Group Classification: Shorthair
Country of Origin: Russia
Date of Origin: 1987
Weight (M): 12-15 lbs.
Weight (F): 7-11 lbs.
Life Expectancy: Unknown (breed is too new)

History
The first hairless cat of this line was discovered in the Russian city Rostov-on-Don in 1987 by Professor Elena Kovaleva. Initially it had hair, but as it aged, the hair disappeared. At first, the Professor assumed disease was the culprit, but treatments against common causes of hair loss achieved nothing. Eventually, this cat gave birth to completely hairless kittens; one was taken by breeder Irina Nemikina who then created a completely hairless breed she named Don Sphynx. Initially, outcross breeding was necessary. Russian aboriginal breeds were used for that until 2000; since then, only Siberian and European shorthairs have been used for that purpose. When the breed was accepted by TICA, the name was changed to The Donskoy. As they have become more popular, breeding has expanded and outcrossing has become unnecessary.

General Description
Donskoy (also called Russian Donskoy) have large shell type ears, long strong legs and tails and large eyes. A hairless breed, their most important trait is wrinkles; as with SharPei dogs, the more wrinkles, the finer the animal.

Colors
Various

Coat
Hairless, velvet or flocked.

Notable Features
Hairless, velvet or flocked, these unique cats have elongated webbed fingers and human-like toes referred to as monkey-type. They are able to seize things with these'hands'. Wrinkles are a desirable trait for all coat types.

Health and Care
As with most hairless breeds, the skin of a Donskoy is much like our own. It may suntan or burn depending on the cat and owners will need to apply sunscreen on the latter type to protect them when outdoors. They need regular baths; in between, daily wiping with a cloth will remove sweat.

Russian Donskoy are easy to work with.  They allow their owners to do whatever they need to do with them with complete trust and without complaint. They don't scratch or bite even during unpleasant procedures like injections or claw trimming.  They are not good with other cats or any other animal for that matter, so they do best as a solo family pet. 

These cats are big eaters as a result of their high body temperature. They need protection from drafts but otherwise have few health problems.

Resources
The Sphynx Cat Association of the United Kingdom at www.sphynxcatassociation.co.uk