Meet The Werewolf Kitty

Halloween isn’t far off now. Pop into almost any store this week, and you’ll plenty of iconic Halloween decor, including things decorated with spiders, skulls, vampires, mummies, and, of course, werewolves. Speaking of werewolves, there’s an adorable new addition to that family. In this article, a veterinarian discusses Halloween’s newest mascot … the Lykoi, or werewolf kitty.

Basics

Aside from their name, appearance, and possible fixation on full moons, the Lykoi is very much like any other kitty. They are cute, playful, and cuddly. These furballs usually weigh about 6 to 8 pounds, and live about 10 to 15 years. Fluffy may not exactly howl, but she isn’t shy about speaking her mind. Like any other feline, Lykois appreciate kitty luxuries, such as scratching posts, catnip, and comfy beds. (We’re still not sure how they feel about silver.)

Coat

Fluffy is, well, not very fluffy. Most Lykois have thin fur. In fact, many of them do not have any fur at all around their eyes, nose, or mouths. Some of them have no hair at all! Needless to say, Lykois can get cold very quickly. For this reason, we recommend keeping them indoors … especially when the moon is full. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t shed. The Lykoi actually sheds quite a bit for a cat that isn’t very furry! 

History

Werewolf myths have been around for thousands of years. Some of the earlier legends go all the way back to ancient Greece! (Fun fact: the name Lykoi is derivative of Lycos, the Greek word for wolf.) The Lykoi breed has a much shorter history than that, though. Kitties that look like Lykoi have been observed in feral cat colonies for quite a while. In 2011, breeders matched up two cats with the Lykoi look. This started Fluffy’s journey to achieving status as an official breed. That journey actually didn’t take very long: the International Cat Association granted the Lykoi official status only a year later, in 2012. The Lykoi is still quite rare: there are fewer than 100 show-standard ones registered worldwide.



Do you have questions about your feline friend? We can help! Contact us, your local animal clinic, today.