Think of any of your beloved pets that you had throughout your life. You would probably recognize them from a mile away, in a crowd. Now, imagine your pets completely hairless. You probably can’t. When an animal is without its fur, they’re almost completely unrecognizable. Think about getting a fluffy dog or cat wet; afterwards, it just looks like skin and bones. Sσ much of what we love about animals is their fuzziness. Without the hair (for whatever reason), they just look like little, adorable aliens.
1.) Rabbits: This little guy was born in 2009, almost completely hairless.
Later, he grew a normal amount of fur… but got a little less adorable.
2.) Spectacled Bears: Dolores the spectacled bear, and her female companions at a zoo in Germany, all lost their hair.
It’s thought to be a genetic condition. A frightening, genetic condition.
3.) Hedgehogs: Betty the hedgehog is completely bald, but folks at Foxy Lodge rescue center aren’t entirely sure why.
She’s still cute as can be, though.
4.) Parrots: Oscar the 35 year-old Moluccan parrot had Beak and Feather disease.
The condition forced her to pick out her own feathers because they irritated her.
5.) Raccoons: This raccoon was spotted losing its hair, most likely due to mange (which is fairly common in wildlife).
Found in Ontario, Canada, little Gizmo here must have struggled with the freezing cold Canadian weather having no fur.
6.) Squirrels: Don’t mistake these bald squirrels for chipmunks or rats!
Many squirrels can lose their hair due to a mite infestation.
7.) Guinea Pigs: Although this little guy looks like a hippo, he is actually a guinea pig.
Hairless guinea pig breeds are known as “skinny pigs” and can be purchased from breeders. ADORABLE.
From now on, he shall be known as Skinny Pig.
8.) Penguins: This bald penguin was rejected by its mother for not having a fluffy coat at a Chinese aquarium.
Zookeepers were able to give him proper nutrition sσ that he could grow his downy feathers and be introduced to his family.
9.) Rats: Hairless rats can be bred by combining certain genetic traits.
Scientists use hairless rats to study compromised immune systems and kidney disease.
They can also be kept as pets.
I don’t like rats and I especially don’t like hairless ones!
10.) Chimpanzees: Chimps can suffer from alopecia, an illness that results in hair loss. This disease also affects humans.
11.) Dogs: There are quite a few breeds of dogs that don’t have hair, like this Peruvian Hairless.
Typically, the dogs are safe for allergy sufferers.
You might think that this pup should have considered using Rogaine when he was younger, however, this pooch is a hairless khlala, which is a breed of hairless dog. To add insult to injury, this dog was voted the 2002 Ugliest Dog in The World.
While this dainty little dog breed isn’t completely hairless (check out that mohawk!), the stark contrast of the wispy tufts of fur on his head and paws in contrast with their hairless body make for one cute and interesting-looking pet. Unfortunately, the skin of a Chinese Crested is susceptible to allergies, sunburn and the cold, sσ extra care must be taken to maintain its health.
12.) Wombats: Karmann the wombat was an orphan. Typically, wombats stay in their mother’s pouch until they are 7 months-old.
As he grows, he will gain normal wombat fur and coloration.
13.) Baboons: This hairless baboon was spotted in the wild, but it’s thought that the cause of her hairlessness was alopecia.
14.) Kangaroos: Sabrina the baby kangaroo was abandoned by her mother. In the wild, kangaroos stay in their mother’s pouch until they are old enough (and furry enough) to come out.
15.) Hamsters: Hairless Syrian hamsters are the result of a specific gene.
16.) Cinder the chimp, also known as “The Naked Chimp”, became a very famous example of an animal with the rare condition of alopecia areata.
17.) This little guy might be bald now, but the news for him isn’t sσ bad! All aardvarks are born fragile and hairless, but once they grow older they become less fragile and grow fur.
18.) Like many “hairless” animals, Sphynx have a fine down on their bodies, which feels like the skin of a peach. This breed of cat was developed in the 1960s, when a domestic cat gave birth to a furless kitten. Breeders then crossbred those kittens with normal-coated cats to create the Sphynx as we know it today
This is what the Sphynx looks like all grown up. Personally I prefer my kitties with fur to cuddle up to.
19.) These two spiny anteaters don’t have any hair. But they have plenty of little spines sticking out of their back.
20.) This poor little caterpillar is bald and albino at the same time.
