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ORIGIN Information on the origin of the Sphynx breed varies with the book or article you read. France (1938), a Minnesota barn or Toronto, Canada (1973) are the most frequently quoted places where a cat was found which was virtually hairless. A coat of hair is a genetic trait, much like eye color in animals or seed color or shape in Mendel's famous pea plant experiments of more than a century ago, which were probably at least briefly mentioned in your high school life science course. ANY cat, through some kind of spontaneous mutation, or change in its genetic makeup, can give birth to a hairless kitten. Many stories suggest that the original mutation occurred in a Devon Rex, those cute cats with a very soft downy wavy fur. As a matter of fact, when I saw my first Sphynx at a cat show some years ago it reminded me very much of a stray I met in around 1968 in El Jebha, a small coastal town in northern Morocco. It was slim, had little hair and had the longest, almost straight-up ears I had ever seen. She sort of reminded me of the stylized Egyptian god Anubis, the jackal, with his long upright ears. |
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CHARACTERISTICS I personally DO NOT believe that any cat is TOTALLY devoid of hair in some form or other. Although the best Sphynx may appear bald, there is always a peach fuzz, down, or a tuft of hair somewhere on its body, preferable on the tail, around the ears or on the paws. The coat may also vary, probably according to the season or warmth of the place where it lives. Otherwise hairless cats may sprout tufts of hair at the base of the tail or around the ears in colder weather, but lose it again when it gets warm. The whisker length may be very short to almost nonexistent, on a gracefully tapering face, breaking/thinning noticeably at the nose area. Apparently, the shorter the whiskers, the more hairless the cat is/will be -- they are never as long as in a normal cat. They have a higher normal basal body temperature than other house cats. They love any warm place, be it a radiator, sunny window sill, under the covers with you at night curled up around your legs, around your neck or on top of the CRT computer monitor. It was hilarious when I got my first flat panel monitor -- the cats thought it was just ike the old one having a flat top, and jumped up, only to find that it was only about an inch wide! They looked so funny drooping down the front! I knew there would have been no way to explain the difference to them, and just allowed them to learn for themselves -- which they did very quickly! It is just too bad I did not have my camera poised and ready. Some breeders even keep their cats in a heated trailer outside of the house to ensure a constant higher-than-average temperature throughout the winter (and still call them home raised!!). The best Sphynx cats have almost a chamois-like or sort of silky feel to them when petted-- and they love to be fondled constantly!! Body/skin color may be cream, blue, torty (tortoise-shell), red or black, as a general rule. Their eyes are slanted almond/lemon shaped, green, gold or perhaps other colors. Tails seem extra long, and I love it when they sit upright and the tail curls on the side of their body -- almost a regal touch. Their ears are longer than the average cat, sticking almost straight up. Forget the usual aloofness that are the oft mentioned characteristic of cats in general!! I have never met a cat type which was more friendly, follows you absolutely everywhere, loves to be held and to rub its muzzle against your face (especially the females) -- I call this being SMOOCHY!!
BeanTuska perched on my shoulder at the computer doing the kissy thing!! They want to be everywhere you happen to be, whether its washing dishes, preparing a meal, looking out the window, or finally getting into bed -- they may usually be under the covers BEFORE you are though! When I turn my computer off, usually in the wee hours of the morning, they immediately head for the bedroom, waiting until I am under the covers to nuzzle their way there too -- it may take them a while to find exactly the position they like best, so do not plan on getting to sleep right away! They stand like a bulldog, growl like a dog, sneeze and cough like a human, but are generally less talkative than, say, a Siamese. They have a soft catty voice when they do want to communicate verbally. |
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FEEDING Some cat owners I have known over the years complained that their cat was VERY finicky about what it eats. That was caused by the owner being finicky when it came time to feed the poor cat!! Mine love both dry and canned cat food, some more than others, BUT they do eat everything I give them -- or they get nothing else!! Therein lies the key. Mine love corn kernels, olives, pizza and always want to nibble on whatever I am munching on, including cookies, luncheon meats, cheese, potato chips (they just have to hear the sound of the crinkling bag in another room and they come running!!) -- and yes, absolutely anything I am having for dinner. Sphagetti and macaroni are some of their favorites, and any meat, fish or poultry scraps -- including the bones!! I am always told that they should not be given chicken bones because they can get them caught in their throats and it would kill them. WOW, that really makes a lot of sense!! I am sure that in the wild they only search out boneless fowl and other critters to eat!! They even enjoy turkey bones, always with some meat attached, and never leave even a piece on the dish. The only infrequent result might be vomiting some of the over abundance of bones they voraciously devoured. I know a southern Baptist minister who even eats the bones of his favorite dish, buffalo wings, and he has surpassed some 60 years already!! A cheapy natural meal is whitefish, which may be found in five pound frozen packages at most supermarkets. It is really inexpensive compared to canned foods. I separate the cleaned headless fish into groups of 2-3, wrap them in plastic wrap and refreeze the groups. About once a week I defrost a clump, cut them in half and boil them for about 8 minutes, allowing them to reach room temperature before I remove the bones and fin spines and give it to them in the stainless steel food dishes I use. I have utilized these shallow bowls for over fifteen years and they are literally unbreakable and easy to clean. I keep the dry food bowl always full. The water bowl should always be full and fresh -- do not just take the empty bowl and add more water -- clean it daily. They do appreciate some milk also -- but that may lead to bouts of diarrhea. Mine eat anything, from cat food to a snack I may be having while at the computer: potato chips, cookies, piece of a white chocolate bar -- not to mention my own lunch and dinner. They seemingly patiently watch me finish eating, after which I always leave some bits and pieces for them of whatever I had. I then give it to them on the table, then move it to the floor. They seem to love any meat, saffron rice, macaroni and cheese, and anything with tomato sauce. I recently discovered that they will not even touch anything that I add a can or two of southern style diced tomatoes and green chilies -- it may be the chili peppers. |
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BREEDING The female may go into heat at the tender age of 6 months, or even slightly younger!! Males seem to take a bit longer to reach sexual maturity. The Sphynx female is VERY unlike her boisterous cousin the Siamese. She is seemingly more like Hilary when in heat -- only a really close male would ever know!! The male will sniff the female's genital area and will open his mouth and curl his lips up, as do all cats -- even lions and tigers -- when he gets the right scent. And they then go at it -- often many times a day and for days at a time!! After each penetration the female will roll around on the floor for some minutes -- reason unknown. Curiously enough the same phenerome (sex scent) thing occurs when male OR female cats sniff a human armpit!! I theorize that the basic underlying chemical structure of these sexually stimulating, response activating aromas must be similar in both cats and humans. It may be possible that they work by triggering a cell releasing nitrous oxide mechanism, similar to how PROZAC works?? OK, so now we have to wait some 9 weeks for the new kittys to arrive. They have to be trained to give birth in a prepared box or they will have the kittens under the covers in bed with you -- which mine have done innumerable times!! I can usually tell when they are nearing that point by feeling their underside. It gets unusually hard or stiff -- at which time I get the box ready. Mommy usually instinctively knows what to do once they appear. She removes the remains of the membrane, licks them clean, chews the umbilical cord free, and when the afterbirth (the placenta) is expelled, she munches it up while still warm -- if it gets colder, she may discard it! It all seems to depend on the frequency of delivery. If they all appear within minutes of each other, she may even forget to detach the umbilical cord, at which point I use sterilized scissors to cut it about an inch from the body. The births may be minutes or even hours apart. When born they exhibit their basic body colour and are totally bald looking or may have a minute peach fuzz. Daddy often looks over the top of the box to see what is happening. At times he may jump into the box to see them, and when they get older he will play and sleep with them and the dam. If he gets too rambunctious, the female will always make him leave.
Mommy and kittens at 6 days old Raising kittens is a full time job!! The Sphynx are usually born in my bed, after which, with mommy's help, they are taken to a nearby box with two flaps in a closed position --they seem to prefer a dark environment. I always have cans of KMR Milk Replacer For Kittens handy. Mommy likes it for extra nutrition while nursing, and for the first week or so I may use a nursing bottle to also provide the kittens with a different snack several times a day. These bottles come in different forms. The first that I used was the PET-AG
made of plastic with a somewhat largish nipple that is a tad too Dolly Parton-sized for new kittys. I then found a British import, made of glass, that is better suited to tiny babies
(either the kitten in the photo is two months old or the person feeding it is a ten-year old! My babies are somewht SMALLER than the bottle itself when born!!) The kit contains a neat curved shape glass bottle with a flat bottom that may be rested on the bed without spilling the contents, as well as a cleaning brush and three extra rubber nipples, just the right size for my kittys.
Their eyes begin to open after about five days, and they may begin to eat canned food within 3 weeks, at which time they should be placed in the litter box after meals and when they wake up -- it only seems to take about a week for them to learn how and when to use it. N.B.: about CLUMPABLE litter -- apparently many cases of kitten death and sickness have been associated with this form of very expandable clay product!! [click here for info-->FAQ]) The kittens will suckle as long as the dam allows it. When she decides that she has had enough, she will brush them away with her paw. Once she stops feeding them it will not be too very long, usually, until she again gets in estrus. and begins to raise her hind end on the floor hoping the male might notice her. The kittens are a real riot! They jump and tumble and jostle each other in a real circus-like mood. If they see a flying insect, they will do somersaults high in the air trying to catch it. They also keep crawling insects at bay. In training, a simple strongly accentuated NO and a tap on the rear with a couple pages of newspaper will indicate to them that curtains and upholstered chairs (and sometimes, especially when they are young, even the legs of jeans!) are not meant for climbing and scratching. Do NOT read them the riot act or their Miranda Rights -- it MUST be immediate and to the point. After a VERY brief time, just the sound of crumpling paper will be enough of a deterrent -- and curiously enough they do make a distinction between crumpling newspaper and opening a bag of potato chips! I keep a fat log about two feet tall not far from their litter box, and they scratch it to their hearts content! |
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PARASITES Fleas could be a problem, especially if they are raised in a home with one or more dogs, or other cats with hair. They do not mind the dog at all, at least mine never did. Tracey, my Doberman, plays with them, the cats sniff her ears and they let Tracey know when she is playing too rough!! Fleas are usually more frequent during the warmer summer months for any pet with hair. For a bunch of fleas one would use a good flea dip, followed by the usual flea collar to control and eliminate the infestation. I personally have never had to give mine a flea collar. Somehow, fleas seem to also bring with them tapeworms, which appear as small whitish rice-grain-looking objects which may be observed in the area of the anus. They do move and elongate themselves somewhat. Your vet would prescribe either some pills, which may not be as easy for your to administer as it appears when the vet does it -- or a shot. A follow-up in about a week does the job. |
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SPECIAL CARE Since they are without the usual insulating protection of a fur coat, your Sphynx kitty should be kept in warm places during the colder winter periods -- they will quite naturally find these warmer places for themselves! On the other hand, they also have no hair to shield their skin from the Sun, so they should not be left in the unprotected Sun for long periods of time -- unless you want to use sunscreen on the poor thing!! Furlessness might also tend to make them more susceptible to scratches from other cats, which may make their skin look like one of those expensive pairs of leather casual shoes which show the minor natural imperfections of the cattle hide scars resulting from brushing against barbed-wire fences or whatever. Some breeders suggest that you bathe them every once in a while to clean the body oils, which do accumulate on the skin. I really do not worry about this detail, and may bathe them every few weeks or just wipe them down with a warm damp washcloth. Their longish ears do seem to accumulate crud more than those of my Siamese ever did. Weekly cleanings with Q-tips or similar may be useful to avoid a buildup of whatever it is that collects in the folds of the ear canals -- which may depend on the dustiness of the litter one uses. NEVER declaw a cat -- cats were meant to be natural entities and altering them in this manner also affects their paws and gait in other ways. IF you think you must declaw, then it is probable that you should perhaps get some goldfish as pets -- or even a nice porcelain cat! One may clip the claws every couple weeks, using any of the models of standard nail clippers available for humans and/or animals. A friend does it seemingly somewhat easily, but my attempts to trim their claws usually end up with me giving up. The scratching log at least keeps them from getting too out of paw, and I frequently find discarded claw shells between the fibers of a rubber-backed rug in the kitchen -- I have also observed my cats calmly and diligently biting them to the desired size. Due to their seemingly narcissistic natures and their ontologic need to be loved constantly, you must be prepared to lavish all kinds of special attention on them or they might seem more like pests rather than pets. |
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Are Sphynx Hypo - Allergenic? I have received innumerable emails and telephone calls asking how well a person with allergies might fare with adopting a Sphynx cat and have always responded that I have never seen any research results on this topic and can therefore not definitively answer their query. I am now adding this section because it is an important one, and I may now have a somewhat definitive answer. Allergies Since a child I was very allergic to several things -- allergens such as hay, pollen, moldy dust, olives, spinach, stress situations, and probably, my Dad -- never to animals! I had some serious asthma and hayfever attacks as a kid living at home and had to take those little red pills -- and that was before they were over-the-counter -- then came the inhalers. At the age of 21, an invitation to a science conference in Europe led to an unexpectedly prolonged period of study and teaching in Germany and Spain -- some 16 years prolonged! These were some of the most memorable times of my life, and, perhaps curiously, an interval without any form of allergies! I lived in places with barns and hay -- I associated with many people, and at that time, at least, their level of personal hygiene was not quite as exacting as that which I was accostomed to at home! Since I like animals, any one I saw and could get close to I petted and held, if I could, including baby farm animals, dogs, cats, lizards, birds, a seal or two, hedgehogs, scorpions from the Sahara Desert and various and sundry others, including bats -- many of which I also kept as pets as a kid -- so I did have a lot of previous exposure to critters of all kinds. A photo of me camping on the North Wildwood beaches in a tent with my parents when I was just about able to walk showed a kitten in the tent, and we always had a cat or dog in the family home who slept with us. My cats always have and still do, and are usually under the covers before I am! I have since theorized that general allergies are in large part the result of psychological factors, despite all that the so-called experts claim -- as they make loads of money to alleviate the symptoms or attempt a cure! Remember that antihistamine drugs do not cure, they only make the symptoms disappear -- temporarily! My theory is that my home environment, as loving and generous as it usually was, caused my attacks -- there was an underlying level of stress which I never saw or recognized as such until much later in life. I tend to think that a lot of pet-related, and perhaps other allergies can be programmed out of a person from birth -- early exposure may cause natural defense mechanisms to become activated and possibly reduce any later effect the real or supposed allergen may have on the maturing individual. There is a slight catch-22 involved here -- in todays American society the trend is to over sterilize everything in the home and elsewhere -- sprays, anti-bacterial soaps and lotions, among many others. And according to studies, this overly clean, protective environment has a tendency to make the young person more susceptible to potential allergens outside of his/her perfectly sterilized bubble, simply because they had never been exposed to them and could not get their defense mechanisms working -- their vaccination and booster shots, so to speak. Textually from the Newton web site -- In fact, recent studies have shown a LOWER incidence of asthma in children who grow up with cats in the house. Allergens Contrary to popular belief / opinion, it is not pet hair which is thought to trigger allergic reactions, rather dander, which are particles even smaller than dust mites -- it is carried by the air and eventually settles on most things in the home and elsewhere, walls, lamp shades, curtains, carpets, clothing, bedding and mattresses. This dander is on the skin of house pets, in their hair and in their saliva -- which dries, falls or is petted off, and becomes an integral part of the home. Kids bring it to schools on their clothes, as do people at the office or on the street -- the smaller the enclosing space, the more it simply begins to accumulate. According to one source, the major allergen for humans -- are proteins secreted by oil glands in the animals' skin and constantly shed in dander, as well as proteins in the saliva, which sticks to the fur when the animal licks itself. When the substance carrying the proteins dries, the proteins can then float into the air. Older animals produce more dander than young ones because their skin is drier. Animal dander is extremely light weight and tiny in size,and can stay airborne for hours. Many vacuum cleaners now come with HEPA (Health and Environmental Protection Agency) replacement bags and filters, and room air purifiers have them also, to filter out even microscopic dust and other particulates in the air. I have two floor model air filters, one in my study to keep my computers and other apparatus as dust free as possible, and the other in the kitchen. I have absolutely no idea where all the dust that I have to vacuum and wash out of the filters comes from, but it seems to be everywhere! The more things one has in each and every room -- paintings, furniture, rugs, venetian blinds, book and/or collectible shelving, lamps, chandeliers and everything else which fills a standard room, the more microscopic particles of whatever one has suspended in the air! Are Sphynx Cats Allergy Proof? The answer to this question, which has been on my mind for many years, came in early 2003. A really nice lady who had been treated for allergic reactions to several things, including cats, contacted me about adopting one of my Sphynx. She asked me a lot of questions, which is perfectly normal, in emails and on the phone, about the cat, and mentioned that she thought that since the critter did not have any hair, she might not be allergic to it. I told her just what I had said to many others before her -- I have no idea if she would be allergic to the cat even though it was virtually hairless. She came over to my place -- a really charming, serious, intelligent professional woman of about 35, who could never be around a cat with hair without getting watery eyes, breathing difficulties and all the usual symptoms within a few minutes. We talked for at least an hour, while my kittys came over to her and snuggled up to her, doing their usual smoochy thing -- which sort of surprised me because they are not usually as spontaneously friendly with total strangers -- they must have sensed that she was a good, loving person. NO ALLERGIC REACTION! This was a very positive sign, and seemed to answer the question both of us had about problem-free compatibility. She went home, thought about the potential adoption, prepped her place with the usual kitty necessities (and then some!), and returned two days later to adopt the female cat. The cat loved her and she really loved the cat! This was going to be a new life adventure for both of them. Two days later she called me on the phone -- I usually expect my adoptive parents to call or email me with updates on their new family member. The cat settled in her new home nicely, had no problem locating the litter box, ate well and was her same old friendly smoochy self, craving undivided attention at every turn. BUT -- on the second day the lady began to develop a rash on her face, and later had slight breathing problems when in contact with the totally hairless cat! She knew that I have a limited health guarantee, but only on that of the cat -- and before she adopted the cat, we did discuss what she could / would be able to do if she found that she was allergic to it -- her only option would have been to find a new home for the baby, which she agreed to beforehand. I felt, understandably, sorry for both her and the cat -- then she asked me if she could return her to me and I would owe her nothing because she knew the risk, was willing to accept it, and as with some marriages these days, it just didn't work out. I was both totally amazed and relieved at the same time, because having the cat go from one completely new environment to another like that would be like the fate of way too many foster children! Would it be all right if she bring her back that night? She did -- after a drive of about two hours to get here on snow and ice covered roads! She even gave me the new cat carrier she bought, some food, litter, treats and a cute little Garfield plush toy, which my kittys love! Her personal experiment had ended, although without the results she had actually dreamed about for years, those I had really wished would come true for her. We talked for a while, and she told me how she took a photo of the cat sitting on the window platform she got for her -- and it now is in a frame among her other family pics as a lasting remembrance -- I almost cried! I did the usual European huggy thing I am known for, and I think we parted on the best of terms. Sue, you are a really amazing lady!
And also, NO, I doubt that too many catteries have a return policy based on potential human allergic reations following the adoption -- as I mentioned above in Special Care, IF you have even the slightest of doubts, perhaps a goldfish or a fine porcelain kitty might be your best possible options, and, depending on how vintage fine the porcelain might be, probably a whole lot less expensive! |
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SELECTING A KITTEN Once you decide that a Sphynx kitten is just what you needed to fill that alone feeling in your personal space, check your local newspaper or a specialized cat magazine for ads of catteries in your area. If you are interested in breeding them, you might check for cat houses in another state or country having champion stock -- they will ship by air. Kittens purchased For Breeding do cost significantly more than those acquired just as a pet. The pedigree papers are different for Breeding and Pet Only categories. When possible choose a breeder which you are able to personally visit. Observe the following : 1 - are the mother (dam) and father (sire) free to wander around in the house, or does the breeder have to go to the basement to find them and will not allow you to go there (many even keep the poor things in wire cages, as comfortable as they may be!!)? 2 - Are the sire and dam (she usually somehow senses that you came to possibly adopt one of her offspring and may not be overly pleased) friendly, or do they seem too aloof and hard to catch? 3 - What hair, if any, do the kittens have? How does it compare with the hairlessness of the parents? 4 - Do the kittens seem overly skittish (this is sort of natural, as they probably do not have too many visitors), even with the breeder? 5 - Are their eyes bright and not watering, and do the kittens all look healthy and not flea infested? 6 - If you see a litter box, is it clean looking? 7 - Do they have the proper pedigree papers? 8 - Are the breeder's terms and conditions on the adoption contract simple and easy to understand? Or is the contract of purchase many pages long and include some barely intelligible items such as limits on how you may eventually breed the cat and other seemingly unusual entries? I have seen a contract or two that looked way more complicated than one you might sign to buy a new home!! 9 - Does the breeder inspire confidence? 10 - BEWARE of prices that are way too cheap / un-reasonable. You ONLY get what you pay for in anything, be it a new feline companion or an espresso machine. Keep in mind that a pet quality kitten will be perhaps one - half the adoption fee of one which may be show quality and/or for breeding. Many catteries WILL NOT even consider selling a kitten for breeding purposes, probably for attempts at cornering-the-market reasons. Use your common sense and intuition when making a final decision and the potential new Sphynx member of your household will more than likely be a very positive adoption. |
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