Cats - Peterbald

Peterbalds are Russian cats, named after Peter the Great, Tzar of Russia, founder of Petersburg. Mikhail Shemiakin caricatured Peter with an uncomplimentary statue depicting him as bald, spindly legged, with a small head and elongated body.

Peterbald cats can be bald, or have short fuzzy hair like peach hair, or velvet, 1 - 2 mm on the body, and 3 - 4 mm on the extremities. The skin, which is soft and loose, feels hot. The eyes are green or blue, almond shaped. The ears are large, sticking out from the face in a V shape when seen from the front.

Some cats have curly whiskers, and some have none.

Breeders have experimented with mating the bald cats to other breeds, producing different coat types, eg "brush" - and bald cats with hair on the end of their tails.

Their build is similar to oriental cats and sphynx cats. They have been known as a distinct breed since 1994.

 Colour and markings: any