At first glance it might look like either a terrifying new breed of dangerous dog, an alien or a particularly feral young "hoodie". In actual fact, this frightening looking creature is a rare hairless sphynx cat, and it needs to wear the hood to keep warm. He was being exhibited at a cat show over the weekend in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan – home of Sacha Baron Cohen's famous comic creation Ali G. Although it looks hairless, the Sphynx cat is actually covered in a fine down.

The rare breed is said to be particularly friendly and affectionate, not that you'd guess it from these frightening pictures. Shivering, the hairless cat was being exhibited at a cat show.