Hairlessness in cats is genetic, and can occur even when the rest of the family is furry, though it’s rare and generally requires a specific conditions. In Sphynx cats, it’s caused by a recessive mutation in the KRT71 gene, which affects how hair follicles form. Both parents can be carriers of this gene even if they are completely furry, and if they are, their kittens will also be born furry about 75% of the time. But for those cases where the kitten inherits two copies of the gene, they will be