As of now, there are only a few dozen of these cats in the world. They attract attention for their resemblance to both cats and the character “werewolf”.
The photos below showcase the “Lykoi Cat Family” of Dorota Strychar, 36, from Legnica, Poland. She is the first person in Poland to own this breed, which was imported from the United States at the end of 2017.
The term lykoi in Greek means werewolf – (Photo: CATERS NEWS AGENCY).
The Lykoi is known as the “werewolf of the cat family” due to its unique appearance, a combination of various cat breeds. At first glance, the Lykoi cats resemble the hairless Sphynx cats and have the large round eyes of American Shorthairs, but their faces are reminiscent of the character Wolverine.
The extremely rare Lykoi breed was first bred in 2011 in Tennessee, USA, and is typically sold for around $2,000 each.
They are the result of a gene mutation in the American Shorthair breed. This gene mutation prevents Lykoi cats from developing fur like normal cats, leading to hairlessness around their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
The remaining fur on the body of Lykoi cats develops similarly to that of wolves.
Another special trait that sets Lykoi cats apart from all other breeds is that they behave like… dogs! They are very affectionate, enjoy being close to humans, are loyal to their owners, curious about their surroundings, eat a lot, and are very active.
They possess sharp hunting instincts like wolves, always following closely and pouncing on anything they consider prey.
The appearance of a young Lykoi cat – (Photo: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
Dorota Strychar has bred Lykoi cats after bringing them from the US; she currently has 4 adult cats and 6 kittens – (Photo: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
The quirky appearance and special nature make this breed extremely rare and expensive, making it inaccessible to many. This is simply because the number of Lykoi cats in the world is currently very limited – (Photo: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
At birth, this breed resembles a hairless sphynx cat – (Photo: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
Normal cats have soft fur as they grow, but Lykoi become increasingly “disordered,” with fur that is coarse like wolf fur – (Photo: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
Lykoi cats weigh between 4 to 8 kg, have slender bodies, larger ears, and tails that are about the same length as their bodies or slightly shorter. Of course, the most distinctive feature of this breed is their unique fur. While normal cats have soft fur as they grow, Lykoi fur becomes “messy”, coarse like wolf fur.
Many breeders believe that werewolf cats are partially hairless cats, with individual werewolf cats lacking fur on their faces, eyes, ears, chins, and legs. Even those with more fur appear thinner and coarser compared to regular cats.
Additionally, cats of this breed require regular grooming, with the frequency depending on the amount of fur they have. If the fur is thinner, their skin will need regular care similar to Sphynx and Devon Rex cats. Grooming is similar to regular cats; this breed only sheds hair once a year.
Werewolf cats weigh between 4 and 8 kg.
It is important to note that although this breed is very docile, they require a lot of playfulness and companionship. Therefore, owning a werewolf cat requires a spacious area and toys for interaction, such as climbing frames for cats and similar items. Naturally, it is best to have more than one pet at home.
