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  About
Sphynx Cat's (ME)
Click here
to read my (Hi-Def's) blog
(After you read all about me below) |
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History of Sphynx
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The Sphynx cat breed began in 1966, when a black and white cat gave birth to a
Hairless kitten in Ontario, Canada. The owner named the hairless kitten Prune,
due to the wrinkled hairless skin. Prune was bred to other cats in attempt to
create more hairless kittens. Because hairlessness is a recessive gene, some of
the kittens resulting from this union had hair, while others did not. These
kittens were called Canadian Hairless Cats, which some people referred to as
Sphynx cats, due to their physical similarities with an ancient Egyptian cat
sculpture called the Sphinx. However, the breed did not continue because these
cats had serious health problems. It seemed that the cat's immune systems did
not develop properly. As a result, the breeding ceased, and no efforts were made
to continue the breed. Then, in 1975 in Wadena, Minnesota a cat gave birth to
several hairless kittens. One of the kittens was named Epidermis, who was bred
to other cats in attempt to create the Sphynx breed. Three years later, several
hairless kittens were found on the streets of Toronto, Canada. There was one
male and two females. The male was named Bambi, and the females were named
Punkie and Paloma. The two females were sent to the Netherlands to a Doctor
Hernandez, a cat breeder interested in producing hairless cats. The females were
bred to a Devon Rex, another cat with very little body hair. The resulting
offspring of the European Sphynx cats are where the Sphynx breed began.
Eventually, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized the Sphynx as a
breed, and cats were permitted to be exhibited at the TICA shows. In 1998,
Cat Fanciers Association recognized them as a breed. There are now several
thousand Sphynx registered in the world. |
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About Sphynx |
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Sphynx cats are cuddly, friendly, and
intelligent creatures. Sphynx make excellent companions. They love being around
people, and cuddling and purring. Try mopping a floor with a Sphynx, or making
up a bed with Sphynx in it! They love being the center of attention, and will do
nearly anything to get their owners to cuddle them. Sphynx come in a variety of
colors, such as white, red, black, brown, calico, tortoiseshell, among others.
Just because the Sphynx is a hairless breed, does not mean they are totally
hairless. Many Sphynx have little baby hairs on their backs called "down", and
may sprout hair behind their ears, on their tails, and on their feet, while some
Sphynx are totally bald or "sticky bald". Some cats sprout extra fuzz on their
bodies during the Winter, and lose it during the Spring. Since Sphynx cats are
virtually hairless, they tend to go where the heat is: on computer monitors,
printers, televisions, under covers, etc. Touching the skin of a Sphynx is
similar to that of touching warm suede, or a warm peach. Those who have Sphynx
recognize them as warm cuddly creatures with childlike personalities. They are
incredibly loyal and love their humans. |
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Sphynx Cat Care |
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It is a common belief that because the
Sphynx is a hairless breed, that they are low-maintenance. This is not true! |
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Bodies |
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Because a Sphynx's skin gets oily and
dirty, they need to be bathed more often than other cats. I will use Dove Extra
Moisturizing Shampoo, or Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Some kitties will enjoy baths,
while others do not. If your cat does not enjoy baths, you may use baby wipes. I
use Huggies Extra Care with Lanolin (Fragrance Free). |
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Ears |
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Sphynx do not have hair in their ears
which helps trap dirt and other particles in the ears. As a result, Sphynx's
ears need to be cleaned at least once a week. You can obtain an ear cleansing
solution from your vet. Sphynx have dark-colored earwax, so make sure that your
vet is familiar with the breed, as some vets will think that the dark-colored
earwax is a result of ear mites. You can clean the ears with solution and Q Tips
(but don't let them eat the Q Tips- most cats think these are toys!) |
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Nose and Eyes |
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The Sphynx do not have hairs around their
noses and eyes which prevent particles from being trapped in the eyes and nose.
You may want to just simply wipe the corners of their eyes and check for small
mucus buildup in and around the nose weekly. |
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Feet |
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Again, because Sphynx do not have hair,
dirt gets trapped in and around paws and claws. We recommend baby wipes with
lanolin, as they help remove the dirt and buildup. Do this once a week, also.
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