Bathing
Because Sphynx, and other naked cats, do not have fur to absorb the natural oils from their skin they will require periodic bathing.
The build up of oils in their coat will collect dirt and dust from their surroundings making them dirty. Depending on the amount of oils secreted from the cat, and the cleanliness of its surrounds, will determine the frequency of bathing. Some Sphynx need bathed more often than others. It's important not to over-bathe your cat, as it could cause an increase in oil production. I bathe my cats every month or two.
Bath time should be fun for cat and owner alike. Because bathing is a routine part of having a hairless, it should be introduced to kittens and made as stress free as possible. Run your bath or sink water before bringing your cat into the room. Most nakeds tolerate bathing well, but if your cat is stressed by the experience, make bath time as quick as possible and wash their face and ears after you take them out of the water. Avoid getting soap into your cat’s eyes, ears or mouth.
Claws & Paws
Naked cats will get dirt between their pads and in the pockets of their claws. They can be clean out with a warm wash cloth or baby wipe. Cleaning of the paws will need to be done more often and in conjunction with their bath. I also keep Kleenex next to where I sit and wipe their claws while watching TV at night, when the cats are comfy and cozy, sleeping on my lap.
The claws (front and back) will need to be clipped. In most cats you can see the quick inside the claw and you must be very careful not to clip on or beyond it. Begin by clipping off just the tip of the claw you can avoid causing your pet pain.
SoftClaws have been a great asset if kittens start to scratch furniture. Sphynx are incredibly smart, and will respond to a firm “NO!”, or the addition of a squirt of water. Doesn’t take long for them to learn what’s acceptable and what is not. Declawing a cat is amputating their finger at the middle knuckle. Declawing will keep it from playing with its toys, throwing toys up in the air, and batting them around. It can also lead to your cat not covering their urine and feces, leaving their waste just sitting on top of the litter.
Ears
Hairless cats ears are hairless and produce earwax. Without hair to absorb the wax, it will be visible once accumulated in the ear.
Feeding
You must provide your cat with a constant, always accessible, supply of cat food and water. Due to their higher metabolism (to keep their body temperature constant) they tend to eat a little more than a haired cat. Using a premium pet food will limit the amount and smell of the kitties poos. Some people feed their cats a raw diet. Personally, I found my cats did not like it and resulted in one case of e coli. This has to be a very personal decision that I recommend researching before committing. If you choose to change a kittens diet after adoption, we ask that you do so slowly. Switching quickly will result in gas or loose stools.
Climate
Health
Maintaining regular vet visits and up-to-date immunizations will ward off most illnesses that would affect any cat. In general, the breed is very hardy with a normal cat’s lifespan. Neutering or spaying and providing an outlet for play, and the natural behavior of scratching(such as... scratching post), are essential elements for maintaining a healthy long life. Sphynx and other naked cats have been know to live twenty years or longer.
What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) & how we work to eliminate it as much as possible?
HCM is a common cardiac condition and is the most common heart disease in Sphynx cats. One of the reasons we have outcross breeds (Elf, Dwelf and Bambino) is to minimize the odds of developing HCM by introducing new bloodlines. None of our outcross cats have ever had heart issues. Typically kitten will show signs of HCM before their first year, which is why we warranty the kittens for the first whole year. A cat that seems healthy may appear to become very ill very quickly, or even die suddenly after developing a blood clot in the heart, having displayed no symptoms of ill-health. A cat’s heart that is affected by HCM will have thickened left ventricle wall. Rather than growing larger outwardly, the walls of the heart grow inward, restricting the amount of blood that can be pumped through the ventricle. As the condition worsens, it becomes increasingly difficult for the heart to perform its job, and the heart eventually fails.
All of our parents are scanned for heart disease and must scan clear twice before they are allowed to be part of the breeding program. We warranty our kittens against HCM until they are one year old, as HCM typically will be detectable prior to that time.
Origin
Hairless cats have been described in many regions of the world, but the first successful breed was the Sphynx. The earliest Sphynx was born in 1966, and the cat was named Prune. However, Prune’s line died out without descendants. In 1967, hairless kittens, and their long haired mother cat were rescued in Toronto. The kittens were neutered; the mother, however, had other kittens. Two were exported to Europe, where one of the kittens was bred to a Devon Rex. The cat had hairless offspring which were presented by Vicki and Peter Markstein at the Madison Square Garden cat show in the 1980s. It was implied that this recessive gene was at the same locus as the Devon gene.
Like with many purebred animals, over-breeding to promote particular traits can lead to health issues. At Free Range, we have used outcrosses (different breeds of cats) approved by TICA in our Sphynx lines. It required four generations once an outcross has been introduced before the hairless offspring are considered purebred. When adding new bloodlines, we chose this opportunity to add some unique features, resulting in Sphynx Special Trait kittens, namely Elf, Dwelf and Bambino cats. The resulting offspring have reduced risks of HCM in our Sphynx lines.
Characteristics
The Sphynx, Elf, Dwelf and Bambino cats appears to be a hairless cat, although it is not truly hairless. The skin should have the texture of Chamois leather. It may be covered with very soft hair that is often described as peach fuzz. Because the naked cats have no little to no hair to keep them warm they prefer to cuddle up against other animals and people, they even tend to cuddle up and sleep with their owners under the covers. Lack of coat makes the cat quite warm to the touch. Whiskers and eyebrows may be present, either whole or broken, or may be totally absent. Their skin is the color their fur would be, and all the usual cat marking patterns (solid, point, van, tabby, tortie, etc) may be found in nakeds too.
Naked cats generally have wedge-shaped heads and sturdy, heavy bodies. Many cats of this breed develop pot bellies. They are known for their extroverted behavior. They display a high level of energy, intelligence, curiosity, and affection for their owners.
Although Sphynx, or other hairless cats, are sometimes thought to be hypoallergenic due to their lack of coat, this is not always the case. Allergies to cats can be triggered by dander, and not cat hair itself. It is our recommendation that if you are allergic to cats, visit our or a local Sphynx home and hug, rub and kiss all over a cat. See if your allergies are activated.
Common Questions & Answers
Q: How soon can I bring my kitten home?
A: Hairless kittens stay with their mother longer than a hairy kitten. This is due to building a strong immune system. For a kitten to develop a strong and effective immune system, they should stay with their mother until they are at minimum 12 weeks old. Anything younger than that can compromise their lifelong health. Included in the time that is recommended, the kitten also has to be at least two pounds, and have sufficiently recovered from their spay or neuter surgery. Sometimes delivery can be slightly postponed to achieve those requirements. Smell is the sense closest related to emotion. We have some bonding techniques that allow the kittens to learn your scent early in their development, so they can associate you with love, safety, mama and home.
Q: Are Sphynx cats hypoallergenic?
A: Not always. Despite popular belief hairless cats are not hypoallergenic though they some people are not allergic to them. If a person is allergic to cat hair they will likely not have a reaction after interacting with a hairless cat. However a person allergic to cat dander or saliva will still have a reaction though it can be lessened by making sure the cat in question is bathed often.
Q: I’ve found kittens that are cheaper than yours. Why should I pay your price?
A: We breed our cats as family members. We breed for the best of health. We stand behind our kittens. Almost every day I receive a call from a person who has adopted from another breeder, and their kitten is now ill or dead. Usually, these people are not only devastated at the loss, but also in debt with vet bills, or expenses with no kitten.
I am not the cheapest out there. But I also know that you’re not going to be burying a kitten or juvenile cat. You’re not going to have a kitten that will have lifelong health conditions that cut its life short. We can guarantee this through health screening the parents prior to making them parents, only breeding bloodlines that are free of genetic disorders, abstaining from inbreeding and line-breeding, raising our kittens with the best foods and vet care, and raising the kittens with constant loving care. Even with all those factors, if something is askew, we are there to ensure you’ll have an excellent experience and a kitten that grows into adulthood and has a long life with you. We cannot settle for less, and don’t think you should either.
Q: What is the average life span of a Sphynx cat?
A: Naked cats will live as long as any other breed, one of the oldest living cats was a Sphynx who was rumored to be 34 at the time of his death. His name was Grandpa and he was fed broccoli and bacon every morning. Not a diet we recommend, but it worked for Grandpa.
Q: Do naked cats need baths? And how often?
A: Yes they do. Most naked cats require a bath approximately about once a month, though some need more and some less. Every cat is unique and produces oil differently. We will help you decide on the ideal schedule for your kitten with tips and tricks to make life easier.
Q: I’ve adopted one of your newborn kittens. When can my kitten come home?
A: To build a stronger, healthy immune system in your kitten is to wait until they have all three sets of their infant vaccines, given at the appropriate time. We allow our kittens to head home between 12 - 16 weeks. The variation has to do with the weight of your kitten, vaccinations, and method of delivery. We know it’s hard to wait so we’ve developed a plan to help you, and baby, while you’re separated. We use scent-identify practices so your kitten will associate you with love, safety, comfort and home. We provide weekly photos and/or videos, along with what milestones your kitten has achieved. The number of tragedies we’ve heard about from buyers whom received their kittens between eight to 10 weeks is heartbreaking. It leads to a lifetime of health issues, deficits, or loss of life. We cannot predict exactly when a kitten will go home, but do our best to give you a month lead time.
Q: Do sphynx cats get sunburns?
A: Yes, so they’re indoor only unless you’re transporting them briefly. These are not outside cats.
Q: Why are naked cats really hairless?
A: Actually naked cats aren’t hairless. They have a thin down all over their bodies, some more than others. Their hairless appearance is caused by a genetic mutation that causes their fur not to grow. They can be sticky-bald all the way to velvety. They may have short whiskers, and a mask, tail-fuzz and “shoes”.
Q: Should I put sweaters on my naked cat?
A: That is up to your cat. Their normal temperature is 102 degrees. If they seem overheated or outright dislike the sweater, leave it on for small increments of time for them to adjust. Many nakeds love to be dressed up.
Q: My Sphynx cat likes to ride on my shoulder. Does he/she believe they are a parrot?
A: Maybe, we've know an entire bloodlines of Sphynx cats that often ride on the shoulders of their humans. Sometimes they’ll groom us while they’re up there. We find that personality traits carry down through the offspring. That is why we select our breeding cats to be of the best health with fun, loving dispositions.
Q: What kind of cat would be a good companion for my Sphynx cat?
A: These loving naked cats do get lonely if they don't have someone to play with, so another cat is a good idea. They LOVE companionship, and if their human isn’t available routinely, we recommend getting more than one. We started with one.
Q: My cat chews on his nails, sometimes it looks like he's trying to pull his toes off. Is this normal?
A: Yes. They are self-grooming and cleaning their nails. Consider trimming their nails and make sure the whole cuticle area is nice and clean.
Q: Do naked cats get cold?
A: Yes. With the body temperature of 102, they’re warmer than us. In cold months, I put a heated throw on the couch and they flock to it if they need the extra warmth. A cat sweater is a good idea during cold months or when the A/C is cranked up.
Q: Is catnip bad for my cat?
A: Catnip is a completely harmless herb. Catnip is said to contain a chemical that resembles the scent of a substance released by whole females. You can even grow fresh catnip. It grows easily in the Summer, dries beautifully and they love it.
Q: Why does my naked cat knead me, with his/her claws?
A: Just like purring, kneading is a sign of happiness. It is a throwback to when they were kittens. Kittens knead at their mother's teats to speed the flow of milk. Purring usually accompanies kneading and adult cats normally knead when sitting on a favorite person's lap or settling down to sleep.
As for odd-eye, where one eye differs in color from the other, this is also a rare trait. This is a trait I also bred into my lines back in 2006. It has taken generations and years of selective breeding to develop this trait in Sphynx cats. Many times the kittens eye color doesn’t change to odd-eye until the kitten is over six weeks. Any contracts written on a kitten that develops odd-eyes can be renegotiated to include the special feature. The Buyer would have the chance to transfer their deposit onto a different kitten should they not want an odd-eyed kitten.
All kittens come with a written health guarantee, spayed or neutered, and infant vaccinations. See contract for more details. Adopt a family member, not just a pet
TICA and CFA registered cats.
208-789-3183 10:00AM to 7:00PM
Angela@Sphynx.net
