Ukrainian Levkoy Cats

Ukranian levkoy sitting against a white background

Grey ukranian levkoy cat with big blue eyes

White ukranian levkoy cat in a blue cat bed

Ukranian levkoy kitten against ornate wallpaper

History

The Ukrainian Levkoy was developed in Ukraine by Elena Biriukova in 2000. The breed was created by crossing hairless Donskoy females with Scottish fold males. The result was a hairless cat with ears that folded forwards. Oriental and non-pedigree cats were used to develop the breed further and strengthen the gene pool.

Biriukova achieved the established breed look by 2004. It is therefore one of the most recent breeds, and is currently only recognized as a show breed in Russia and Ukraine.

This breed was called Levkoy cat for its bent ears, which resemble the bent leaves of the levkoy plant.

Behaviour

The Ukrainian Levkoy is very sociable and enjoys human interaction. They are fairly docile and get on well with other pets. They are very vocal, especially when hungry. They are playful cats and need mental stimulation, otherwise they can become mischievous. Nor recommended for first-time cat owners, and they also need outdoor space to stretch their legs and release their energy.