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Lykoi

Lykoi

At a Glance

Known for the appearance of a little wolf cat, the Lykoi is one of the newest breeds to the TICA family. They are partially hairless with a mix of hair that can vary from being almost black to almost white. Lykoi’s are very loyal and tend to bond well with people, making them the ideal choice for many families. Find out more about this breed and if the Lykoi is right for you and your family.

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All About Cats

Printable Breed Introduction
Breed Standard
Pet Buyer’s Guide
Lykoi-Full-Body
Temperament

Affectionate

Breed Seminar
Height/Weight Range

A small to medium breed. Males can weigh up to 7-12 pounds, while females generally weigh 6-9 pounds.

Adult females
Adult males
Life Expectancy

The Lykoi has been in existence for quite some time, but has only recently been recognized by TICA as a breed. Lykoi’s have been known to live well into their late teens.

Colors

Black Roan is the only color accepted for TICA Championship, but Lykoi’s occur in all colors and patterns.

Similar Breeds

Opposite Breeds

About The Breed

The unique look of the Lykoi causes reactions of amazement and excitement whenever people first see them. They are the only cat breed that has the shocking appearance that has become so popular with cat enthusiasts. Most people agree that they look like little wolf cats – hence the name Lykoi is a play off the Greek word Lycos meaning wolf. Their strong prey drive is apparent when they play. Lykoi will stalk their toys, other pets, and even people before they pounce.

The Lykoi is a very loyal breed and tends to bond well with people.

The Lykoi is an ancient Greek word that means wolf. Lykoi come in many colors, but only solid black roan is allowed to show. When one looks straight into the face, the cat has the appearance of the mythical werewolf. The Lykoi is a partially hairless cat that can be almost entirely hairless to almost completely coated, depending on the cycle of hair. The hair coat is unique in appearance in that it resembles the coat of an opossum when mostly coated. The Lykoi is a natural mutation that has been reported intermittently over the past few years. The Breed has been started from two separate sibling litters in 2011. The Lykoi is a very friendly cat and demands attention from people. Most people consider them unattractive when they first see them, but then want to do nothing but hold them when they recover from the first impressions. Some people, after seeing them, want a little wolf.

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The Lykoi is a very intelligent cat. They are great problem solvers and it shows when they play. They like to be with people, but can find satisfaction playing alone with any toy or object in the room. When there is more than one Lykoi, they interact very well. They sometimes appear to have dog-like attributes because they will fetch and chase as a wolf would on the hunt. Lykoi love a warm lap, but prefer to be actively playing and searching with their limitless supply of energy.

TICA Regions, Clubs & Rescues

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Click here to find a club near you and contact information for your regional director and website.

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Find Lykoi

The name Lykoi, roughly translated, means “wolf cat” in Greek. This is a fitting name for these cats, which many describe as a feline werewolf.

While the Lykoi breed was founded in 2011, the first known instance of this breed was well over 40 years ago.

Breed Information & Characteristics

The unique look of the Lykoi causes reactions of amazement and excitement whenever people first see them. They are the only cat breed that has the shocking appearance that has become so popular with cat enthusiasts. Most people agree that they look like little wolf cats – hence the name Lykoi is a play off the Greek word Lycos meaning wolf. Their strong prey drive is apparent when they play. Lykoi will stalk their toys, other pets, and even people before they pounce. The Lykoi are very loyal and tend to bond well with people. When new situations arise, the Lykoi are cautious at first to survey the situation. Then, they quickly warm up to new people and new pets. When they look at you, their eyes seem to stare through you, almost like they are reading your mind. In the end, they are still sweet, loving cats that just want to warm your heart.

The Lykoi is a naturally occurring gene in the feral cat population. The Lykoi breed was founded in 2011 by Johnny Gobble, Brittney Gobble, and Patti Thomas when two unrelated litters of kittens were presented to the founders as unique cats. The Gobbles did careful health evaluations to ensure that the cat’s unusual appearance was not caused by sickness or disease. To prove it was a gene, Johnny Gobble bred two of the unrelated cats to produce the first intentionally bred Lykoi. Since the mother to one litter was a black domestic, extensive outcrossing with shorthair black domestic cats began. With time, it was determined that the gene was recessive, and to continue to reduce genetic inbreeding, more outcrossing with the black domestic cats was done. There are still Lykoi cats born to the feral cat population, and sometimes they can be used in the breeding program. Once Championship status is reached, there should be enough outcrossing to ensure that inbreeding is minimal.

The Lykoi is a very intelligent cat. They are great problem solvers and it shows when they play. They like to be with people, but can find satisfaction playing alone with any toy or object in the room. When there is more than one Lykoi, they interact very well. Lykoi sometimes appear to have dog-like attributes because they will fetch, hunt, and chase as a wolf would on the hunt. The Lykoi love a warm lap, but prefer to be actively playing and searching with their limitless supply of energy. As with other cats, they love the sun and search for it. They are protective of their people and toys, but will share when asked. They are cautious with any new pet or person at first. They want to watch to ensure they are not a threat to them or to the home. There is still almost no inbreeding in the Lykoi cats. They have proven to be a hardy, healthy breed that will give other cats great competition in the show hall.

The Lykoi is a partially hairless breed of cat with a color that is unique to them. The hair coat is a combination of amelanistic hair and solid black hair. The mix of hair can vary from being almost black to almost white. The more white hair there is in the coat, the more silver the Lykoi will look. The coat pattern is called roan in other animals, but the Lykoi is the only recognized cat breed with this pattern. The partial hairlessness can also vary. They can be almost completely hairless to almost completely haired, and they will molt most of their coat at least once. They will always have no hair around the eyes, chin, nose, muzzle, and the back of the ears. The ears and nose will also feel like leather. The hairless face gives the Lykoi that werewolf look that everyone knows and loves. They will have sparse hair on their legs and feet in almost all instances. The Lykoi skin is pink, but with sunlight or heat it can darken to black in a few days. If the sunlight is scarce, their skin will return to pink. They are a medium cat with the males significantly larger than the females. The ears have a wide base, and they are tall and pointed. Their body is not bulky, but lean. They have tails shorter than their body and medium legs. Their traits give them the appearance of a wolf. They are born solid black, and in one to two weeks, the hairlessness and roan color pattern emerges. Despite the two different colors in their coats, they are shown as solid black cats in the traditional division.

Lykoi’s have proven to be a hardy, healthy breed with no prevalent genetic diseases however, the TICA Lykoi Breed Committee recommends genetic testing for all cats.

The coat of a Lykoi is sparse and may be almost fully coated as kittens. Their coats molt, so at times they may be near naked.

They must be washed often, but bathing is simple as they do not have much hair. Some members of the breed will require more frequent bathing and may have blackheads or other small “cystic acne” type issues. This is not a health problem.

As with all cats, keep their nails trimmed, ears cleaned, and teeth brushed regularly with a vet-approved pet toothpaste and provide a nice tall scratching pole to help their natural scratching instinct.

The Lykoi Breed Committee recommends never free feeding your cat. As obligate carnivores, they must be fed a diet consisting of almost all protein. Most dry food is not recommended as most brands contain too many carbohydrates for the Lykoi to process and can lead to diabetes later in life.

Fresh water should be available at all times. Water bowls should be washed and refilled with fresh water daily. As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily so they don’t hesitate to drink. Water containers can be non-tipping bowls, towers or fountains in plastic, glass, ceramic or stainless steel. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here’s a tip from some cat behaviorists: place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less.

Lykoi Breed Committee (1)

Name Email
Chair: John Sokol

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