You see Sphynx-Elf and Peterbald are at the picture.
They are both hairless and people assume that they are the same breed.
From the first glance Sphynx cat looks heavier, shorter, round tummy and his face is wider than Peterbald has. The distance between the yeas is about two eyes.
Peterbalds are elegant, narrow and long. The face is triangle.
You will never get confused who is who: Sphynx or Peterbald.
Assume that they are with fur and your imagination shows you that Sphynx looks like a domestic cat or American Shorthair. Peterbald will be as Oriental shorthair.
Of course it is an approximate comparing, which gives you a quick understanding about why they look differently.
Sphynx are always hairless thanks a recessive gene.
Peterbalds have a few types of coats. Not all Peterbalds are bald. The kittens can be born bald or with hair and later become hairless because their dominant gene is hair loss.
In one Peterbald's litter can be a few different kittens: bald or covered with fuzz or usual short fur. They will change their coat growing up, but if a kitten was born with an usual fur it will never change and this kitten will be looking as Oriental Shorthair breed.
The breeder can figure out if a kitten will change a coat later or not. We will review in the next blog all types of coats and what we need to know about it.
What is important to understand that Sphynx and Peterbalds are not relative. They never were crossed over and their gens are different. Peterbald was invented to overcrossing Oriental Shorthair and Donskoy (Russian) Shpynx. Let's look at these two breeds closer...
LET'S COMPARE THEIR STANDARDS:
PETERBALD
Head | Triangular |
Profile | Straight |
Eyes | Almond shape, an eye's width between eyes. Eyes are not set back in the skull |
Neck | Slender and long |
Chin | Strong, well developed |
Body | Long and tabular. Abdomen is tight and mascular |
SPHYNX
Head | Modified wedge with rounded contours. |
Profile | Slight to moderate change of direction at bridge of nose. |
Eyes | Greatly facilitated by the large lemon shaped eyes. Slightly more than an eye width between eyes |
Neck | Medium in length, rounded and well-muscled |
Chin | Firm chin |
Body | Medium size. Belly should give the appearance of having recently eaten a large meal. |