Lykoi

It isn’t often that a completely new, natural breed of cat is recognised, but on 26th February 2020, the GCCF Council of Delegates gave Preliminary Recognition to the Lykoi breed. The name, Lykoi, comes from the Greek word “lykos”, meaning wolf, and it is sometimes referred to as the werewolf cat. This alludes to its appearance as the skin around the cat’s eyes, nose, muzzle and chin is hairless, giving the appearance of a mask. Lykoi cats are also partially hairless on their legs and paws as well, giving them a “hairy hand” appearance.

The Lykoi is a natural mutation, occurring randomly in the feral feline population. It was discovered relevantly recently when, in 2010, Patti Thomas in Virginia, USA was given a litter of two kittens from a normal black domestic shorthair as it was thought, from their appearance, that they may be a possible Sphynx mutation. The kittens were named Silver Lining and Ray of Hope. Subsequently, the kittens and their mother were given to veterinarian, Dr Johnny Gobble DVM and his wife Brittney of Vonore, Tennessee. DNA testing by Dr Leslie Lyons at the University of California, Davis proved that the gene responsible for their partial hairlessness and unique (in the cat world) “roan” patterned coat (meaning having a base coloured coat, such as black or red, interspersed with white hairs) is a recessive gene, and not related to any other known hairless mutations, such as the Sphynx. At the same time, dermatologists at the University of Tennessee undertook a variety of tests to rule out the possibility that the unusual hair growth patterns aren’t a result of disease or infection. In another of the quirks of fate that occasionally happen, a second pair of kittens appeared in 2010 in Tennessee and these, too, went to live with the Gobbles. As the foundation cats were shown to be healthy, two of the unrelated cats were mated, and produced the first intentionally bred Lykoi, with the first kittens arriving on 14th September 2011. Since breeding began with the first foundation cats, an outcrossing programme was undertaken by Dr Gobble, using solid black domestic cats (no known pedigree breed cats have been used). Natural mutation Lykoi have also been located in other areas of the USA and Canada. The first Lykoi variants (normal-coated cats carrying the Lykoi gene) to be exported to the UK were brought into the country by Mrs Perviz Alexander in 2013 with the first full Lykoi in the UK born in May 2015. Once the breed name had been agreed, Dr Gobble sent the supporting paperwork to TICA (The International Cat Association) in 2012 to have Lykoi listed as an experimental breed (for registration only); it was subsequently granted championship status in May 2017. CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) accepted Lykoi for showing as Miscellaneous Status from May 2018.

The Lykoi is striking and rather fascinating, it is a partially hairless breed of cat with a unique coat. A combination of three distinct traits sets the Lykoi apart from all other breeds.
• Roaning – a pattern of intermixed white and coloured guard hairs. This pattern is found in other animals, such as horses, but has not been found in any other breed of cat.
• A lack of undercoat.
• Sparse hair on legs, feet and face mask which gives the appearance of a werewolf.

The head of a Lykoi should be a modified wedge with rounded contours, slightly longer than wide. The ears are tall and open at the base and set high on the head, vertical and erect. The eyes are large and walnut shaped and slant upwards – hairless rims are desirable. The nose is hairless and leathery to the touch and gives the impression of a mask when connecting with the area around the eyes. The muzzle is medium in length with fleshy, gently rounded hairless whisker pads with a definite whisker break. They have an elegant, foreign type body and should feel solid and muscular. The legs are medium length and sparsely haired, the paws are oval shaped with long toes. The tail is shorter than the body and tapers to a point. The coat is what sets the Lykoi apart; undercoat should be lacking over the entire body. Guard hairs cover the body, but are very sparse or completely lacking on the legs, feet, back of ears, and mask (eyes, nose, muzzle and chin.). Lykoi have a grizzled appearance due to the amelanistic guard hairs intermixed with coloured. The texture is soft to the touch and the length short to medium; longer guard hairs cover the body with the coat coverage varying depending on the cycle of hair growth. Coloured hairs and amelanistic white hairs are intermixed throughout the coat, with each hair either coloured or white, from root to tip. The accepted range of coloured hair percentage is 30 to 70%, with 50% being ideal. The roan pattern will vary in appearance depending on the colour (black is probably the most striking). It is the unique pattern of reduced hair and roan pigmentation that gives their faces the characteristic look.

Said to be very dog-like, Lykoi are friendly and affectionate, extrovert and active. They are intelligent and enjoy toys that enable them to use their problem solving skills, and high prey drive. They bond well with humans, making them ideal for a family with children. Lykoi are happy to play hunt and fetch.

There are no special care requirements for the Lykoi breed. The lighter coat means that they are not prone to matting but they do require an occasional brush through. They can moult and lose some of their coat, especially in springtime, but this should grow back and is normal. Although they have a reduced coat volume, they do not need to be kept in a warmer than normal environment; they appreciate a cosy bed and, just as with any other cat, should never be shut in an outdoor area with no access to indoor shelter.

The breed has been established with a concerted effort to ensure a genetically diverse and healthy foundation with options to continue to diversify the gene pool through the addition of new blood lines. The cats are robust and healthy with no known breed-specific health issues.