Don Sphynx cattery
My Joy
breeder
Natalia Volosova
Moscow, Russia
+7 (499) 199-8248
+7 (926) 533-7066
sfinx@sfinx.ru
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The Story of The Don Sphinx’s Origin
Irene Nemykina, cattery ``MIF`` (MYTH), Rostov-on-Don
For cattery ``RADOST MOYA`` (MY JOY), Moscow
I would like to start the story about this wonderful breed not from cats, but from people. Viz I can’t help telling about Helen Kovaleva, who was an understanding, cordial person with a delicate, artistic nature. She adored various animals and especially cats. Unfortunatelly, she is not with us already, but the remembrances of her, her cat Varvara are inseparably concerned with the origin of the Russian bald cat breed – the Don Sphinx.
I met Helen Kovaleva in 1986 when we were at our common friends’ wedding. Next day I came at her place and there saw Varvara for the first time. I felt a great shock. Certainly I’d never seen such cats before and could not have even imagined I would see them one day. Well… I was experienced at cats keeping, but they were ordinary domestic animals. But here! Once in the seventies I read in the magazine “Science and life” that 4 hairless, bald kittens were born in the North America. The breed was named sphinx. The article was even illustrated with a small picture.
So, having looked at Varvara, I told Helen – oh, god!! This is sphinx, a bald sphinx!!! But at that time I was afraid of taking Varvara in my hands. I even did not dare caress it. Now I understand well when people, looking at a bald cat for the first time, have contradictory feelings and become astonished. I don’t blame them as I felt the same in the beginning. By that time Varya had become an adult blue-cream cat with the softest velour on the head and back. It had a beige and grey lion’s mane behind the ears, a splendid bushy tail and fluffy legs. Helen, - I asked, - is it a pleasure to stroke a bald cat? It is such a pleasure that I suppose it is the nicest feeling above all, - Helen answered me. I touched Varya’s back with my fingertip and immediately drew my hand back – I can’t touch it and that’s all! A year passed. I kept in touch with Helen and certainly saw Varvara. I was getting used to Varya’s look, but my heart did not accept it. You won’t believe, but I even have not hold it in my hands – I only caressed it a little and not more than. I don’t know how to describe my feelings to the cat at that time, but I always took a keen interest, questioned Helen about all things concerning Varvara. For instance, Helen Kovaleva told me the story of Varvara’s appearance.
In February, 1996 Helen went home. The daughter and 4 cats, once taken in the street, were waiting her at home. She saw the boys on a playground in the yard, who threw a bag to each other, and a kitten cried from it. Helen took the bag away from them and pull the kitty out. It was a common tiny creature about 3-4 months old. A pretty fluffy tortoiseshell female-cat. Where to put it, whom to give it?? Helen brought the kitty home. It was named Varvara. The kitty was growing up and there was nothing unusual in it – a common fluffy pet. But about 4 months later the oddities arose. The cat start losing its hair – first on the head, then on the back, not at once but little by little. Helen brought it to a vet-clinic. Imagine the heaps of illnesses, diagnosed to the cat. They were demadecosis, dermatitis, lichen. Accordingly, the doctors prescribed a vast treatment to Varvara while it was nearly a full absence of medicine at that time. Finally all those ointments were found of no use and the cat was let alone. Especially Varvara felt perfectly and had a marvelous appetite, worthy of envy. It was growing and growing, though kept on losing its hair on the head and back.
| | | | | In 1989 Svetlana Volkova brought a cats’ show of Alisa club from Dnepropetrovsk to Rostov. We sent Helen’s daughter Inna together with Varvara to it. At that time we thought in earnest that only children and elders were engaged in cats, and accordingly we did not come ourselves to the show. 3 hours later Inna came back, blubbered. She told that she was made a laughing-stock: “Our cats are fluffy and look at your mangy one – what is it??” And the girl ran away from the show.
So, what is to be done, if it’s clicked? We regretted a bit, calmed the child, and then forgot. Some time later there was a cat’s show in Rostov again. And again it was Alisa club. Meanwhile, Varya had bared more, and by that moment had the completely velour head and body, mane behind the ears, the bushy tail, and socks on its legs. And then Helen went herself to the show, together with the cat. Inna and I also came. Svetlana Volkova came to see Varya. Helen explained her – “Look, this is sphinx, a bald cat, the same as in America! We’ve read about it”. Svetlana Volkova objected that we were mistaken and asked where in our province we found that odd creature. “It is absolutely unreal!” – she said. “What is sphinx?? There is no such a name!!”
Certainly, only a few heard about the Canadian Sphinx at that time, and certainly nobody saw it.
So, unfortunately, the second show also gave nothing.
It was May, 1990. I received a new flat, and the move concurred with my birthday. Helen brought a kitten to me, which was Varvara’s daughter!! Oh, my god!! I’ve got a kitty!! Varvara’s daughter… Though I promised everyone a lot of time – I would take a boxer-dog when I moved to a new flat, and no cats. And look! It is a kitten – so amusing, shaggy, with the fan-like tail. The fan hairs on the tail were like on a squirrel’s one. And the head was slightly bald as Varya’s head. The kitty was born the 20th of February, 1990. It was grayish and Helen named it Serka. The kitty was let off, it was wandering and then sniffed. I looked at it – it was not like a cat, especially when I saw its feet and toes. And I was fully taken aback when the cat snatched something with them so as it was a real hand, held it and ate. Good gracious!! It was a real monkey. So, if it was the monkey, then its name would be Chita, as the name of the monkey in one movie. Thus, the name was chosen.
Basically a lot of fortuities are concerned with the Don Sphinx breed and its development. Its Majesty, The Chance interfered a lot of times in the development of doings – how Helen Kovaleva found Varvara, and Chita’s appearance, or rather the birth of the litter where Chita was – all those events were fortuitous. Helen had the other cats besides Varvara. They were usual European short-haired, and Helen’s neighbour, a “kind” woman, delivered Helen from them, as it was very hard to find them a home. But then it turned out that the neighbour went to a seaside, and two kittens remained – future Chita and its sister Loskutok. Their father was the cat Vasiliy of a nice grey-blue colour, marble-patterned and with a big white shirt-front. Vasiliy was chosen because of its innate handsomeness and the neighbourhood in one house.
The story of Loskutok was the following – it lived a year and some months at Helen’s place. And it bared none at all, staying a shaggy tortoiseshell cat. Then it was given to one man, who afterwards threw Loskutok away. We found out about it and were wandering for a long time in the yards and porches of that district, put announcements, hoping to find Loskutok. We failed. Helen told that Loskutok was very wayward and could not have survived without people. We did not find it and do hope very much that someone took the cat.
But let’s return to the times when Chita and Loskutok were small kittens. Again the club “Alisa” came with the cats’ show to Rostov. Helen, her daughter Inna and I went the third time. And Varvara, Chita and Loskutok were with us. We brought three cats that time!! “Look! It is not one mangy cat, we are born like this”. Our cats were put on a table and experts examined them. Svetlana Volkova and her colleagues came to our trio, scrutinized the cats, asked questions, and even offered to buy but Chita only. Loskutok was not of any interest for them. I answered – “Chita is my cat. Sorry, but I won’t sell it!” We got a prize in the show, which was a nice glass salad-dish. It was our first prize!
The show was over and that was all! Nobody took an interest in us any more, absolute silence, though they saw us three times, in three shows. They saw that the cats were growing and breeding.
| | | | | But these cares belonged to us, people; the cats did not care – they caused joy to us. Chita became grown-up and I left one male-kitten from the Chita’s first litter. Why it was a tom-cat, I can explain. It was a firm belief that a tom-cat was the best for home, but nobody considered female-cats seriously, especially with kittens – romps, smells, etc. My husband was strict – no kittens at home.
For the first time I crossed Chita with a large, even the hugest EUR cat. I would like to dwell upon that moment, as once I even tried to write a story about it.
I had never kept female-cats at home – only tom-cats. One year old Chita was in estrus. She showed us such a recital, that I was ready to cross Chita with anyone. As ill luck would have it, but there was no tom-cat hereabouts. We crawled under all cars in the yards but found only female-cats. Then we started looking for a tom in houses. Then we came to some and asked if they had a cat. The host said – “This is Markiz, our favourite, our gem”. I brought the tom and put it on the floor. One minute later I watched a tangle and a fight. Markiz was fully blooded and screaming out. I snatched it away, gave him a tin of meat “Tourist’s breakfast” and brought it back to the owners. Well... I thought about Chita.. If you did not want a tom-cat from a respectable family, I would bring you anyone I would find. Moreover, looking at our sufferings, our neighbours got the hang of the things and also started looking for a tom-cat for Chita. So, they found one, which lived at some grannies’. I came to them and asked “Please, give me your cat”. The grannies objected – “What next! We do want ourselves to see how our Vasenka will make love”. The grannies were very old, one of them was almost paralysed and bedridden. Vasenka was the most favourite pet, their pretty joy. I brought Chita and as soon as I let it go, it clang to the tom-cat, and they tangled under the bed, where the invalid granny was in, and there the cats started fighting. Immediately, I rushed under the bed, pulled the tom out, and Chita seized Vasenka so, that dragged after it. And they were both screaming. I don’t tell lie – the paralysed granny got up on the bed – Help!! They are killing our Vasenka!! I grasped Chita and went home. Ok, - I said – if you wanted neither the grannies’ cat, nor from a repectable family, I would bring you a tom from a cesspit. Then the children came – “Aunt Irene! Look – there is a huge cat, just like you wanted, in the neighbouring yard, in a gateway!” I had some canned ham in our refrigerator, so I took a big piece and went with my son to the yard. I saw a hefty drowsy muzzle in a basement window. We put a ham under its nose, it moved forward, once more and again the cat moved forward. Then we took it out and brought home. When we were carrying it, I fed all ham to it in order not to allow it scratching. The cat was eating it slowly, with a great pleasure and champing. We brought it to the anteroom and only then I realized what we had found! I had never seen such a monster before! Together with the tail, the cat occupied the whole anteroom. It finished the food off and then saw my Chita. Chita stood bowing down, spiteful and started spitting. The tom looked at Chita, sniffed, threw its arms around Chita and impregnated it at once.
Chita gave birth to 4 big male-kittens, all of them were brush. I had no idea what to do with them, as no people wanted a cat. So, I kept only one kit, which was the most robust. To my surprise, it started taking the coat off. Who might have imagined?! So far I still had some doubts in my heart – what if the case of Chita was a fortuity. I was looking for a tom only in order to make Chita shut up and I planned nothing. When our kitten became 2 months old, it stripped up to good velours. Now, remembering it and when we can compare, I can say that the cat was of Vityaz MIF’s type, but was larger, stronger and with bright stripes. And the monster, its father, was of seal colour.
The kitty was growing up and I faced a problem – what to do, to whom give it, as no one wanted to take a cat, especially of a strange look – without coat. Once I was told I was crack-brained to spend time with such cats. And then, the chance occurred – I took a taxi, sat in and saw a crying boy. I heard that their cat died and they did not know where to take a new cat to calm the child. I said “Don’t cry. Now we will arrive and I bring you a cat”. They took the kitten, thanked me and went away. No contacts were kept.
| | | | | As for the next Chita`s heat, I was ready. I found a neighbour who had a tom-cat Dima. Dima was smoky, blue, tabbied, without white (Vasiliy, which was crossed with Varvara, had a white shirt-front. White marks, a skewbald gene, a medallion sprang from it). To imagine Dima`s appearance, go outdoors – you will see scores of such Dimas on dumps.
I crossed Chita 3 times with this Dima. I kept 2 male-kittens from their first litter. They were Hannibal and Martyn. How such a strange name Hannibal appeared. When we were thinking about the name, we reasoned – the kitten was black, as Negro. If it was a Negro, then it was Arap (an archaic name for Negro). The Russian Tzar Peter the Great had his own Arap and his name was Hannibal. Ok, we would also have our Hannibal. We call it Ganya at home. Certainly it has not been copulating for 3-4 years, but looks very hale and hearty, with all teeth kept white and strong. Its brother Martyn, of tabby colour, was a little larger than Hannibal was. When they were adult cat, we measured them and found that Hannibal`s length from a nose-tip to a tale-base was 53 cm, and Martyn was 54 cm. Unlike Hannibal, Martyn did not bared completely.
I gave Martyn to my godson. It lived freely, walked outdoors, caught mice, easily coped with a rat. In summer Martyn became almost bald but with a small brush on the tail, hair on the legs and behind the ears. But in winter, when Martyn came outdoors for his cat business, it acquired big fur trousers and looked very funny. In such conditions, Martyn lived 8 years. It died tragically from pigeon-breeders, because it got the habit of hunting for pigeons. Many kittens were left after it. Certainly, Martyn found girl-friends among neighbouring cats. It means kittens were born. But knowing well the owners of those cats, of course, they did not keep the kittens. Up to now I am keeping relations with many cat-owners in this district, but there have never been the cases of appearance of an unknown bald or half-bald cat.
So, we crossed Martyn with a common tabby EUR cat, and 3 kittens were born. We kept the biggest one and again it became completely velours in 3-4 months old.
The second cross of Chita and Dima gave beautiful kittens, which were losing the coat remains very quickly! So, this phenomenon occurs in each litter! Starting from this litter, I started giving names in alphabetical order and added the MIF prefix to each name. Hannibal and Afinogen also received the prefix, but the name of Chita remained without any changes. Speaking in a modern language, Chita was of Helen Kovaleva`s breeding and not mine, and I thought it would be not decent to give my prefix to it. Two born kittens were named Anton MIF and Afinogen MIF. They were growing up and then it was time for someone to go to Leningrad (St. Petersburg). I had to decide: Anton was the best of them, it was bigger and balder at that time. Afinogen was smaller and more shaggy. I decided to keep Anton for me, it meant that Afonya should go to Leningrad. So, with the help of my friends, Afinogen MIF was sent to Tatyana Komarova in Leningrad.
But Anton was staying with me for a short time. Irene Katzer came to me and my cats. We looked at all hairless cats, dwelling in Rostov at that time and I told her in details our story from the very beginning. I saw that Irene Katzer was greatly interested in it. Moreover, she was an experienced cat-expert. Irene Katzer took Anton MIF with her. Finally both cat-brothers were found in Leningrad. Immediately, Irene left with Anton for a cat`s show in Budapest, where Anton received enthusiastic responses.
Chita`s and Hannibal`s cross. Chita gave kittens on the 26 of October, 1992. And a great surprise was stored up for me! So far all the kitties had a few coat, some of them got bald within a year. And here Chita brought the litter, where was one completely bald kitten! I was shocked! I felt the same when I saw Varvara for the first time. It was a female-cat. The first bald-born cat! Was it really possible?! I named it Basya. It was growing and becoming more and more beautiful. Finally, Basya went to Irene Katzer in Leningrad. It lives there together with Anton MIF. By the way, Bastet MIF was from the same litter as Basya.
About at the same time I read a book about Askaniy Nova. Once they bred the Przevalsky`s horse. In the war the Germen stole the whole herd, and the employees of the nursery saved only one stallion by common efforts. As they did not have the other horses and it was impossible to take them back, the people faced a question how to renew the population from that one stallion. And it was a detailed description in the book how they selected the healthy mares, bearing resemblance to the stallion, crossed them, and then crossed the offsprings back with the father. I had read it and began to think over it. I had Chita and its son Hannibal, both bared to more or less degree. Why not? Why should not I try? At that time I had nobody to inquire about and I had a little felinological knowledge. So, without any advices and assistance, I crossed mother and son, Chita and Hannibal. I made the same, as was described in the book, i.e. inbreeding. Then, by analogy with the book, it follows that a new breed with new features should appear just this way. When all the things occurred, only few people knew the words ``inbreeding``, ``felinologist``, ``outcross``, etc.
| | | | | On the 17th of February, 1993 Chita brought a litter. And again there was one bald-born kitten. Now it was a male-cat! A first bald-born male-cat! It was a great luck. I felt that I verged to something important, but still incomprehensible for me, probably to some mystery, concerned with my cats. I was very nervous. The kittens, losing their hair when maturing, the birth of bald kittens, the cats` behavior, their stare, expressive eyes, fingers-like feet, attitude towards people – all those things completely disagreed with cats usual for us.
That litter was found to be very successful. The bald-born kitten was named Vikont MIF. It became a big marvelous cat and lived a long life in a very good family in Rostov. Vikont was in great relations with the Dog. They were as thick as thieves, ate and slept always together. But suddenly the dog died, Vikont lied down on its bedding, where was staying for 3 days. It did not eat, did not drink and died without any obvious reasons. It was only 10 years old, and all those 10 years they were together.
Vikont gave great descendants.
In the same litter, together with Vikont, Vityaz and Violetta were born. Vityaz MIF is the cat of a beautiful type, vigorous, rapidly bared. He was the first of my cats, which went to Moscow. And it has been living at Natalya Imbragimova`s. Vityaz and Hannibal were the first Don cats, taking part in a cat`s show in Moscow. I know that Vityaz has got numerous and excellent offsprings, living not only in Moscow.
Violetta MIF is a picture of beauty and my favourite pet. Violetta resembles greatly its mother Chita in looks, and it also gave a lot of splendid kittens.
| | | | | While the Don Sphinx breed was developing and strengthening itself with other animals easily, it was difficult enough with people. Since 1990 I have started sending letters to everyone, who could have become interested in my cats, as I thought. I wrote in newspapers and magazines, to TV, radio, some felinologists and authors of zoological articles.
I kept on writing in 1991, 1992, 1993 … Some of those specialists are well-known nowadays, but at that time they disregarded me or replied that they were dealing with pure-bred cats, but not something…..
For instance, I remember an ad of some society or nursery that was in for pedigree dogs and cats, in the ``Crocodile`` magazine, in 1991. I had not even known then about cats and dogs clubs. I send them a letter too. I told that I had bald cats and did not know what to do with them.. And offered that people coming to me and taking the cats. I received their reply …. in 1993 – if you want, you can come yourself and join the show.
In 1993 I was lucky enough to get to a local TV channel. It was ``The Day of Don`` broadcast. Editor-in-chief Sergey Sleptzov came to my house, with a huge TV-camera, soffits, cables. I was told that they would show only the cats, and I would be off-camera. The film was broadcasted in our local TV and there I was with my cats in all our beauty. Next day the film was shown one more but in the broadcast ``Utro`` in the first, central channel TV throughout the whole country. You can be taken aback, but I received NO response!! Afterwards, in some years, I talked to some cat-lovers and learnt they watched the film, heard of it but did not believe, thinking it was a regular falsehood, as it seemed to be absolutely impossible, especially in Rostov.
In the same 1993 I got to know that a new department of pure-bred cats started its activities, attached to the dogs club. I went there, showed a Chita`s photo to them and asked ``Can we, of such a kind, interest you?``. ``Certainly, you are of a great interest for us! Join us``, - they answered.
| | | | | I have started my story from Varvara and its owner, Helen Kovaleva. I would like to finish also, speaking about them. In the latest years of Helen, because of her disease, we could communicate very seldom. And I also knew about the misfortune, happened with Helen, later with a delay. I know that Varvara got to a new house, where it did not live long. Varya was about 10 years old.
I have told only the very beginning to you and not mentioned a lot. I told only about the very first cats, with which we started that difficult way. I can write an interesting story about each cat separately. It was hard to lose nobody, not to abandon them, to help them growing up and have their own kittens. I am very much obliged to the fortune that brought me to Helen Kovaleva. I give the most cordial thanks to our cats Varvara, Chita and their children.
I do hope much that all fables, simply inaccuracies and even adulterations in the story of the Don Sphinx breed appearance will disappear after my story. That Varvara was the result of the Chernobyl tragedy, that it was found somewhere in a rubbish heap, that Chita was bald-born, not to mention Varvara. It is the use of Dons, which are the coevals of Chita and Hannibal, in breeding activities from other catteries and also the tall stories about my MIF animals, supposedly having a color gene.
I am very glad to know that the breed has found its fans, and is of a big interest for many people. I am very glad to watch a lot of devotees, many catteries have been founded. It means that our work was not in vain. It means the breed has occurred!
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| | | | | | Translation of article was kindly executed by Irene Sinjuhina | | | |
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