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The PeterBald

 

The look of a PeterBald is very different from that of the Sphynx. The Peterbald cat’s head is wedge-shaped with oval eyes and high cheekbones. The whiskers are wavy or broken off near the skin. The slightly wrinkled body is long and lean with strong ne bones. The tail is long and straight. The pointed ears are large, broad at the base, and set straight. The Peterbald’s skin is soft like a chamois cloth or a peach. The Peterbald comes in several different “coat types. The Peterbald is not oily, and therefore doesn’t need to be bathed as often; maybe every two to eight weeks, depending on your cat. My Peterbald cats groom themselves less often and less thoroughly than “furry” cats it seems. The Peterbald coat is different in feel than that of the Sphinx. They are both soft and nice to feel, but there
is a discernible difference between them. The added oil of the Sphynx produces a real difference when touched as opposed to the feel of the Peterbald. I can only tell you what I have experienced personally. 

 

NAKED OR HAIRLESS

A few other names you may have heard this coat type referred to are: Naked, Bald, Ultra Hairless, Born Naked, or Hairless Born. The ultra bald PDs are born totally without hair. They are completely hairless, and do not grow any coat after birth. They are usually born without whiskers or eyebrows and often have their eyes open at birth. The skin is soft and warm. They feel like warm silk.

 

FLOCK

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The Flock PeterBald is smooth to the touch and has no visible hair. Hair measures 1/100th mm to 1mm. There is no resistance to the coat when stroked in any direction, It feels like silk. PeterBalds with this coat type may have residual close-lying down on the extremities which may or may not be lost as the cat matures. Whiskers and eyebrows are kinky, curly, broken or a combination of these. This is the most desirable coat type.

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The Flock coat can also come in ranges from 1-5mm in length and appears hairless from a distance. Upon close inspection the coat is visible. The texture of the coat can range from sparse, short and slightly way hair where the skin is easily visible, to a denser coat where the skin is only slightly visible. On those cats with the denser texture, the coat shines, giving it a sleek look. When moving a hand over the velour coat, there is some resistance because the coat does not typically lay tight to the body as it does with a ock or chamois. This coat can be lost, leaving just close lying down on the extremities by two years of age. Kittens born with a ock coat usually have a bald spot or ‘monks cap’ on the top of the head.

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BRUSH

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The brush coat is comprised of wiry hair that may be barely wavy to almost curly. It ranges from sparse to dense, with irregular texture. It may be coarse or soft and will be longer than 5mm in length. Cats born with a light brush coat may lose the coat over a period of time and may become less brushy before two years of age. Whiskers on a brush coated cat or kitten are always curly or kinky. Some flock coats are sometimes confused for a “light brush”. The difference can be determined by the coat length and the wiry texture of the brush (remember, the texture of a flock coat is soft).

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STRAIGHT COAT

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Straight Coated PeterBalds do not have the hair loss gene and have short close-lying coats and normal, straight whiskers. These kittens lack the undercoat of a normal straight coated cat, so even though visually they may appear to be the same in reality they are very different.

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