| Peterbald Information I. History of Peterbald II. General Description III. Coat Descriptions IV. Illustration of Peterbald Hair Loss
V. Peterbald Compared to Sphynx VI. Peterbald Compared to Oriental/Siamese
If you are a Peterbald breeder or even just interested
in showing the Peterbald, please make sure you join the TICA Peterbald breed section so you can get more info and have a say in the standard. Please see www.peterbaldcats.net or join the yahoo group "PeterbaldBreedersCorner". Peterbald approved
to move to CHAMPIONSHIP status in TICA as of May 1, 2006!!! I. HISTORY OF THE PETERBALD: The Peterbald breed was originally produced in Russia by mating a Donskoy male named Afinogen
Myth with an Oriental female named Radma von Jagerhof in 1993. The original founder of the breed is Olga Mironova. They gained popularity in the St. Petersburg hence the name.. It is very important to note the Donskoy and Peterbalds are completely different breeds from the Sphynx (aka Canadian Sphynx). Some associations do call the Donskoys "Don Sphynx", so it can be confusing. The gene that causes the hair loss in the
Peterbald/Donskoy is a dominant gene whereas the one that causes the Sphynx to be hairless is recessive. II. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Peterbald is a refined cat with a long elongated body with
long graceful legs. The personality of a Peterbald is very outgoing, very friendly, can be demanding and loud. Most crave human attention like no other breed of cat you have ever seen. Peterbalds are extremely intelligent and they are very agile and
quick! Their personality is similar to that of Oriental's or Siamese. Some of them do have "that infamous Siamese voice". This is a fantastic breed if you want an affectionate cat that is a little bit more like a "dog"! Make no mistake, the Peterbald is NOT a "bald Oriental", it is its own breed. The crossing of the two breeds contribute to the lovely attributes of this breed today, but leans more towards the foreign
body type. Currently the Peterbald is outcrossed to Orientals and Siamese to maintain the type and improve the health and vigor of the breed. Peterbalds achieved Advanced
New Breed status in TICA February 2005 and hopefully will soon be in Championship status. The Peterbald is also recognized in World Cat Federation (WCF) and in FIFe. We would also like to see this breed recognized and advance in CFA.
III. COAT DESCRIPTIONS:
The Peterbald coat is unusual and is actually quite difficult to describe because it can range from sticky bald to having course, curly hair. This curly coarse coat is only found in one other
breed - the Don Sphynx which is the foundation breed for the Peterbald. Many Peterbalds are born with a curly course coat that slowly disappears as the cat matures. Some may lose the curly coarse coat by 4 months, others may take up to 2 years or may not lose
the coat at all. The dominant hairless gene found in the Peterbald is not very predictable.. Kittens from the same litter can range from having a brush coat to being
completely bald. This hairless gene needs to be analyzed further to gain a better understanding of how the gene works. Once the gene or genes that contribute to the hairlessness are better understood, this information can be to help Peterbald breeding programs.
There are three basic types of coat: There is a spectrum of these coats. Peterbalds can combine coat types. For example, a bald Peterbald can have brush coat on its extremities/points.
1.) Bald - Some cats are born bald - this type of coat is the greatest degree of hairlessness and can feel sticky to
the touch, but not all do. Some (see illustration below) are born with curly, course hair and then become very bald. Their skin has a wonderful silky feel to it. Peterbalds that are bald can have a small degree of hair on the points (tail, ears, feet)
2.) Velour - This coat is lovely and feels like crushed velvet. You can see the very short hairs (only a few millimeters long) even from a
distance. 3.) Brush - This coat is very unusual. It is a wiry, curly hair. Good brush coat Peterbalds have some curly
coarse coat, but you can always see through to the skin. Thicker brush coats (where you cannot see the skin) or "straight" coats are not desired in the Peterbald. IV. ILLUSTRATION OF PETERBALD HAIRLOSS: 1.) Isabel at 6 weeks old - she has a very sparse curly, course coat
2.) 12-13 weeks
old - Isabel has noticeably less curly coarse hair at this age, especially on the backs of her ears and her top of her head 3.) 6 months old - almost no
visible hair on the body, some course hair on the tail and paws. 4.) 1 year old - Isabel is almost completely bald, hair on paws & tail is even more sparse. V. PETERBALD COMPARED TO SPHYNX: Often people ask what is the difference between
a Peterbald and a Sphynx. Most people look at the cats and think "no hair - must be the same breed". This is not so! They are both hairless, but for different genetic reasons. The gene that makes the Peterbald hairless is a dominant gene, whereas the gene
that makes the Sphynx bald is a recessive gene. They have a completely different look too. Major differences between the Peterbald and the Sphynx:
| The gene causing the hairlessness is completely different. The Peterbald gene is dominant, whereas the Sphynx gene is a recessive. Sphynx feel like warm peaches
or chamois, Peterbalds can have a variety of coats from sticky bald to a brush coat. | | The head type of a Peterbald is a long elongated face, the Sphynx has a much shorter, wider face. |
| The body type of the Peterbald is refined and elegant, the Sphynx is medium sized cat that is supposed to be pear shaped.
| | Peterbalds have almost almond
shaped eyes, Sphynx have lemon-shaped eyes. | | The
boning of a Peterbald is medium-fine, the Sphynx is medium. | | The
ear set is lower on a Peterbald. | | Many
Peterbald have kinky whiskers - Sphynx usually have none or have broken whiskers. |
VI.
PETERBALD COMPARED TO ORIENTAL/SIAMESE: Major differences between the Peterbald and the Oriental:
| Head shape of PD is trapezoid - a long triangle with a blunted muzzle. The Oriental head shape is a triangle. (Muzzle is not blunt) |
| The body of the PD is refined, but thicker around than the Oriental. |
| All eye colors are allowed in the PD; eye shape of PD is almost almond - Oriental eye shape
is almond. | | The profile of
the PD is almost straight with a slight noticeable angle (two-planed) whereas the Oriental has a straight profile. | | Ears of the Peterbald are supposed to have ears set lower than the line of the wedge. This means their ear set is actually lower than the Oriental. |
| The most obvious difference
is the coat type of the PD - ranging from bald to brush. Orientals have normal tight, painted on coats. | |