Cornish Rex
The cats resemble sphinxes, but unlike them, the body of representatives of this breed, which continues the “scary cats” rating, is covered with undercoat. Agree that a little fur is better than a naked body. Even if this “astrakhan” fur looks like it was cut to pieces with dull children’s scissors. The picture is completed by long thin legs, huge ears and the complex character of a tomboy.
Cornish Rexes are considered obsessive pets. Not only do cats prevent their owners from taking a step, but they also accompany every step with a loud “Meow!” Animals are very talkative; they have their own sound for every action. Smart pets are better than other cat breeds in learning to walk on a harness, follow commands, and surprise with tricks.
Price
In Russia – 15,000 – 45,000 rubles; 4,000 – 16,000 UAH.
Author's comment
The glands in cats' toes cause their paws to smell like "blue cheese."
List of cats with non-standard colors
Cats with unusual colors are found both among outbred animals and among representatives with a long pedigree line:
- The coat and skin of the Egyptian Mau are decorated with unusual leopard spots.
- The toyger looks very similar to a small tiger - the cat has the same stripes as its predatory “relative”.
- The Bombay cat has only black fur.
- Sphinxes are generally bald or have slight hair, which resembles unkempt bushes of sparse fluff.
Cat lovers usually choose their pets based only on appearance. It is impossible to pass by the fluffy beauty, which attracts the admiring glances of the people around her. But among the many fans there are those who prefer representatives of unusual breeds. And often among these animals there are scary cats that cannot be called cute. In fact, appearances can often be deceiving and a good-natured and flexible character is often hidden under the threatening gaze of a pet.
Top 5 scary breeds
According to many, the scary cat breeds are Lykoi, Sphynx, Devon Rex, Ukrainian Levkoi and Minskins.
Lykoi breed is associated with their external resemblance to werewolves, or lycanthropes (from the Greek wolves) - this is how werewolves were called in the Middle Ages in Europe. Lykoi became known about twenty years ago, their country of origin is the USA. Such unusual-looking cats appeared as a result of a natural mutation in the fur of the domestic cat.
The lack of hair on the face of Lykoi is the reason for their external resemblance to a werewolf. Their demonic, evil appearance arouses people's surprise and curiosity.
The fur of this cat resembles the fur of an opossum animal, its color is black mixed with gray hair. The body of the Lykoi is massive, but flexible and without excess mass. These cats have a special property: when they grow up, they shed completely. When their fur grows back, depending on the season, they shed again, etc.
A typical representative of the Likoi breed
The version that Lykoi is a subspecies of the Devon Rex or Sphinx has not been scientifically confirmed. It was found that the first Lykoi kittens appeared before their supposed ancestors. Today this breed is bred in a nursery in the state of Tennessee in the eastern United States.
Sphinxes are next on the list of ugliness.
Sphynx kitten
The reason for the lack of fur in representatives of this cat breed has not yet been fully established. The stable scientific answer to this question has been gene mutation. The characteristic feature of the sphinxes is the adoption of the “dreamer” pose.
Adult sphinx dreamer
Representatives of the Devon Rex breed are extraordinary in appearance: they have a small head and at the same time disproportionately large eyes and ears. The antennae on their muzzle are strongly curled and therefore almost invisible. They also have some curly fur. They are friendly by nature.
Young Devon Rex
Ukrainian Levkoys are fold-eared representatives of the cat family, they are distinguished by long legs, flexibility and grace. The breed owes its origin to the Don Sphynxes and Orientals.
Ukrainian Levkoy cats are noticeably larger than cats of this breed.
Ukrainian Levkoy: she and he
The top 5 of the ugliness rating is completed by the Minskin breed, a variety of the Bambino or “cat dachshund” breed. This cat breed was created in 1998 by crossing a Munchkin and a Sphinx with the addition of a Devon Rex and a Burmese. Representatives of the Minskins are, as a rule, feline “intellectuals”.
Minskin is a cat with highly developed intelligence
THE PARABLE “THE UGLY CAT”
We live correctly in this world if we love it correctly...
Every person in our house knew how Ugly our Local Cat was.
Ugly Cat loved three things in this world, and these are: the struggle for survival, eating “whatever comes along” and, let’s say, love. The combination of these things plus being homeless in our yard left indelible marks on Ugly Cat's body.
To start. The Ugly Cat only had one eye. An ear was also missing on the same side, and the left leg had once been broken and healed at some incredible angle, giving the impression that the cat was always going to turn the corner. His tail was missing. All that was left was a small stub with a tassel at the end. And, if not for the many scars covering Ugly Cat's head and even shoulders, he could be called a dark gray tabby cat.
Anyone who even once looked at him had the same reaction: “What an UGLY cat!” All children were strictly forbidden to touch it. Adults threw stones at him in the yard to drive him away and slammed the door in his face so that he could not enter the apartment. Our janitor sprayed him with a hose when he tried to approach her.
Surprisingly, Ugly Cat always showed the same reaction. If he was watered with a hose, he obediently got wet until the tormentor got tired of this fun. If they threw something at him, he rubbed his feet, as if asking for forgiveness. If he saw children, he ran headlong towards them and rubbed his head against his hands and purred loudly, begging for affection. If someone did pick him up, he would immediately begin to suck on the corner of a blouse, a button, or anything else he could reach.
But one day the Ugly Cat ran into the neighbors' dogs. From my window I heard dogs barking, his cries for help and the commands “Fast!” the owners of the dogs, and immediately rushed to the rescue. When I reached him, Ugly Cat was terribly bitten, covered in blood and almost dead. He lay curled up in a ball. His back, legs, and back of his body had completely lost their original shape. His life was coming to an end. A tear trail crossed his muzzle.
While I carried him home, he wheezed. I ran to take him home! And most of all I was afraid of hurting him even more. Meanwhile, he tried to suck my ear...
I stopped and, choking with tears, hugged him to me. The cat touched his head to the palm of my hand, his golden eye turned in my direction, and I heard... purring!! Even experiencing such terrible pain, the Cat asked for one thing - a drop of Love! Perhaps a little bit of Compassion... And at that moment I thought that I was dealing with the most loving being I had ever met in my life. The most loving and internally the most beautiful. He just looked at me, confident that I would be able to alleviate his pain.
The Ugly Cat died in my arms before I could get home, and I sat for a long time at my entrance, holding his still warm body in my lap.
* * *
Subsequently, I thought a lot about how one unfortunate cripple was able to change my ideas about what true purity of spirit, faithful and boundless love is. That's how it really was. Ugly Cat taught me more about compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or conversations. And I will always be grateful to him. His body was crippled, and my soul was scratched. The time has come for me to learn to love truly and deeply. Give love to your neighbor without reserve.
Most of us want to be richer, more successful, strong and beautiful.
And I will always strive for one thing - to love like the Ugly Cat...
We live correctly in this world if we love it correctly!
Author's retelling by Vladimir Pugach, 2009.
The rarest smooth-haired breeds of cats and cats
A special organization, the Cat Fancier's Association, conducts research annually, calculating how many cats of certain breeds were registered per year. The latest report was compiled in February 2016, and it included 42 breeds from around the world. Which smooth-haired pets are considered the rarest?
Dragon Li or Chinese Li Hua.
The rarest smooth-haired cat is Dragon Li, a pet that can only be purchased in China. The animal has a brindle coloration with contrasting stripes, and the breed itself was registered only in 2010. Experts explain the slow growth in popularity by the fact that outwardly this pet is not much different from outbred cats.
Elf
There was no place for this breed on the CFA list, despite its great rarity. Such pets were bred in the USA by crossing a Sphynx and a Curl. Such relatives can explain the strange appearance of the animal, because from the sphinxes the Elf inherited completely bald, wrinkled skin, and from the curl unusual ears, as if turned inside out. Despite their unusual appearance, these animals are considered very affectionate and quickly become attached to people.
Peterbald
The St. Petersburg Sphynx is one of the youngest breeds, because the first representatives were bred in the 90s of the last century. Outwardly, they resemble a sphinx. Just as graceful and slender. But, Peterbalds can be either bald or with sparse hair.
Havana
When studying rare breeds of cats with photographs, pet lovers often pay attention to the fact that such unique animals are no different from outbred ones. For example, the classic Havana cat does not have a remarkable black color and bright eyes, inherited from Siamese relatives, but the rarest variety, the Havana Brown, has a rich chocolate color
The breed was bred back in the 50s of the last century in Great Britain, but until the 90s the number of such cats around the world did not exceed 130 individuals. The parents of such a pet are considered to be black British and Siamese cats.
Korat
Externally, this cat, bred in Thailand, resembles bluish-silver oriental cats, Burmese pets, and the Russian blue cat. The breed itself appeared in the province of Thailand of the same name, from where it was brought to the USA in 1959. Such pets are popular in Europe and America, but sometimes only professionals can distinguish the Korat cat from similar relatives.
Singapore
In photos, rare cats often look unremarkable, but this rule does not apply to the Singapura breed. The animal is miniature in size, and the weight of an adult pet does not exceed 3 kilograms. At the same time, cats of the Singapore breed are distinguished by their dexterity, good disposition and accuracy. Such pets were bred by crossing the Abyssinian breed, Burmese and Singaporean street cats.
Khao-mani
A beautiful and graceful breed that has multi-colored eyes, especially contrasting against the background of snow-white fur. Pets were first mentioned in historical sources of the 19th century, when the King of Siam sent cats of the Kao-Mani breed to the consul in England. Since then, in Asia, animals have been considered a symbol of peace and prosperity.
European Burmese cat
The CFA organization recognizes the Burmese cat, bred in England, as a separate rare breed. The animals have light fur with a blue tint and a noble appearance. Such pets are distinguished by their independent disposition, and in appearance they are almost indistinguishable from ordinary Burmese cats.
Toyger
What could be more magnificent than a miniature tiger lying peacefully on the sofa? Indian breeders bred this miracle in the 80s of the last century. It is worth noting that, having inherited a bright, spectacular color from wild predators, toygers remain very kind and sociable animals, which makes them wonderful companions.
Asherah
The Asher is one of the most expensive breeds in the world, and the cost of such a kitten can reach $100,000. The animal appeared due to the crossing of a domestic pet and a predatory Asian leopard cat (serval). She is extremely leopard-like, has an elongated body and a noble posture. Some breeders claim that the breed is hypoallergenic, but this has not yet been officially proven.
The uniqueness of the breed also gives rise to inflated prices for pets. For example, a representative of the Elf breed costs about $2,000. However, inflated prices do not prevent cat lovers from breeding such rare pets, investing a fortune in their prosperous existence.
Peterbald
These hairless domestic cats, belonging to the “oriental” group, have an equally shocking appearance. The long and narrow head is decorated with expressive almond-shaped eyes and framed by protruding ears. They have an elegant body with long legs and a long thin tail. The breed is recognized in three variants: completely hairless, with a suede-textured coat and a velvety short coat of the “velor” type.
The skin of hairless cats is very sensitive to irradiation, drying out and various types of mechanical stress. In areas caressed by the sun's rays and in places of friction, the skin acquires pronounced pigmentation. The spots are migratory in nature, appearing at the moment of exposure, like a tattoo, and disappearing at the same speed. To protect their delicate skin, nature has endowed Peterbalds with the ability to secrete a waxy lubricant of a red-brown hue.
By nature, Peterbalds differ from ordinary cats. Their character displays many dog-like traits: they respond to their name, come to the owner’s call, become strongly attached to all family members, and get along well with children and dogs. In general, they are smart, kind and active animals that remain playful throughout their lives.
Strange, scary and unusual
Another group of unusual breeds of scary cats is represented by animals that stand out due to their external characteristics. Strange cats can be combined as follows:
- To size. The group includes many hybrids of domestic and wild cats: Chausie (a cross between a jungle cat and an Abyssinian), Savannah (a descendant of the African serval), and a natural jungle cat - a wild species suitable for keeping in enclosures. All of them are distinguished by their impressive dimensions and even kittens can scare with their terrible teeth and claws.
- A collection of short-tailed felines - Japanese, Kuril, Karelian American Bobtails and Manx. Some of them are native breeds. They have short tails and tufted ears. The resemblance to a lynx often inspires fear in people who are not familiar with the character of such cats.
Scary black cats
Outbred felines can look no less frightening than the scariest cat breeds.
Individuals of quite attractive breeds can be intimidating, this especially applies to representatives of black color. A cat with scary eyes glowing in the dark, disheveled fur, and a malicious look make people horrified.
For your information! Superstitions add to the fear, in which black scary cats bring misfortune and serve as assistants to sorcerers.
The camouflage color blends into the darkness. When a cat suddenly approaches in a dark room, the sight of the animal can cause fear in a person; a frightened child may have problems with speech.
In fact, all fears are associated with prejudice; animals are not to blame for the troubles that are attributed to them. To stop being afraid of black cats, you need to tune yourself to the good omens that are associated with the animal. There is a belief that black cats bring happiness and drive away evil spirits from the owner.
Experience has shown that even ugly cats are loved. Not only Persian, British, Angora and other types of cute cats deserve sympathy. Scary cats with ugly exterior and muzzle features that scare most people can appeal to many cat lovers. It must be remembered that all domestic cats have an affectionate character, love their owner, and an ugly appearance is not a reason to be afraid of a pet.
*Prices are as of August 2022.
