New hairless loosing gene from Russia was a renewal of hairless breeds in the cat world. The aboriginal cat with that natural mutation appears in 1987. The introduction of this gene in the cat population with the breeders help and guide made two different breeds, "Don" and "Peterbald".
In February 1986 Irina Kovalyova (Elena Kovaleva) return to her home and found her daughter Inna with 4 cats, that had been taken from the streets of Rostov-na-Don, were all they was waiting her. In the backyard same boys was playing threw a bag to each other with a kitten inside, and the kitten cried from it. Irina took the bag away from them and pull out the kitty. It was a common tiny creature about 3 months of age. A pretty fluffy torbie female-cat. Irina took the kitten at home, to provide her some food and rest. Irina was concerned that this kitten was ill and she rescued her. Irina named it Varya (Varvara).
This kitty was growing up and there was nothing unusual in it! – She was only a common fluffy pet. But few months later the oddities arose and when Irina observed her in a better way she saw that had some areas with less hair. This female start losing its hair – first on the head, then on the back, not at once but little by little. Irina thought that this little female had some kind of problem or illness with her skin and she decide to visit the veterinarian. After that, she was treated with anti-fungal medicine, but the hair just kept on falling out. Soon, it became obvious that Varya was not any kind of illness. It was healthy cat, but she was to be bald or hairless.
Varya had become a beautyful adult blue-cream torbie cat with the softest velour coat on head and back but with a splendid bushy tail and fluffy legs. Irina and others breeders had supposed that it was the same natural mutation that produced "baldness" in the know Sphynx, but in different time and place. They were believed that with this animal they could open at future the gene pool breed. They named this new mutation like "Don Sphynx" ; Don for The city and Sphynx for the gene.
After of breeding Varya with Vanya (European male),
big was the surprise when its offspring was from normally coated cats
yielded rexed and partially hairless kittens and normal coated. It was
clear that this was a total different kind of hairless gene, It is a
dominant trait, where the gene that causes hairlessness in the Sphynx
is recessive. Like the gene that heritage the hairless trait was totally
different from the Sphynx, the name was changed to the Don Hairless.
Irina kept same Hairless kittens for a breeding program to become the
foundation of a new wonderful breed. The hairless cats of Irina's Myth
Cattery were bred exclusively to European Shorthairs and Domestic shorthairs.
In those days in general those cats not had a structure nor type fixed;
but with many years of work and effort it became to produced stocky
built cats. Here, in any way had began the "DON HAIRLESS"
bred history even when they did not be recognized like "DON"
to many time later.
On February 20th, 1990 one litter from Varya (Varvara) with Vasya (or Vasily) was born. One of those kittens was grayish and Irina Kovaleva named it Serka. Irina Nemykina took this kitty and started a breeding program for this new naked breed. When she saw it – her fisrt feeling was that it was not like a cat, especially when She saw its feet and toes. When the cat snatched something with them so as it was a real hand, held it and ate. It looked like real monkey. So, if it was the monkey, then its name would be Chita, as the name of the tarzan´s monkey.
In 1993 "Don Sphynx" cats were shown
at an exhibition for First Time, but breed was officially recognized
only in 1998.
Idea about the creation of Peterbald was realized in
St.Petreburg under the leadership of Olga Mironova,
a well known Russian Phelinologist.
Breed´ basis was originally produced by experimental mating of
Don Hairless (know today like Donskoy - an original genetic dominant
mutation) out crossed to cats of Oriental / Siamese type. These hairless
cats with oriental type were called Peterbald by their popularity
in San Peterburg.
First Peterbald were born in January 1994.
First breeding became in one mated made in 1993 of out crossing a very classy tortoiseshell Oriental female, Radma Von Jagerhof, with a very oriental looking brown mackerel tabby "Don Hairless" male, Afinogen Myth (one of the first "Don" kittens sold owned by T.Komarova). Whose bone structure was a bit slightly heavier but who had a wedge-shaped head.
New Breed base are formed by these unique couple and their offspring like common ancestors of any Peterbald cat. Thanks to the remarkable offspring quality of this couple the availability of the new breed´ breeding program was confirmed. First two litters gave four typed Peterbald kittens: Mandarin iz Murino, Muscat iz Murino, Nezhenka iz Murino and Nocturne iz Murino. Those four cats are considerer the real basis of the breed.
Breed's author, "Olga Mironova"; opinion is that at least one of those four original Peterbald ancestors should obligatory be presented in all now existing Peterbald´s pedigrees..
- In 1996 breed was adopted in Russian Selection Feline Federation
with a standard and an abbreviation PBD.
- In August 1997 it was adopted in TICA - "The
International Cat Association", the breed abbreviation is PD.
- In 2003 in World Cat Federation (WCF) with PSX.
- In 2006 by the Federation Internationale Feline - FIFe .with PEB.
Used handles of the breed are: PBD, PEB, PD and PSX.
In those days, the breed was develop in the direction of European modern Oriental type, that is long muzzle, set apart ears, flat cheek bones, foreing body on long legs. This is why all standards for this breed encourages mating with Oriental and Siamese cats of moder type and semi-longhair variations of those, called Balinese and Javanese.
Long ago, TICA breeders became to taken continence
that the dominant "Russian-hairless gene" is not a "hairless
gene" and really is a "hair loosing gene". "Hair-losing"
condition is operating by a dominant gene that made epitasis. PD gene
made an incomplete dominant effect unlike the RECESIVE Sphynx gene.
It also demonstrated various unusual coat types, including the distinctive
brush coat in different textures.
Varya was the foundation´cat of the "Russian hair loosing gene". Later their descendants was used to create two different Russian bald breeds: Don Hairless & Peterbald. Those breeds evolution have changed with the standard modifications and their breeders´ different tastes, in different countries, continents, and associations.
- In 2005, the TICA BOAR of Directors give it the Championship Status from 1 ° may 2006.
- In 2007, the TICA BOAR of Directors incloude into the Championship Status the "brush coat" from 1° may 2008.
Varya (Varvara)
Varya & Irina
Olga Mironova
Chita
Afinoghen Myth & Radma Von Jagerhof
Irina Krivosheeva
& Nocturne Iz Murino
2005 - 2006 AllBreed TICA Judge,
Carlos Arrieta, & CMC Diva