This “ugly beauty” cat breed is significant for its hairless body and curled ears. A hybrid of the sphynx and American Curl is lately one of the most desirable pets. The Elf Cat is sociable, very intelligent, and playful. You will be wrong if you think that no grooming is needed when owing an Elf cat since their skin needs a lot of care to stay healthy.
The Elf Cat is a hybrid that has existed for about 20 years and since then a lot has been learned and even more has left to be acknowledged for this excellent and devoted pet.
Elf Cat Characteristics
This cat breed has a friendly and gentle personality. Elf Cats adjust to family members very fast and perfectly get along with any other pets in the house. Besides their intelligence and playfulness, these cats demand a lot of attention from their owner. Elf Cats adore climbing on high surfaces, they like to play a lot, and lounge afterward. When these cats reach one year of age they stop growing. That is where the name comes from. Little, cute, and playful creatures full of love called Elf Cats.
They are very affectionate, friendly, and love kids. Elf Cats need a lot of exercising and possess a great energy level. They also show a tendency to vocalize and are known for their intelligence. The amount of shedding is very low, but they do need care.
History of Elf Cats
There is a limited history of this breed. Elf cats are very rare and relatively new as a breed. In developing the Elf cats, we must honor the breeders Karen Nelson and Kristen Leedom.
In 2004 they came to the idea to develop a breed with curly ears and personality and physical characteristics as the one in sphynx cats. That is how the Elf cat has been developed by crossing the American Curl cat and sphynx. There have been 20 years since then, but the Elf Cats hasn’t yet been registered by TICA (The International Cat Association). It isn’t recognized as an Elf Cat Breed but as a variation of sphynx.
Physical Characteristics and Appearance of Elf Cats
The Elf Cat’s skin color can have a variety of shadows. The most common are grey, black, beige and pink. Its lifespan is between 8-14 years. Their eyes can also vary in color and they can be in almost any color typical for cats. Elf Cats weigh 10-15 pounds (4,5-6,8 kg). Their length varies from 13-15 inches (33,2-38,1cm).
Medium to large Elf Cat has a hairless body. It is athletic, muscular, and with prominent chick bones. This is very similar to Sphinx though. The cat’s eyebrows and whiskers are very short. The skin of an Elf Cat is wrinkled around the shoulders, ears, and muzzle.
The most noticeable are the backward curl ears which is the effect made by genetic mutation. This cat breed is so similar to a sphynx parent that if you exclude the appearance of the years it looks like one.
Because the Elf Cats are a very new breed there are still no standards made. That is the reason why all colors and patterns of this breed are considered normal.
Diet and Nutrition of an Elf Cat
I must emphasize the body temperature of the breed. The Elf Cat does not have any fur, so the most important thing is to keep the normal body temperature of the cat. To do so, the Elf Cats must constantly burn calories. A diet high in calories will be the best for the Elf Cat so it can stay warm.
The owner of the Elf Cat must know that both parents of the breed have great appetites. Feeding a quality balanced diet to this cat is very difficult. Your vet will be the one who can give you good advice on how to keep your cat healthy.
Care and Maintenance
Good care of your Elf Cat means obtaining quality life for your pet. This breed needs a lot of exercise. When talking about grooming you may assume it is on the lowest possible level, you are wrong. Hairless cats need more grooming than furred ones.
Elf Cat’s needs for exercising are equivalent to those of an ordinary domestic cat. They are indoor cats and you must obtain a stimulating play environment for this breed. If you can afford it will be great to spend around 15 minutes daily, to play with your cat. Please note that you must also create climbing surfaces for your Elf Cat because it likes to climb and jump. That is how the Elf Cat gets rid of the extra energy it possesses.
The Elf Cat is demanding maintenance although it is not shedding. Take good care of its skin. Elf Cat needs a lot of bathing and grooming so you can remove secretion from its skin. If you skip this the cat will become sticky and may develop some skin issues.
They have an urge for self-grooming but they are not effective because there are a lot of wrinkles on their skin. Moisturizing the skin of an Elf cat is very important especially when it is exposed to Sun. You should use SPF since your cat is prone to sunburn.
This breed is close to hypoallergenic, but if you are sensitive to allergies, you may be affected.
Health Issues of the Elf Cats
Elf Cats are considered to be healthy cats, but since they are a new
breed, you may count on some genetic health issues that have to be determined. Most of the health problems that you may experience with your Elf cat are related to hairlessness.
Skin problems are very common because hairless cats are exposed to various skin issues. Rushes, infections and skin injuries can happen more than in other cat breeds. Elf cats are prone to sunburns or residual skin cancer.
Ear infections are quickly developed and that is why you should often check them.
The body temperature of an Elf cat is a delicate issue due to the lack of fur. In winter put a sweater on and keep it in a warm place. As I have mentioned before this has to do with a diet, so feed your cat with a high-calorie diet.
