The Lykoi
The Lykoi is an extraordinary cat with the face of a wolf. They are like a Hollywood fabrication of someone who thought that joining a cat with a wolf would be a great idea. Except that this is not fiction and the Lykoi cat truly exists. “Lykoi” is a Greek word that means wolf.
Origins
The mutation that brought about the Lykoi has been happening for over 20 years now. Also known as the Werewolf cat, this cat is the result of a mutation that has been occurring on the domestic cat.
The Lykoi gene was found in two different sets of domestic cats. They were discovered by Patti Thomas in 2010, who named and co-founded the cat breed. The year after that, a new pair was found in Tennessee by Johnny Gobble, a veterinarian.
The International Cat Association (TICA) agreed on granting the breed a “Registration Only” status. More work to bring the breed to full recognition is in process.
Physical characteristics
The Lykoi cat is an almost hairless cat. When coated, the hair has the particularity of resembling the coat of an opossum. The body of this cat is solid and sturdy.
The coat must be a solid roan color. Due to his lack of hair on his face, he looks like a werewolf, hence the name.
A skin examination by dermatologists at the University of Tennesee discovered that some hair follicles in the cat lack all the necessary components to create hair, which explains the lack of undercoat.
Personality
In general, Lykoi cats have a friendly and outgoing nature. They are unchallenging and are pretty affectionate to their owners.
Caring for a Lykoi
One interesting characteristic of this cat is that it sheds a lot when it grows older but it will regrow its hair depending on the season. He does not have any undercoat and due to the lack of a proper balance in components to maintain the hair, it will occasionally go completely bald.
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