The TEARS Animal Rescue feral cat team will never forget the day when they discovered a feline, stemming from the rarest cat breed on earth, living like a bergie under a bush in Cape Town.
Feline fanatics of the Mother City were agog when the cat, with an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, was discovered at the foot of Table Mountain sometime in March 2016. Hiding under a bush in the city’s Company Gardens, the strange-looking kitten came from a litter of six taken to TEARS Cattery after their mother, a domestic tabby, went missing.
The Lykoi, or “wolf cat” became South Africa’s first and one of only 35 natural-born Lykois in the world at the time. The rare and unusual cat that looks like a little werewolf is a natural mutation from a domestic shorthair. According to a Lykoi expert, all naturally occurring Lykois had been found running wild. Some came from shelters‚ some from feral cat colony trap-and-release programmes‚ and some were found on the streets.
The Lykoi only seemed to emerge around 20 years ago in Tennessee, but was officially recognized in 2011. Two pairs of wolf cats were used to find and name the breed. DNA testing confirmed that cats have a genetic mutation, and also showed that the cats do not carry the Sphynx gene — and while their fur may sometimes fall off almost entirely, it grows back. People call it a “wolf cat” because it has a slender, toned body, wedge-shaped, and bald head like a werewolf.
At first‚ due to its strange appearance and behaviour, the staff at TEARS thought the cat was ill. He’s got the look of a wolf, but the physique of a cat. Before long, they christened the cat Eyona, meaning “The One” in Xhosa and used him as the centrepiece of charity drives and adoption campaigns for abandoned cats and dogs.
Eyona’s physical appearance is certainly striking, and increasingly so as his hair becomes thinner with time, but it’s not the only thing that makes him distinct. Along with looking a bit like canines, Lykoi cats tend to behave more like them too – and Eyona is no exception. He’s very much like a dog, the staff revealed. He’s playful like a dog. He’ll look you in the eyes with a sense of great attachment, unlike most feral cats. He’ll even drag his blanket around with him. It’s like he doesn’t know how to be a kitty.
The Hefty Price Tag Of Lykoi Cats
In 2018, Business Insider spoke to a person involved in breeding these rare felines in South Africa. Anthony Aldum became involved with the Lykoi because he loves their looks and has always been interested in helping to establish rare and popular cat breeds. With breeding cats selling for $3 000 to $5 000 (about R45 500 to R75 000) and with flights, permits and custom fees to pay, getting a breeding programme going has been a costly business, Aldum claimed at the time. Legitimate cat breeders, like Beeble Brox Sphynx, are selling blue, black and white Lykoi werewolf cats for $2500 with a 3-year genetic health/FIP guarantee.
The future of Lykoi Cats
According to Wikipedia, the Lykoi went before the International Cat Association (TICA) registry board in 2012 and was passed to “Registration Only” status by unanimous consent. The breed is now recognized as a Championship Breed and was able to begin competing against other Championship breeds in May 2017, with TICA. Work is currently being done to expand the breeding program.
The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), Lykoi cats of all colours are accepted and competing in Provisional as of 2022. They are expected to be accepted as a Championship Breed in 2023 – 2024.
What happened to Cape Town’s Werewolf Cat?
We’ve reached out to TEARS to find out if Eyona is still alive, but have not received a reply from the team as of the date of publishing (24 March 2022). We are hoping to gather more information on Eyona’s whereabouts with the help of social media. Do you have any information? Drop us a line via email.
