Characteristics of Peterbald Cats

There are a number of hairless cat breeds out there. But to find out more about the different breeds you may want to visit the chapter on hairless cats.

The overall look is described as a graceful and elegant cat with a long body, long legs and long neck - a svelte and sturdy-looking cat.

Body: Their torsos are described as long, graceful and medium sized. The muscles are firm and well developed and the bones are medium fine.

Legs: Their legs are long and slender, fine boned with firm muscles. The back legs are slightly longer than the front legs. The paws are medium sized, oval in shape with prominent toes and webbing between the toes.

Tail: The tail is well balanced with the body length and is long, strong and whippy. 

Head: The Peterbald has a wedge-shaped head (or inverted triangle shape), with a flat forehead and high cheek bones. The muzzle is straight and strong and blunt and the chin is strong and should not protrude.

Eyes: The eyes are medium sized and described as almond or Oriental in shape and set at a slant. Any eye color is accepted and there is no association between eye color and skin/coat color.

Ears: The ears are large and pointed, wide at the base and slightly flared.

The first Peterbald imported into the USA from Russia was a direct descendant of one of these kittens and established the breed in the United States.

The breed was recognized by the World Cat Federation (WCF) in 1996, The International Cat Association in 1997 (TICA) and the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) in 2008. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) has not as yet accepted this cat breed.