever and quick to learn tricks. Some fetch or open doors.
Usually curious and friendly with visitors.
Good with children who are gentle with its bare skin.
Usually gets on with a friendly dog, if they get to know each other slowly.
Usually gets on well with other cats, especially playful ones.
Does not like being alone for long. Better with someone often at home, or with a companion.
A true indoor cat: without fur it burns in the sun and gets cold quickly.
A Donskoy is just a Sphynx.
No. The Sphynx is hairless because of a recessive gene, the Donskoy because of a dominant gene that has nothing to do with it. They are two breeds from different countries, and they are not crossed.
Every Donskoy is completely bald.
No. There are four coat types. Most end up bald, but some keep a little fuzz or patches, and the brush coat keeps its wiry hair.
The first hairless kitten was ill.
No. Treatment did not help, because it was not an illness. Her kittens lost their hair too, which showed it is inherited.
The Donskoy began with a chance change in a gene, in an ordinary street cat in Russia. That gene is dominant: one copy is enough. A cat with the gene is born bald or loses its coat as it grows. Nobody knows yet exactly which gene it is, so there is no DNA test.
In Rostov-on-Don, Elena Kovaleva rescues a kitten, Varvara. At about four months her coat starts to fall out.
Varvara has kittens that are bald or lose their hair. It turns out to be inherited, not an illness.
Breeder Irina Nemikina takes one of the kittens and builds up the breed. She calls it the Don Sphynx.
A Donskoy male is crossed with an Oriental Shorthair. This starts the Peterbald breed.
The World Cat Federation (WCF) recognises the breed, in this year according to most sources.
Donskoys and Peterbalds may no longer be mated with each other.
America's TICA recognises the breed under the name Donskoy.
The European federation FIFe recognises the breed as the Don Sphynx.
Scientists show that the Donskoy's hairless gene is not the same as the Sphynx's.
The Netherlands bans keeping hairless cats such as the Donskoy. Cats chipped before 1 January may stay.
Medium-sized, muscular and sturdy, with lots of wrinkles. Males are clearly larger than females. Its skin feels warm and soft, and its colour shows in the skin.
Bald at birth and stays bald. The skin feels like chamois. This is the coat the registries like best.
Recognition: Shown in FIFe, TICA and WCF.
Born with a very thin layer of fuzz, up to 2 mm. It looks bald and often ends up fully bald as an adult.
Recognition: Shown in FIFe and TICA.
Born with a bald spot on the head, like a monk's cap, and a short wavy coat. That coat goes within the first year.
Recognition: Shown in TICA. FIFe does not list velour separately.
A wiry, wavy coat over the whole body, with bald patches on the head, neck or back. This coat stays.
Recognition: May be bred in TICA and FIFe, but not shown.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Black(n)
Blue(a)
Red tabby(d 21)
Seal tabby point and white(n 03 21 33)FIFe registers every tabby as 21, without naming the pattern. The stripes show as darker lines on the skin.
A Donskoy may come in any colour, also with white. Only FIFe's colour table lists no smoke, silver or golden. TICA allows every colour, so they are fine there.
One copy of the hairless gene is enough, so a Donskoy with an ordinary cat can still have bald kittens.
Its toes are long and slender, like little hands.
Bald, flocked, velour and brush: sometimes they all turn up in one litter.
A velour kitten is born with a bald spot on top of its head, like a monk.
That is how long a show cat may keep a little fuzz on its muzzle, legs and tail.
No study has measured how long a Donskoy lives. Breed profiles most often say 12 to 15 years. Take it as a rough guide.
Teeth can be missing, badly formed or lost early. Breed profiles often mention it, and it may be linked to the hairless gene. There are no figures.
How it is found: No test: let the vet check the teeth and brush them from an early age.
Many Donskoys have curly or broken whiskers, and some have none. Whiskers help a cat feel its way, so it misses a bit of its sense of touch.
How it is found: No test: look at the whiskers of the kitten and its parents.
Without fur, skin oil stays on the skin. Blackheads can form and yeast can grow. A lot of dark wax builds up in the ears. It is mostly a matter of care.
How it is found: No test: wipe the skin regularly and clean the ears every week.
Without fur, the skin burns in the sun, just like ours. It also gets cold quickly and can overheat.
How it is found: No test: keep it indoors, out of strong sun and in a warm home.
No fur, but still work. Wipe the skin often with a soft damp cloth and bathe it now and then with a mild cat shampoo. Clean the ears and eyes every week and check the skin folds and claw beds. Bathing too often makes the skin oilier.
It belongs indoors. Keep the home warm, give it blankets and warm sleeping spots, a jumper in winter if needed, and shade in summer.
Give it toys, places to climb and a play session together every day.
To stay warm it often eats more than a cat with fur, especially in winter. Give food rich in meat and keep an eye on its weight.
A Donskoy is not hypoallergenic. What you are allergic to is in saliva and skin, not in fur. So do not count on it.
Checked on 22 October 2026
Since 1 January 2026 you may not take on, breed or show a Donskoy or any other hairless cat in the Netherlands. The ban covers cats that permanently lack a proper coat or whiskers. A cat that was chipped before that date may stay with you for life or go to a new home. You must then be able to show the chip date in writing, for example with the chip database record or a note from the vet.
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