What You Don't Know About Lykoi

Full Moon or Not, the "Werewolf" Cat is Coming On Strong!

- Candilee Jackson

Peering into the show shelter, the visitor’s eyes widened as she realized she was looking at a miniature werewolf … no, a CAT that LOOKS like a werewolf! For real! Outlined in dramatic white fur, the cat’s enormous eyes appeared to peer into her very soul. Yet, instead of feeling unnerved, she felt, well, comforted. Perhaps it had something to do with the purrs this strange little creature was emitting.

While this description may sound like a great opening paragraph for a novel, several people who have interacted with the Lykoi told Cat Talk that their initial meeting was reminiscent of such an encounter. Despite the undeniably werewolf-like visage, the Lykoi are warm, loving, gentle companions and devoted lap cats. The name Lykoi comes from the Greek “Lycos,” meaning “wolf”, and is pronounced “lye koi”, as in the Japanese Koi fish.2

“The Lykoi is not a man made, designer breed, but is a natural mutation that randomly occurs in the feral population.”1 Partially hairless, these cats have a unique coat characteristic known as “roaning.”1 With this in mind, the Lykoi is most definitely an indoor cat. Since it lacks a substantial undercoat, it is especially vulnerable to the weather and “hypothermia as well as sunburn can occur if exposed to outdoor weather conditions.”1 The Lykoi coat can be sparse, or even fully coated, but cats of this breed will typically molt twice each year.3