Dossier No. 05 · Chinese trading ships, 13th c.
Chinese Crested
Warm apartments and townhouses where a graceful, hypoallergenic companion is prized.
- Stature
- Petite
- Coat
- Hairless with silken crest, socks, and plumed tail
- Temperament
- Affectionate, lively, devoted lap companion
- Origin
- Chinese trading ships, 13th c.
I
History
Carried aboard the great Chinese trading junks from at least the 13th century, prized for keeping the ships clean of vermin and warming the laps of merchants on cold northern crossings. By the Victorian era they had become the signature companion of music-hall stars and touring actresses — a breed whose theatricality was written into its bloodline.
II
Personality
Affectionate, animated, and unapologetically attention-seeking. They bond intensely with one household and greet familiar guests with the enthusiasm of an old friend. Playful without being frantic; devoted without being needy.
III
To Live With One
Warm apartments and townhouses suit them beautifully. They dislike cold and damp, adore central heating, and will find the softest cushion in any room within an hour of arrival. Their skin requires a gentle weekly routine; their company requires none at all.
IV
Notable Companions
Gypsy Rose Lee was among the breed's most devoted American champions and did more than anyone to establish it in the United States. In our own century Katherine Heigl, Jane Lynch, and Marilyn Manson have all kept them — proof that the Crested's admirers are as unclassifiable as the breed itself.