Although you may know only about the Sphynx cat, there are actually seven breeds of hairless cat, including the Bambino, the Peterbald, and the Elf. Most people—even ailurophiles—disdain these depilated felids, but I find them sort of cute. And once, when I held one at a cat show, I found it not only sweet, but pleasant to the touch (they do have sparse hair, and the one I held felt like suede). I think it’s cruel to breed them given their propensity to get cold, but one exception might be to provide a pet for someone allergic to cat fur (the animal, after all, gets a nice home and is loved).
Sad and Useless provides a panoply of hairless cat photos, and I’ll show a few. You be the judge: cute or repellant?
With a kitten!
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As Mental Floss reports, the Quarantine Cat Film Festival, a virtual showing of readers’ submitted and selected cat videos, aired virtually on June 19. However, I believe you can still watch as much as you want for $12, buying the tickets here. First a bit about the virtual festival and then a clip:
Over the last two months, more than 1100 people all over the world have captured their cats’ best moments on video and submitted them to Pittsburgh’s Row House Cinema for a chance to be featured in the “Quarantine Cat Film Festival”—a 70-minute compilation film airing virtually on Friday, June 19.
“The response has been better than we could have ever hoped and we have so much great content to work with,” Brian Mendelssohn, Row House Cinema owner (and director of the film) said in a press release [PDF]. “It’s going to be a really fun feature with hilarious and adventurous cats and, of course, some adorable kittens too.”
The coronavirus pandemic has definitely given people much more time to witness their cats’ craziest behavior; in fact, Mendelssohn’s wife came up with the idea for the festival while hanging out with the couple’s two cats, Oliver and Isabella, during quarantine.
. . . In addition to providing viewers with an evening of top-notch entertainment, the festival is also a way to support independent theaters forced to shut their doors during the pandemic. Half of all ticket sales will go toward Row House Cinema, and the other half will be split among 60 small indie theaters across the U.S. and Canada. When you purchase your ticket, you can even choose which of those theaters you’d like your money to go to.
Now be sure you can still watch it, as I haven’t. But your whole family can see it for only twelve bucks, and that’s a bargain!
Here’s a clip from the Festival:
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Here’s a virtual performance by a British Ukelele orchestra of The Cure’s song “Lovecats” (original here) performed in isolation. It’s excellent, and performed in appropriate costume. (There are a few superfluous d*gs.)
The YouTube notes:
The Lovecats, performed by George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain while in self isolation.
Musicians: Jonty Bankes, Peter Brooke-Turner, Laura Currie, Hester Goodman, Will Grove, White George Hinchliffe, Leisa Rea, Ben Rouse, Dave Suich, Richie Williams.
Sound: Doug Beveridge. Editing: Laura Currie Song: The Lovecats – Originally performed by The Cure
h/t: Merilee, Ginger K., Reese
I like the hairless ones; they’re really cute…
My question is, do they really solve the allergy problem? I’m told a lot of the allergy is from the saliva not the hair.
My understanding that it is proteins in the saliva that are the allergen. The mechanism, though, involves depositing saliva on the fur by licking, and the dried protein being stirred up when the cat is petted. It just seems intuitive that rubbing, massaging – what the Hell do you do with a hairless cat? – would stir up less dust that disturbing fur.
They bear a passing resemblance to about half the crowd at certain political rallies that shall remain nameless.
Seems to me they look like certain gargoyles I’ve seen photos of.
Whenever I see one of these, I think of the following exchange from the TV show “Friends,” when a character got one:
“What IS that?”
“A cat.”
“But why is it inside-out?”
😂
I love that British Ukelele orchestra.
What a great performance!
My allergist strongly recommended I get rid of my cats, and if I had to have one, get a hairless one. Frankly, I was enthralled with the first one I met. They fall in the category of ‘only a mother could love it.’ And I really wanted one. Alas, the cost was more than I could afford at the time. I did give my cats to really good homes, and found my allergies didn’t go away, so once again I had furry friends for a long time.
Hairless beasties just have to have great personalities!
Hairless cats: all of the attitude, none of the fluffiness.
Hit several times by “the ugly stick”.
I am repelled. Not by the cats but by the human breeders who practice this cruel form of dysgenics.
✔️❗️
+!
I think the hairless kitties are cute! I have read they need a little extra care, like bathing to remove oils on the skin, and little sweaters in cold weather.
I never knew The Ukulele Orchestra. Fresh air!
That second one down has one of the most brilliantly baleful Kubrick-esque glares that I think I’ve seen. Jack Nicholson himself couldn’t top it!
I find these cats both disgusting and pitiable. There has been a lot of damaging pet breeding that continues to produce pets that are crippled in one way or another. Bulldogs and other dogs with pushed in noses have serious breathing problems. French Bulldogs require artificial insemination and, frequently, Caesarean section to give birth, with over 80% of litters delivered this way. The new latest idiocy is German Shepards with unnaturally bent back legs. This has become popular because it :looks nice”. Inbreeding has also produced increasing health problems in some purebreds that appear normal.
I find it questionable that all these “new breeds” (dog or cat) are getting those good homes. Having worked for years with various animal shelters proved to me that whatever the current “new” critter is, people will want it, and within a year or so a depressing number of them will end up in shelters.
I feel the same way about the person who… “invented” Munchkins. If you don’t want a cat to jump, don’t have a cat. Period.
I find it questionable that all these “new breeds” (dog or cat) are getting those good homes. Having worked for years with various animal shelters proved to me that whatever the current “new” critter is, people will want it, and within a year or so a depressing number of them will end up in shelters.
I feel the same way about the person who… “invented” Munchkins. If you don’t want a cat to jump, don’t have a cat. Period.
Frick! How can a double reply even happen, when WordPress instantly tells me ‘You’re already said that.’
Hairless cats are cute! My friend’s flatmate had one called Goblin, which seemed apt, but it was a darling (if a bit scratchy). It got bullied by my flatmate’s fully pilated (?) feline. Should have checked its hirsute privilege!
YES! YES! YES!
You can still buy tickets to the Quarantine Cat Film Festival for $12 for unlimited views for 3 days!
https://catfest.vhx.tv/checkout/quarantine-cat-film-festival-row-house-cinema-1/purchase?rent=1