GENERAL: The “Lykoi”, which in Greek translates to “wolves”, is a breed derived from a naturally occurring coat mutation found in the feral cat population. Recognized for their striking, partially hairless appearance, the Lykoi possess a truly unique coat that sets them apart in the feline world. A combination of 3 distinct traits distinguishes the Lykoi from other feline breeds.

A combination of 3 distinct traits set the Lykoi apart from all other breeds.
1) A lack of undercoat.
2) Sparse guard hair most notably on the ears, face, legs and feet.
3) Roaning; an amelanistic color pattern of intermixed white and colored guard hairs.

The overall impression of the Lykoi is an inquisitive, intelligent, striking cat with large expressive eyes and the distinct partial hairlessness that gives the Lykoi a mythical, werewolf-like appearance
defining the breed.

HEAD

FACE (MUZZLE/CHIN/NOSE): The face is a less extreme foreign type. Muzzle is medium in length with fleshy, gently rounded hairless whisker pads with a definite whisker break. Muzzle ends with a well-developed chin, aligned vertically with nose; full but neither projecting or receding. Nose is hairless and leathery over the bridge, slightly rounded down at the end. Hairlessness gives the appearance of a face mask when connecting with the hairless areas around or surrounding the eyes, ideally forming a clover-shaped pattern.

HEAD SIZE/SHAPE: The head is a moderately-sized modified wedge with rounded contours from nose to cheeks to ears. Slightly rounded forehead. Slightly longer than wide.

EARS: Tall, open at the base, rounded tips, set high on the head, extending smoothly from the contour of the modified wedge head with inner ear margins angled slightly out from vertical giving an inquisitive, alert expression.

EYES: Large, walnut shaped, slanting upward with an open expression. Hairless rims desirable joining with hairless muzzle to form a clover-shaped face mask.

PROFILE: Slightly rounded from the top of the head to the brow with a smooth concave curve from brow to bridge of medium length nose. No hard stop.

BODY

STRUCTURE: Conformation strikes a medium between slightly slendered, semi-foreign and the elegance of the foreign body type. Proportion and larger balance allowed in males. Neck is medium length; neither thin nor overly muscular.

MUSCULATURE: Solid weight, showing muscular strength without excessive bulk.

LEGS/FEET: Legs and feet are sparsely haired. Medium boning; medium length. Feet appear refined and oval shaped. Toes are long in appearance.

TAIL: Tail is shorter than body and tapers to a point.

COAT TEXTURE/DENSITY

The roaned coat of the Lykoi, comprised entirely of guard hairs with a distinct lack of undercoat, is what sets this breed apart. Guard hairs cover the body, but are sparse to completely lacking on the
feet, legs, back of ears, and face mask (eyes, nose, muzzle, chin.) 50-100% of the body is covered in guard hairs with the most sparsity expected over the head, neck, legs, feet and belly. Degree of
haircoat coverage varies with age, molting stage and regrowth cycle. Though the coat may visually appear wirey and rough in appearance, it has a soft, silky, slightly textured feel. The density and appearance of coat can fluctuate over time, depending on the stage of coat molting cycle.

COLOR/PATTERN

All base colors are accepted. Lykoi have a grizzled appearance due to the roaning pattern (white hairs diffusely mixed with darker-colored hairs creating a salt-and-pepper appearance.) The ideal degree of roaning is 50%. The roaning pattern is less apparent on lighter areas of coat.

MINOR WHITE SPOTTING: White lockets, buttons and belly spots are allowed on solid-colored cats. A colored cat showing an extension of white onto the paws beyond the digits is considered a bicolor.

AOV LONGHAIRED LYKOI CLASS

Coat texture: soft, slightly textured, silky, wispy. Undercoat: none. Coat length: semi-long. Tail coat: wispy, 2 inches or longer. Color: all colors and patterns accepted.

ALLOWANCES/PENALIZE/DISQUALIFY

ALLOWANCES: Less than 50% hair coat coverage is expected during certain phases of the molting and regrowth cycle, and is considered a natural feature of the Lykoi breed.
Males may be substantially larger than females.
General skin pigmentation and pigmented spots may occur due to tanning when exposed to sunlight.

PENALIZE: Less than 30% of body covered in guard hairs. Visible or palpable ingrown hairs or cysts.

DISQUALIFY: Any evidence of illness or poor health. Visible tail kink. Aggressive behavior endangering the judge.

The following information is for reference purposes only and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.

Lykoi allowable outcross breeds: Domestic Shorthair.

Longhair Lykoi can be registered for breeding and can be shown in Exhibition class.