Original and frightening, unusual and infinitely cute - this description is often given to cats of the Lika breed. The new breed of pets made a splash in the world of felinology, although initially no one planned to create such creatures.
In 2010, in an ordinary American family (Virginia), a simple purebred kitten gave birth to kittens. What was the surprise of the owners, when instead of the cute tiny fluffy they saw something half-bald, grayish with gray hair, clumsy clumsy near the mother cat!
The owners were very scared for the offspring, thinking that they were sick and could not survive. But surprisingly, the kittens grew confidently, were peppy, playful and showed absolutely no signs of weakness.
Then Patti Thomas - the mistress of wonderful babies, turned for advice to the experienced breeders of the Canadian Sphinxes, the gobble spouses. Together they contacted the University of California at Davis, where scientists conducted a thorough DNA analysis of amazing kittens.
The results of the studies surprised a lot - the cats were absolutely healthy and, which is noteworthy, had no relationship with the Sphinx and Rex breeds.
Such a non-standard appearance has developed due to a mutation in the gene that is responsible for the hairline of cats.
The owners decided not to ignore this miracle and began breeding work to consolidate such qualities of appearance. In 2011, Patti Thomas became the happy owner of the first intentionally bred representative of the breed, whom she named Datsiana.
The next step was to prepare all the necessary documents for the approval of the new breed.
And now, thanks to the natural mutation of the gene, the indifference of the owners and the competent work of scientists in 2012, TICA (World Felinological Association) officially included a new breed in its lists.
Special attention deserves the name of the breed - Likoy. It originates from the Greek language and roughly translates as "transforming into a wolf", "wolfcott", in other words - "werewolf cat".
Such a name perfectly describes the exotic appearance of the breed.
At first glance, these pets are always shocking, they can even scare, but with further communication with cats, Lika becomes aware of how pleasant and interesting these pets are.
Lika cats should meet the following standard indicators:
- Head: wedge-shaped, with rounded features; the forehead is aristocratic, slightly convex, rather high and narrow.
- Ears: large, pointed tips, wide base, set high, outside of the auricle there is little wool.
- Muzzle: straight, neat nose; pads for vibrissa (mustache) are dense, rounded; there is a pinch - a sharp transition under the cheekbones; the chin is neat, but strong, rounded; There must be a mask with missing hair.
- Eyes: large, expressive, walnut forms, wide open; color - any, preferably golden.
- Body: slender, muscular and flexible; tight, athletic, quite elongated, generally light (foreign type).
- Limbs: slender, medium length, poorly covered with wool; paws are oval, neat, fingers are quite long and thin.
- Tail: thin, shorter than body.
- Wool: soft, pleasant to the touch; the undercoat is practically absent, while the outer hair grows throughout the body; its length varies, but is preferably short; the thickness of the hairline depends on the season.
Color - roan, or, as it is also called, Roan. This implies uniform mixing throughout the whole body of all black wool with all white. Usually black wool 30 - 70%, ideal when the proportion of colors is 50x50.
Males and females are quite easy to visually distinguish - cats are larger, weigh 4.5 - 6 kg, while cats weigh 2 - 3.5 kg.
By character Likoy is a curious, active, good-natured and very dedicated pet. Despite the creepy appearance, these cats quickly have a positive attitude, charisma and a light character.
Likoi are very attached to the owner. Everywhere they accompany the owner, delve into all his affairs. If, according to the cat, someone threatens the owner, Lika is even able to rush to the defense. Not surprisingly, many compare them to dogs.
Cheerful fidgets with pleasure will comfortably rest at the feet of a loved one and will lead the evening like this, giving tenderness and warmth. However, in general, these cats are very mobile and people who cannot provide them with sufficient active pastime will not be suitable for Likoi.
Liko sociable and fearless, so get along well with other cats, dogs and other pets, often becoming the leader of the company. However, it is better not to start Likoia with rodents, birds, fish and other small pets. The cat is likely to perceive them as an object of hunting.
Representatives of the breed, especially males, zealously defend their rights, so they sometimes have mood swings. These cats behave with strangers restrained. As soon as contact is established, they become much more open.
The breed is still too young to talk about its inherent diseases, but the existing representatives are strong and healthy. Likoi are extremely active, so they need a place to play. It is also necessary to secure the home by removing potentially dangerous wires, sharp and cutting objects, tightly closing the first-aid kit, refrigerator.
Do not make up a misleading opinion - even though cats have partially no hair, Likoi molt profusely and are not hypoallergenic. They need to be combed regularly and sometimes bathed (not often, every 2 - 6 months if necessary).
Such pets have delicate, sensitive skin, so cats should be protected from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, as well as in close proximity to artificial heat sources. Otherwise, Likoy sunbathes and may be uncomfortable.
Like all cats, they need to regularly clean their ears, eyes and teeth. The claws are trimmed. If a pet walks on the street, it is necessary to accustom the cat to ammunition as soon as possible - they are very addicted to nature and are prone to shoots on this basis.
It is important to monitor the healthy and balanced diet of your four-legged friend. There should always be fresh drinking water in the cat's reach.
It's too early to talk about life expectancy - the breed has only existed since 2012. Work is still underway to strengthen the standard features of Likoy, and in parallel, the study of these original pets continues.
It is very difficult to get a Lika breed cat for yourself - basically the population lives in the United States and costs a lot of money.
