Natural selection is the process by which individuals" inherited needs and abilities are more or less closely matched to resources available in their environment, giving those with greater "fitness" a better chance of survival and reproduction. The hairless cat, Felis catus (Full Taxonomy), a.k.a Don Sphinx, looks may look like a prime example of natural selection, but that's not the case. These hairless cat mutants were found by N.Kovaljiova in 1987. The owner of the cattery I.Nemykina, a corperation which has kept these cats and they have grown them into breed. .
The structure of the cat is very unique. There heads are a modified wedge with finely outlined cheek-bones and eyebrows, with noticeable eye-balls. A flat forehead with many vertical wrinkles placed in horizontal lines above eyes. Nose is medium length, straight, with slight dip to the forehead. They have long canine teeth. Curly whiskers with ears that are large, set widely apart and slightly tilted forward, with rounded tips. The outer edge of the ear is in the cheeks-line. The eyes are medium size, almond shaped, and set slanted. Not wide opened. They come in any colors. The body is of medium length, dense, muscular, strong, with wide croup, hot on the touch. Straight forelegs, and long toes. The tails are long, straight, strong and flexible. There skin is elastic, "excessive"; wrinkled on the head, neck, under legs and in the groin. The sphinxes are very kindly and sociable. Their behavior is due to high stability to stress-factors. Such as; the sphinxes are not afraid of new territories, unknown people or animals.
They originated back in Russia, in the small town of Rostov-on-Don. These cat female named Chita being mated with European shorthaired male became the founder of new breed. This first cross showed that Don hairlessness is spontaneous mutation with dominant inheritance, with very variable expression in heterozygotes. This small town gained notoriety among cat fanciers.
