THE STORY OF FAOLAN LYKOI

Faolan
(from fáelán)

GAELIC – “LITTLE WOLF”

Faolan is a small, family-run cattery nestled in the heart of the Kettle Moraine region in southern Wisconsin.  We have a particular fondness for the quirky and unusual—and none have captured our hearts like the Lykoi. Our feline family also includes the Donskoy and the rare Transylvanian breed, creating a delightful collection of endearing weirdos.

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Though I started with "Gotcha", a Canadian Sphynx pet who still reigns supreme in our household, I soon discovered the unique, amazing, and almost unbelievable breed known as the Werewolf Cat — the Lykoi. Their striking appearance captured me at first glance, but it was the curiosity behind their look and the genetics that drew me deeper. I’ve always enjoyed studying genetics, and the Lykoi's ever-changing coats and the now six known alleles involved in their hairlessness only fueled that fascination. The opportunity to explore these variations while working to improve the breed truly hooked me.

Then came Vespa, our black Donskoy.   I love my naked cats and my interest in the health and history of the Russian Sphynx, combined with a desire to understand the causes of coat variability in this breed, led me to welcome her into our home. The Donskoy's elegant, elongated body, expressive features, and exceptional personality quickly won us all over and Miss Vespa is my husbands little shadow and devoted buddy.

Most recently, we’ve become obscessed with the enigmatic “Vampire Cat” — the Transylvanian. With roots in a spontaneous color mutation found in cat populations throughout the Carpathian Mountains of Hungary and Romania, the Transylvanian shares a somewhat similar visual vibe to the Lykoi at first glance. Pale extremities and roaning in the coat lend to their mystical appearance. But unlike the Lykoi, they are fully coated. Their look comes from a temperature-sensitive, “reverse points” style color pattern, rather than hairlessness. This distinct pattern, called “karpati,” is named for the region in which it was first observed. While black and blue short-haired Transylvanians are officially recognized, the karpati pattern can appear in many colors, coat lengths, and patterns.

Faolan is proud to be the first Transylvanian cattery in the United States. Alongside other breeders in North America, we are excited to promote and develop this rare and striking breed.

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Our family are a bunch of animal lovers and I'm blessed to have a loving husband who is particularly devoted to the Donskoy and two feline-fanatic boys that love to snuggle and play and interact with our group of feline weirdos.  The boys keep excellent track of which kitten is purring, who needs extra love, and devote themselves to maximizing those purrs.

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Professionally, I am a board-certified veterinary surgeon, a rewarding and stimulating, but exhausting and stressful job.  At home, our little hobby farm is my sanctuary and the animals are a big part of that retreat.  I have always had a fascination with genetics, how traits are inherited, and what makes things tick.  I started selectively breeding hamsters as a young child after reading a genetics chapter in a little hobby book, and I was hooked.  The desire to study and select to improve has always been a part of my life, ranging from breeding horses to dogs to chickens to snakes at different times in my life.  Cats are my spirit animal, though, and for years I've devoted my study and strive to improve my cats.  What a journey it has been with the Lykoi, and now moving forward with the Donskoy and Transylvanians.  It's amazing how much improvement we've seen in such a short amount of time.

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I am honored to be participating in the growth of these unique breeds and look forward to the progress made in years to come!

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Collaborative Breeding Program

Uniquely in the feline world, we work closely as a group of dedicated breeders in a combined breeding program to maximize genetic diversity and health. This cooperative approach allows us to offer a broader range of bloodlines and share a unified reservation and adoption list to help match new kitten parents with their new family member.

Our partners include:

• Desiree Bobby – Beeblebrox (Sphynx, Lykoi, Donskoy)

• Rianna Quinlan – Leviosa Lykoi (Lykoi, Sphynx, Donskoy)

• Brandi Sellick – LegendNLore (Lykoi, Transylvanians)

• and addition to myself ~ Connie Hurley - Faolan (Lykoi, Donskoy, Transylvanians)

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Warm regards,
Dr. Connie Hurley, DACVS-SA