Lykoi breed guide

Very active and curious, Lykoi would rather hunt than cuddle but thrive on human attention and insist on it. Reserved in new situations, they take a little time to acclimate to a new person or environment.

They then warm up quickly to new people and pets and turn loyal, forming strong bonds with both.

A Lykoi patiently stalks its toys and even its people before a sudden pounce and getting the toy back afterward is unlikely. The vocabulary runs to chirps, trills, purrs and meows, though the cat is not excessively vocal unless it feels neglected.

Kittens look normal at birth and the roan pattern emerges in a week or two. Adults cycle from almost hairless to almost fully coated and molt most of the coat at least once.

With no undercoat, shedding is minimal outside a molt and grooming does not take long. The skin may turn oily, calling for an occasional bath with a cat shampoo and the ears and toes can turn oily too.

No breed-specific health issues so far after extensive genetic testing from the start, but the sparse coat needs precautions. Ingrown hairs may appear during a molt, the skin is vulnerable to the sun and overexposure can speed up molting.

Limit sunbathing, consider a pet-safe sunscreen and keep the cat warm, since there is no undercoat.

Cats with the same look turned up in Tennessee the year after the Virginia discovery. Extensive medical and genetic testing and test matings showed that the roan gene is recessive and unrelated to any other mutation.

The first intentionally bred Lykoi kitten, Daciana, was born on September 14, 2011 and more than 200 more followed through extensive outcrossing to limit inbreeding. CFA accepted the breed for registration in 2018 and advanced it to championship in 2023.