Home to Peterbald and Donskoy Cats   Manitoba Canada

Maid with the Flaxen Hair


THATCAT CATTERY is a small home cattery, located in Manitoba Canada. My husband and I believe our animals are a very important part of out family. As infants these sometimes hairless cats must be cared for around the clock. We  feel this is a big part of why they can create exstreme lasting bonds, with their familys. Donskoy and  Peterbalds are highly intelegent cats and can addapt to being alone while you are at work. They do need stimulation, and may become depressed if left alone to much. When i saw my first Queen "a Donskoy"  I was hooked. Love at first sight. We created a bond. After a year  with her I knew I wanted to get another hairless cat this time a Peterbald. This was not an easy task, as there are very few  canadian peterbald breeders.  People  do not know enough about Peterbalds. It is not every day you see a hairless cat. I found that because they are such an oddity people were unsure of what to think or say about them. I believe any cat lover will fall in love if they spent even one hour with one of my cats. they have the most amazing personality. All kittens are bottle fed and constantly cared for. As well as nursed by mom. I feel this will provide them with the best possible starting foundation. Our  King and Queens have all tested negitive for  Feline Immunodeficiency virus, Feline Leukemia, and Fip

  I am always happy to talk to and educate people about these beautiful cats. 

you do not have to own one of my cats for me to answer your questions, I am always happy to help and pass on what knowledge I can. I believe it is not just about homing our cats, but also about the betterment of the breed. If you have any questions  about the breed please e mail me           


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This is important information for any hairless cat owner!  My goal is to educate owners not scare  them. It is not common to have these viruses but it is possible and I like  to educated people so they can understand why it is so important to care for Peterbalds properly and keep them healthy. 

Peterbalds are higher risk for 

"Immune Deficency Disease"
This may be inherited or caused by viral infection. It lowers the body's defences against infection, and impairs the function of the immune system. 
They are at risk for 
"Feline Herpies virus  (FJV-1)"
This can happen from stress, change in environment, and sickness. Herpies can mutate into FIP in Peterbalds. It needs to be taken seriously! some times Fish and the Rabies vaccination can make some Peterbalds very sick. Although there is no medical facts to support this a lot of breeders feel there is a link between the rabies vaccination and Herpies  with hairless cats. The coat type does effect health. The less hair the lower the immune system can be. Even if vaccinated Peterbalds can suffer from 
*"Feline Pneumonitis (Chlamydophila psittaci)"
*"Feline Calicivirous (FCV)
*"Feline infections peritonitis virus" 
*"Mycoplasma infection"
*Allergic Asthma"
*Dry eye (Keratoconjunctivitic sicca)"
This can be associated with Herpies virus. 
*Disorders involving Cytotoxic antibodies can be triggered by a Drug, VACCINATION or Infection. Peterbalds respond very well to a combination of 4 medications when used at the same time. 
*Gentamicin eye and nose drops
*Teramicine eye drops 
Peterbalds often do not respond well to just one of these antibiotics, and often need a combination of all 4. 
Peterbalds do better with a immune system builder daily. A vitamin with a pine bark and Lysine in it is best. I recommend NuVet To my clients as it is a vitamin I know use and trust. some Peterbalds can hand Peterbalds have a harder  time processing fish as the liver and kidney process fish oil through them and out the hair follicles. This is why hairless animals can have a hard time processing fish.  in some cases Fish can build up in the liver and kidneys and cause health problems, this does not always happen It is my opinion that Peterbalds do very poorly with pine cleaners, scented soap or fabric softener a, scentsy  products, and some perfume. Some Symptoms of a Peterbald reaction to a product may be sneezing, coughing, sinus problems, breathing changes, and eye irritation. There are many plants Cats can be allergic to. Plants can cause serious health issues and even cause death. Symptoms can range from vision problems, upset stomach,  headache, convulsions, respiratory problems, and even death.

As a breeder not a vet  I give this information it is based on my resurch and  knowledge accumulated from other breeders, I encourage you to talk to your vet about these if you are concerned. This information should never be used for self diagnosis. But it can be a good source of information when consulting with a vet. 

Our first time cat  Family will get a huge  product package. we pride our self being the only cattery to offer such a extensive product package.  our package had every thing you need to care for a hairless cat.

our package has litter box and scoop, potty seat, heating pad, blankets, kennel,  shirts,  food dishes, food vitamin sample, 2 medicated shampoos, baby shampoo, ear cleaner solution, q tips, nail clippers, quick clot, alcohol wipes, artificial tear drops, bed, leash and harness, cat litter, toys, laser light, and more

we also encourage new cat owners to provide lots of cat furniture and we provide  some with your kitten/cat  this will help teach appropriate scratching behaviour as well as stimulate the animal mentally and physically.

  NuVet Plus for FELINES : Is a Health Supplement to build the hairless kittens immune system. Should be given for at one year months, 2 years + is best.
To order call : 1-800-474-7044 product code # 71643. You must make sure you let them know you want the supplement for FELINES or they will send you the canine wafers made for canines.
Heating Pad : Make sure you get one that does not shut off.  A covered kennel or cage with a heating pad makes a good place for your kitten or cat to go when it is cold. make sure to leave a apace for air to get in. 

Nail cutting should be done once a week,

It is always best to cut the nails before the bath. The cats are use to it and it only gets easier over time. we cut the nails and then use a rubbing alcohol wipe to clean around each nail.  Hairless cats often get black build up around the nails this very well may be a build up of fecal  or dirt. do not be alarmed if you cut a nail to short use a tiny bit of the clotting powder provided in the products

BATHING : Once a week is best!
Before washing place a bath towel in Dryer to to heat it. You can also wrap it around a hot water bottle. If you use the dryer leave it in while you bath them, use the towel after you dry them as a blanket to keep them from getting cold. A shirt is a good idea after a bath to as it helps boost body heat.
Run warm water in a sink about 3 - 4 inches deep the same as you would for a baby. Make sure water is shut off when bathing a cat. Cats don't like the sound of running water. Some of the cats like water and would be happy with a full bath tub some do not.
Scrub the body with a bath glove. Make sure to get between all legs, behind the back legs and the in arm areas. make sure to get all soap off your cat.
After bathing dry the cat with one towel. This is a great time to check cats body for any thing unusual.  we provide 2 medicated shampoos one is for dry skin and one is for oily skin. we only use them when needed. The rest of the time we bath with baby shampoo or baby soap. It is easier to keep the cat in the towel until the the ears and mouth spray is done.

our cats get ears cleaned after baths not just to clean the ears but also to dry them out. we clean ears with q tips and the provided ear cleaning solution. be care full not to use to much ear cleaner. All it takes is a few drops on the end of a q tip. rub the q tip only where you can see. then use the dry end to dry the ear out. Black wax is very common for Peterbalds and Donskoys, do not be is not infection it is just a build up of wax. as long as you keep the ears cleaned the cat will be fine.

to clean the mouth you can use the Petz Life spray or Petz Life gel. both work great. I have never had one of my cats like the mouth product but its a great product and it works well. often the cats foam at the mouth after the mouth product, do not be alarmed this is normal.

Eye care often hairless cats get eye discharge. The trick is to know if it is infection or not. brown, black ,or clear is ok but if you see Green or yellow that is a sign of a eye infection. and the cat may need medicated eye drops. Gentamicin works well for this.

If you find your cat has daily discharge that is not infection it is a good idea to wash the cats face and eyes every day. If you notice the cats eye looks dry or even puckered in the inside corners then you may need to get the medicated eye drop called maxitrol  as the cat may have conjunctivitis, a very treatable eye condition. If you notice the cat has dull or squinty eyes it would be a good idea to use a artificial tear drop for a few days. some Pet5erbald and Donskoy cats need artificial tear drops every day.

****When deciding on a cat food for your new cat / kitten look for a food that is high in protein  with little to no fish.

fish and fish oil is processed through the liver and kidneys and out the hair follicles. with hairless animal it can be harder for them to process and it can cause a build up over time. As kittens hairless cats need a fatty food so you can use purina or whiskas but as adults you should choose a high  quality food.  you can feed them canned food but it is not good for them every day. I also feed my cats boiled chicken every day. you can boil extra ahead and put it in the freezer all they need is about a ice cube amount of chicken every day it5s easy to add the Nuvet vitamin to the chicken

**** when vaccinating your cat / kitten please do not give the rabies vaccination before the age of 6 months, if at all. I do not like to vaccinate my cats for rabies unless absolutely necessary. For a LOT of Peterbalds this rabies vaccination can cause sickness, other Peterbalds do just fine with it. If you are vaccinating for rabies remember this.....  your cat may get  a lump, this can happen right away or up to 8 weeks later. it will be at the injection site. this is a slight reaction to the rabies shot. If this happens keep an eye on it, as long as your cat health does not decline all you can do is give it time to go away, if its health is a concern take it to the vet immediately. a lump indicates a slight reaction to the vaccination,  I would not give my cat the vaccination again if I saw this reaction.  A more severe reaction to the rabies vaccination can be respiratory problems, and infection. if this happens do not hesitate to go to the vet.  Talk to you'r vet about using a smaller gage needle to do vaccinations or blood work it will be easier to get through the cats skin with, and be less trauma to the injection site.

ALWAYS bath your cat directly after seeing the vet. remember people take sick animals to the vets and you have a low immune system animal. ask you'r vet to wash hands before touching your cat and try to keep you'r cat on a blanket you provide. try to keep it off the vet counter

If for any reason the cat needs to be under for surgery please have them do it on a heating pad. Animals body temp will always drop during surgery and this can cause health problems during and after if it drops to low.

make sure to play with your cat even adult cats due best with a  minimum of 2 hours of hard play time a day. cats need stimulation both mentally and physically .If you do not stimulate you'r cat you will likely have behavioural problems a board cat can be a naughty cat.

a heating pad is a great idea for around the house, it will allow the cat to always have a spot they can go when they get cold. We also use a heating pad in a kennel any time we have to take our cats out in  the winter. I plug my heating pads in, in the vehicle through a attachment that goes into the lighter plug. This works great. Make sure to always have a blanket over the heating pad so you'r cats skin does not burn. 

Cat litter is important with Hairless cats.

If you use a scoop cat litter you will find a few things happen.

* your cats feet will get dirty much faster.

*they may have more zits or black heads on there feet.

*your cats nails will get a build up of black much faster.

*your cats corona titer count will go up.

* you will have a hard time bleaching the litter box every day.

It is a good idea to use a paper or pellet based litter.

*This will make it easier for you to clean and bleach the litter box every day,

as you need much less litter, keeping the corona titre count lower.

*your cats feet will have  less dirt and chemicals on them.

                                                                                                  *your cat will have fewer zits or black heads on them.



In our Cattery I start the kittens on a potty training system, that teaches them

from a young age to go to the bathroom on a child's potty seat. By starting as

soon as they start to go to the bathroom on there own, our kittens have a

higher chance of this working. This starts at about 3-4 weeks old, we take the

kittens to the potty every 30 min during the day. We make sure they always

have access to a potty.  Often our kittens learn to pee on this but still need a

litter box for #2. some of our kittens learn to do both on the potty.  This

process will only work if the new owners follow through with the training.

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peterbald and Donskoy hairless Cats manitoba Canada