Peterbald Cat Breed Guide

May 17, 2024

Loyal | Social | Sweet. Peterbald cats are a lesser known hairless kitty and like Sphynx cats and Donskoys, people either love em’ or hate em’. Today we’ll be unravelling the wrinkly world of this lovable cat with our Peterbald cat breed guide.

Peterbald Sphynx cat

PETERBALD CAT BASICS

Average Lifespan: 12 - 15 years

Average Weight: 2.5 - 4.5kg

Coat Length: Hairless, flock, velour, brush, straight

Colouring: All colours and combinations

Shedding: None - Low

WHAT IS THE ANCESTRY OF THE PETERBALD CAT?

The Peterbald cat is another breed of hairless floof originating in Russia. These kitties were first bred in 1994 in St Petersburg and came about through breeding a Don Sphynx cat with an oriental shorthair. These kitties grew in popularity in Russia due to their unique look and varying coat types, ranging from completely hairless to a normal shorthaired fur type. In 2005 the Peterbald cat gained recognition by TICA, however, they still remain extremely rare in the UK and are ineligible for GCCF recognition due to the reported health problems associated with hairless cat breeds.

WHAT DOES A PETERBALD CAT LOOK LIKE?

Like other oriental cat breeds, Peterbald cats have elegant and slender bodies with large wide-set ears that almost make them look like a bat. Their skin is wrinkly and their whiskers are often kinked or very short. Although the hairless variation of the Peterbald is the most popular, this kitty comes in five different coat types.

These are:

Completely hairless - these kitties are forever nude and proud of it!
Flock - the coats of these kitties look like the chin of a pubescent boy. They’re very fine and 1mm in length.
Velour - with a slightly longer coat length at 3mm, these guys feel tantalisingly smooth like a velour jacket.
Brush - no other breed of kitty possesses this coat type, it’s totally unique to the Peterbald. Brush coats are short and wiry and around 5 mm in length.
Straight - these coats are the same as a Siamese or oriental shorthair. These kittens don’t possess any hairless genes.

WHAT IS THE PURRSONALITY OF THE PETERBALD CAT?

The Peterbald cat is one of the most sociable of all kitties. They love being amongst the action and will follow their pawrents from room to room, ensuring that they don’t miss out on any of the goss. They’re loyal and affectionate and are obsessed with tummy rubs and tickles. Peterbald cats adapt well to living in apartments as indoor cats as long as they’re stimulated with plenty of games and toys. However as they’re highly sociable floofs, consider adopting another cat to keep your Peterbald company if you’re not going to be home a lot. Adopting two Peterbald cats is best as they won’t judge each other’s lack of clothes!

For all the info on how to enrich your indoor cat’s life, check out our blog on environmental enrichment for house cats.

Peterbald Sphynx cat sitting on a green sofa

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH PROBLEMS WITH PETERBALD CATS?

Progressive Retinal Atrophy is an eye condition that has been linked to the Peterbald cat and can cause blindness. The hairless nature of Peterbald cats also brings with it some concerns. For instance, their skin can be delicate and is prone to sunburn as well as nasty scrapes and cuts. They’re also more sensitive to changes in temperature as they lack the insulation that fur provides. With no hair to distribute the oils of their skin, Peterbald cats will also need to be bathed regularly to prevent yeast infections and a daily wipe with a damp cloth to remove dead skin and prevent staining the fabric of your sofa!

PETERBALD CAT FEEDING REQUIREMENTS

If you have a hairless Peterbald cat, it's a good idea to feed them a nutritionally balanced cat food that includes Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Omega 3s are found in high levels in fatty fish like salmon and will help to keep your Peterbald cat’s skin clear and acne-free!

Cats that are hairless also generally have a higher metabolism meaning they may need to consume more food than their hairy counterparts. Always make sure the food you're feeding them is nutritionally dense and labelled as “complete” so that you know they’ll be getting everything they need from their dinner bowl to sustain their energy levels.

Most pet brands will have feeding instructions or feeding calculators on their recipe pages so that you can work out how much food to feed your Peterbald cat depending on their size and activity levels. Always keep an eye on their figure using a body condition score or cat weight chart to keep them in ideal shape and to prevent obesity which is one of the leading causes of health complications in cats!

SCRUMBLES, THE PAWFECT FOOD FOR PETERBALD CATS

Peterbald cats drool after our delicious and oh-so-nutritious cat dinners. Here’s why:

Gut-Friendly Goodness: Many Peterbald cat owners find that their cat’s tummies are more sensitive than others and benefit from gut-friendly cat food. That’s why we add prebiotics to our gut-friendly wet cat food, and probiotics to our dry cat food to improve the digestive health of Peterbald cats to reduce upset tums and stinky farts and promote pretty poops.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids + Eye Health: Our Salmon Dry Cat Food includes salmon oil which is an excellent source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids to keep your Peterbald cat’s skin clear and smooth! It’s also high in vitamin E and zinc to maintain your cat’s eye health.
Deliciously Meaty: Peterbald cats are obligate carnivores and need a diet high in protein to provide them with the necessary nutrients they need to stay in purrfect health. That’s why our recipes are jam-packed with at least 60% human-grade delicious animal meat.

Peterbald pawrents also appreciate our commitment to reducing our pawprint on the planet. We use eco-friendly packaging and 100% recyclable tins in our wet cat food and source our poultry from British farms to reduce food miles and our carbon footprint.

Our recipes only contain fish or poultry which is far less emission-intensive than red meat and easier to digest for cats adding to our gut-friendly mission! We’re B-Corp and proud of it, making Scrumbles the purrfect choice for British pet parents who want the best for the kitty and the planet.