Lykoi Cat Breed
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Ideal weight: Males 2 – 3.2 kg, Females 2 – 3.2 kg
There are 3 traits that set the Lykoi apart from other breeds which is their roan colouring which is typically seen in horses, their lack of undercoat and the sparse hair on their face masks, legs and feet all of which gives the Lykoi the impression of being a werewolf. The overall look of a Lykoi is that of a semi-foreign elegant feline.
They have bright, large eyes that are walnut-shaped with very little hair around their eyes, noses, muzzles and chins. Their ears are set high and erect on a cat’s head which is triangular shaped with nicely rounded contours. Muzzles are moderately long with slightly rounded, hairless whisker pads with cats having definite whisker breaks. Chins are well-developed being nicely aligned to the nose which is slightly rounded. The hairlessness around a cat’s eyes, their noses and chins create their unique facial mask.
Their bodies are slender and semi-foreign in shape being elegant and slender with male Lykois being slightly larger than their female counterparts. Necks are moderately long and not overly muscular or thin. Their legs are moderately long and slender being sparsely haired. They have oval-shaped feet and nice long toes. Their tails are shorter than a cat’s body and it tapers to a point at the tip.
When it comes to a Lykoi’s coat, although it appears to be coarse and rough, it is actually extremely soft and silky to the touch with cats not having an undercoat. The most commonly seen colour in the breed is black roan which consists of black hairs mixed in with white hairs which create a cat’s facial mask and their coat colour contrast.
It is worth noting that a Lykoi does not have an undercoat over their entire body and that guard hairs cover their entire body but these are sparse or lacking on a Lykoi’s face, legs, feet and the back of their ears. Their coats are as follows:
- Roan colouring consisting of a solid colour with a melanistic white hairs throughout their coats – each hair is either a solid or white colour from root to tip
The accepted range of colour percentage is 30% to 70% with the ideal being 50%. It is also worth noting that solid colours can be intermingled with mink/sepia and point patterns which is acceptable under the Lykoi breed standard and that all colours and patterns including tortoiseshell, bicolour, blue/cream are acceptable. Cats can also have white lockets, belly spots and buttons in their coats.
Faults
When it comes to faults in the breed, these are as follows:
- A more than sparse undercoat
- Less than sparse guard hairs