TBD

The Peterbald is a graceful “hairless” oriental type cat. Although some Peterbalds have no visible fur at all, others can have a fuzzy coat, which is called a brush coat or a full coat. This breed was developed in Russia only recently and is still very new in the United States.

The Peterbald has a long muscular body, which is lean and sturdy. The head is wedge-shaped with a wrinkled forehead, long nose and high cheekbones. The neck is wrinkled as are the whiskers and eyebrows. The ears are large. The Peterbald’s legs are long and muscular. The tail is also long and flexible. Within the past few years, the Peterbald has gained recognition as an advanced new breed by The International Cat Organization. The most current breed standard is included below.

The Peterbald is not a type of Sphinx, which was thought at first. The gene responsible for their relative hairlessness is very different; the Peterbald has a dominant gene while the Sphinx has a recessive gene. This means that if you were to breed a Peterbald to any other type of cat you would get hairless kittens, while you have to breed a sphinx to another sphinx in order to get hairless kittens.

There have been a lot of outcrosses to Oriental Shorthairs, Siamese, and the Rex through the years to get the Peterbald to have a certain look to it that sets it apart from the Sphinx as well as the oriental breeds. Most breeders have discontinued outcrossing since now they have the Peterbald look we have all been looking for. Some breeders are still outcrossing, though, to obtain different colors as well as to get rid of any undesirable traits.

One thing is prevalent in all Peterbalds: they have a very active and loving disposition, and they enjoy playing all the time. This breed makes a great pet for the whole family as well as a fun and interesting show cat. The only caution you must take with this breed is it must be kept inside due to its lack of fur, it has no protection from the cold and will sunburn very easy. The best way to protect this cat from any problems with regards to temperature is to think of it as if it were a naked infant. If the temperature would be healthy for you to let a naked infant play around then it will be ideal temperature for your Peterbald.

Aside from staying indoors, the Peterbald cat requires very little special care. The hairless cats do produce oil, but not nearly as much as the typical Sphynx. They may not need to be bathed weekly like the Sphynx, but they do require weekly ear and nail bed cleanings. The bath schedule does seem to vary depending on the cat and its level of hairlessness (the more bald, the more frequently they need to be bathed, and, of course, unaltered males will produce the most oils and need the most baths). These cats, like the Siamese and most oriental breeds, do not do well when declawed or with a tendenectomy surgery, and it is never recommended for them. We have adequate scratching posts in our home and find it to be no problem.

TICA BREED STANDARD for the Peterbald Cat

TICA PETERBALD (PD) STANDARD

Approved at 2/2005 TICA Meeting

HEAD................................40 points 
Size and Shape 9    
Ears 7    
Eyes 7
Profile 7
Muzzle 5
Chin 3 
Neck 2    
BODY................................40 points 
Torso 12    
Musculature 10
Boning 8    
Legs and Feet 5    
Tail 5
COAT AND SKIN..............20 points 
Texture 20 
RECOGNIZED 

CATEGORIES/DIVISIONS/COLORS: 


All categories, all divisions, all colors.

PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES:
Oriental Shorthair, Siamese, Don Hairless (Don Sphynx)

HEAD:
Shape: Long, inverted triangle, measuring from ear tip to ear tip to blunted chin, forming a wedge.
Ears: Extra large, pointed, and broad at the base, slightly flared. Set to extend just below the line of the wedge.
Eyes: Medium in size, almost almond in shape. Obliquely set, flush with the skull, neither protruding nor recessed. Distance between eyes not less than width of one eye. Eye color independent of coat color.
Profile: Almost straight profile with slightly noticeable angle from forehead to nose; two‑planed. Flat forehead.
Muzzle: Strong, smooth, slightly blunt. Not narrow. No whisker pinch. Kinky whiskers in all coat types.
Chin: Strong, tip of nose in line with tip of chin. Not protruding.
Neck: Long and slender.

BODY:
Torso: Medium‑sized, long and graceful. Shoulders and hips equal in width.
Legs: Long, medium‑fine boned. Firm muscles. Straight vertical forelegs. Hind legs slightly longer than front legs.
Feet: Oval, medium in size with long, agile prominent toes and a discreet, non‑prominent foot pad.
Tail: Long, strong and whippy.
Musculature: Firm and well‑developed.
Boning: Medium‑fine.

COAT:
The Peterbald coat ranges from completely hairless, to a flocked or velour coat, to a brush coat. The gene which causes the Peterbald coat is a “hair‑losing” gene rather than a “hairless” gene. All coat types are accepted and no preference should be given to one coat type over another. Instead, attention should be paid to the quality of the coat type.

The hairless Peterbald has soft, warm skin that feels almost sticky, but not oily, to the touch. The texture is chamois‑like. The hairless Peterbald may have wrinkles all over the body. The flocked or velour coat ranges from a short fine, sparse down to a slightly longer, closer down which offers resistance to the hand when stroked. The flocked or velour coat may appear hairless until touched. The texture is suede‑like.

The brush coat is one of the Peterbald’s most distinguishing characteristics. No other breed has a coat similar to this. The brush coat is a dense, wiry coat of irregular texture, ranging from soft to coarse. Brush coat may range from one‑eighth to one‑half inch, but should in no way feel or look like a normal coat when closely inspected.

In some instances, a Peterbald may combine coat types. For example, a cat may have brush coat on the extremities (i.e. muzzle, ears, legs, tail) and have a flocked or velour coat on the body. In such cases, coat that is retained on extremities is short, close lying and downy in texture, rather than the typical wiry texture.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The overall impression of an ideal Peterbald is an elegant and intelligent cat. The Peterbald has a sturdy, lean elongated body that contributes to its graceful movement. Peterbalds originated in Russia in January, 1994. They were originally produced by mating an Oriental Shorthair with a Don Hairless (Don Sphynx). The original litter demonstrated that the Don Hairless gene is a dominant gene, unlike the Sphynx gene. It also demonstrated various unusual coat types, including the distinctive brush coat.

LOCKETS: Allow

PENALIZE:
Head: Curved profile; weak chin; muzzle break.
Body: Heavy, rounded body; bowed forelegs.

WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS (WW):
Longhaired cats; normal coat. Any evidence of illness or poor health.

DISQUALIFY (DQ):
Protruding sternum; visible tail fault; crossed eyes.

Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm.