MEET WEREWOLF CAT, THAT ACT LIKE DOGS AND COST UP TO $2,500

 

 

They are called Lykoi cats, and they possess a natural mutation that gives them the appearance of a scruffy-looking little wolf. But they don’t just look like little werewolves, they are also said to act like dogs too.

Lykoi, which comes from the Greek word for wolf, are a fairly recent breed of cat that first appeared in 2010 and were bred by veterinarian Johnny Gobble and his wife Brittney. They are now the primary breeders of the cat.

Gobble’s colleague, Patti Thomas, came up with the name after the first litter was presented to her. He explained via DailyMail:
“Our founding cats come from two unrelated litters. The first litter was presented to Patti as a natural occurring Sphynx mutation. This confirmation was done with DNA testing for Devon/Sphynx gene which the kittens did not have.”

“The Lykoi Cat’s name was the inspiration of Patti. She said Lykoi was the Greek word for wolf, and we all thought it was very fitting – ‘wolf cat.’ ”

Because of a naturally occurring mutation found in black domestic shorthairs, Lykoi cats have no hair around the eyes, nose, ears and muzzle and go through periods of patchy hair throughout their lives. The mutation prevents the cat from developing an undercoat and growing a full coat of hair.

While Lykoi cats look like they could be wild and feral cats, they reportedly have a friendly hound dog personality, are driven by scent and are very intelligent.

According to Gobble’s website, Lykoi cats are “aware of everything around them” and may initially be cautious to new owners but warm up quickly to become loyal and affectionate companions.

Gobble explained:
“They can be clingy at times, but generally if you are too busy to snuggle, they will take ‘no’ as an answer and will go on and amuse themselves … as long as they are close enough to keep an eye on you.”

To ensure that their feral appearance was the cause of natural genetics and not a skin abnormality or disease, Gobbles put the breed through multiple skin, hair and DNA tests that were conducted by cardiologists and dermatologists at the University of Tennessee.

Gobble explained:
“Our cardiologist also performed cardiac scans to look for any structural problems with the hearts. In the end, we found that the cats are healthy and the hair pattern is not from any known disease or disorder.”

There are currently only 32 show standard Lykoi and 22 non-standard colored Lykoi in the world. There are also only seven registered breeders in the world.

Given their rarity, Lykoi kittens go for more that $2,000. Blue Lykoi kittens start at $1,500, black tuxedo kittens are $1,800, and black roan Lykoi cats cost $2,500. Unfortunately, there are currently no new litters and interested animal lovers will have to sign-up on a waitlist on the Gobbles’ website.