At a glance the quick version
TICA: males 7-12 lb, females 6-9 lb. CFA notes males may be much larger than females.
Coat and looks how to spot one
partly coated roan coat of guard hairs only, no undercoat
A lean, muscular, medium cat with a wedge-shaped head, large walnut-shaped eyes and tall ears. The coat is made only of guard hairs, mixing pure white and coloured hairs in a roan, salt-and-pepper effect. Coverage varies from almost bare to nearly full, and the areas around the eyes, nose and muzzle stay hairless, forming a 'mask' that gives the breed its werewolf look. Despite appearances the coat feels soft and silky.231
Personality what they are like
Lively, curious and loyal. A Lykoi can be cautious at first in new situations but soon warms to new people and pets. It loves attention, often prefers a game of stalk-and-pounce to a cuddle, and chats with a wide range of chirps, trills and meows without being overly loud.231
Daily activity how busy a day looks
High. Plenty of interactive play that lets it hunt and stalk; many enjoy fetch and puzzle-style games but can also amuse themselves with toys.32
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Little brushing is needed, but the skin, ears and toes can get oily, so occasional baths with a cat-safe shampoo, regular ear cleaning, nail trims and tooth brushing are part of routine care. Shedding is light except during the breed's natural moulting cycles.23
Home where they are happiest
Best kept in a warm indoor home, since there is no undercoat. Limit strong sunbathing; a tall scratching post is recommended.23
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An obligate carnivore that needs a high-protein diet. The TICA breed page advises portioned meals rather than free-feeding, with fresh water daily.3
Company who they like around
Thrives on human interaction and attention, and generally gets along with other pets once introduced.23
The story where it all began
Two unrelated litters of partly hairless, roan-coated kittens turned up in Virginia in 2010 and Tennessee in 2011. Johnny and Brittney Gobble and Patti Thomas started the breed, and the first planned Lykoi kitten, Daciana, was born on 14 September 2011. Outcrossing to domestic cats widened the gene pool, and the breed has since reached championship status with TICA (2017) and CFA (2023).123
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
'Lykoi' comes from the Greek word for wolves.2
- 2
The Lykoi is the only cat breed with the roan colour pattern.3
- 3
Kittens are born looking fully coated and solid in colour; the roan pattern and bare mask appear within one to two weeks.2
- 4
Owners call the moulting phases 'wolfing out'.1
- 5
DNA testing showed the Lykoi does not carry the genes behind hairlessness in the Sphynx or the curly coats of the rex breeds.1
Recognised by the official bits
- TICA
- Registration 2012; championship status May 2017 (black roan is the colour accepted for championship)1
- CFA
- Accepted for registration 2018; championship status 20232
- FIFe
- Preliminary recognised breed in Category 4 (code LYO)4
- GCCF
- Recognised1
- WCF
- Recognised1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Lykoi. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- BathSkin oils build up without fur to absorb themevery 2 weeks
- Ear checkClean waxy ears gentlyevery week
- Nail trimevery 3 weeks
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- Litter scoopevery day
- Litter changeevery week
- PlayDaily playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 11every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Lykoi en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, origin, history, recognition, fun facts
- CFA: Lykoi cfa.orgused for recognition, coat, colours, temperament, grooming, habitat, history, fun facts
- TICA: Lykoi tica.orgused for weight, coat, colours, activity, grooming, diet, fun facts
- FIFe: Breeds fifeweb.orgused for recognition
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.