Petite Elfin Cattery

30/06/2024

Just our beautiful Lily enjoying her day.

15/05/2024

We have decided to spay Tiger Lily. I know several people were excited, hoping for a Sphynx Elf. Lily is a beautiful girl and we’re sure she would produce some top of the line offspring. Her health is more important to us than having kittens. Lily didn’t grow as big as we expected. Our concern is that she may have problems birthing. Her life means more to us. This was never for money. We simply wanted to better the breed and produce more quality kittens. So many people are not health testing their Sphynx cats and too many have HCM. It is hereditary and prevalent in the breed. She is the only one we own. At this time, we are not going to get another kitten. Lily is our baby and sleeps with us every night. In the future, when we’re ready for another kitten, we are looking to import a female from my Sphynx Elf friend in Ukraine. She is a very wonderful breeder and has worked very hard on her lines. At that time, we will revisit breeding once again. Her cats are beautiful and the perfect specimen of what a Sphynx Elf should be. He cats win at shows all the time. I’m very happy for her and her hard work. I will be keeping my Petite Elfin Cattery name, but won’t be expecting any kittens any time soon. If you’re looking for a kitten, please feel free to message me. I can refer you to a reputable breeder. Thank you to everyone that has followed Lily. She’s the sweetest!

28/11/2023

Tiger Lily was Frankie Stein for Halloween

02/07/2023

Snug as a bug in a rug. One of her many sleep positions in bed.

25/06/2023

05/06/2023

Tiger Lily enjoying some outdoor time on the upper deck. Those Big Blues are as beautiful as her❤️

03/06/2023

This girl is beautiful! Look at those eyes! She is currently in heat, but she’s still too young and small to breed. We are looking to breed at the end of this year.

03/06/2023

Tiger Lily enjoying time on the deck.

29/05/2023

This is in no way meant to be rude or degrading to anyone, but if you cannot afford to buy a Sphynx and are looking for a free one, you probably should not own one. This breed of cat is very expensive to own. As TICA Registered Breeders/Catteries, we put a lot of time and money into our cats/litters. We feed them high quality food, make sure they are vetted. We plan breeding to make sure we get specific colors or bloodlines. We scan our queens and kings for HCM. They are seen by board certified cardiologists. If they fail, we cannot breed them. We have taken a financial loss and they are now members of the family that live their days out, until the end. They still get quality care. They are spayed or neutered. We would not think of them going to anyone, and passing on that responsibility. All of our kittens are spayed and neutered before going to their new homes. This ensures our lines stay strong and hopefully, heart disease free. We get them their shots as required by age. We only give breeding rights to a select few, who are TICA Registered Catteries and understand the breed. I have seen numerous people looking for Sphynx cats or kittens under $500. If you find one, it’s either a scam or there is something wrong with it. Please do your research and then if you can financially afford one, look for a registered breeder, though they may not give you registration papers, to insure they stay pets only and not breeders. Ask to see a negative heart scan of the parents. Again, this is not meant to offend anyone.

02/01/2023

02/01/2023

My beauty

20/07/2022

~𝕯𝖚𝖘𝖙𝖞~

30/06/2022

Tiger Lily is very beautiful. Her ears are semi curled. Her mother is a Purebred Sphynx and her father is a Blue Bi-Color Elf. Lily can produce virtually any color kitten, depending on the male she is bred to. For her first breeding, I’m looking really hard at a Chocolate Bi-Color stud. But, we have plenty of time to think about colors and Studs for her.

Her temperament so far has been perfect. She is definitely more of a dog than a cat. I really love that about this breed. She has the curiosity and playfulness of a cat. Her interactions with us is more dog like. She still nurses my neck every night before she goes to sleep. She burrows under the covers in our bed and sleeps right next to us, just like a Dachshund would. She has been a real joy to have.

30/06/2022

The Elf Cat. The excitement over this new breed is international; as two of the most personable, distinct species of cat are married together creating a cat that is different from each contributing foundation breed. When combined, there is no harm to the health or well-being of the resulting Elf Cat.

Contributing foundation breeds include the Sphynx, known for its unique hairlessness and personality, and the American Curl, known for its signature curled ears. Permissible out-crosses include Domestic Short Hair, which is any cat belonging to Felis Domesticus not registered as a recognized breed. At Petite Elfin Cattery, there will never be Domestic Short Hair that we will breed to. We will only breed Purebred Sphynx and Elves. A strong foundation has been built utilizing many bloodlines from numerous Elf Foundry Breeders located in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Idaho, Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia.
The Elf Cats most distinctive features are it’s hairlessness and curled ears. They are extremely intelligent, have a sturdy, athletic build, and are as loving and cuddly as lap dogs. Sociable and highly inquisitive, they love to be the center of attention.
Cat enthusiasts throughout the world are lining up, awaiting the arrival and availability of these incredible Elf Cats. Currently being registered as an experimental breed with The International Cat Association (TICA), Elf Cats are quickly catching the eyes of the Cat Fancy. Half Elfs resulting as non-standard kittens will be sold at prices in accordance to the respective out-crosses. Please welcome the return of the Elf into mans world…
Registrations: TICA

In addition to the elf cat being nearly hairless, it is the elf’s intelligence, affection, and playfulness that make them unique among felines. Elf cats and elf kittens have a fine down on their body, or some hair on the paws, nose, tail, or outer ears. The feel of their skin can be compared to that of chamois or somewhat rubbery. Some people who suffer from cat allergies can tolerate living with elf cats. However, depending on the type and severity of the individual’s allergic reactions, there are still people who cannot live with elf cats or elf kittens. It is always recommend that you visit a breeder to see if you have allergies to the elf cat.
Elf cats and elf kittens get along great with other pets. They quickly adapt to other cats, dogs, or any other pets in you household. Two elfs are always better than one! Elf cats and elf kittens require a lot of attention and can get very lonely when left alone. Because of this we always recommend owning more than one. If you work from home and don’t travel often, owning just one might be ok. I have to warn you though, they are like potato chips. You can’t have just one.

30/06/2022

Read about the Sphynx on TICA’s website

https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds?view=article&id=1153:the-spynx-breed&catid=48

Sphynx at a Glance Known for its hairless coat, the Sphynx cat loves attention and draws it wherever they go. They are available in a variety of colors and patterns and will entertain themselves and their humans for hours with their inquisitive, intelligent, and extremely friendly personality. Sphy....

30/06/2022

ATTN: SPHYNX HCM DNA TESTING

Here’s some important information:

* The test is not accurate, meaning they have only found ONE out of one or more gene mutations with either 1 or 2 copies of each known or unknown gene that could cause HCM in sphynx or that may never develop into HCM.

* NCSU states that the gene mutation is FOUND in 60% of sphynx cats but only about 20% have developed HCM. Meaning the sphynx who carry the gene mutation and don’t develop HCM is known as incomplete penetrance. This means that even if a cat has the genetic mutation, the mutation may not actually pe*****te or lead to the development in full disease in that cat.

* You cannot do a sphynx HCM DNA test on a cat that has bambino, elf, dwelf, munchkin, American curl, Devon Rex, or any other outcross breed in their lines (refer to the cat’s pedigree) the test will be WRONG)!

* The HCM mutation gene discovered is ALMS1 (Alstrom syndrome protein 1) this is a unique protein whose function is not fully understood but is likely involved with metabolism, cell differentiation, and replication, including effects on perinatal cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells). A mutation inhibiting this gene and leading to a decreased production of the protein was shown to be associated with heart disease in mice and humans.

* HCM NEGATIVE test results does not mean your sphynx will NOT develop HCM or that it won’t produce HCM negative kittens. This is why yearly HCM scanning is required by breeders and if you find a breeder that does not HCM scan yearly and provide those tests to you, RUN!

* Between 70-80% of all HCM DNA tested sphynx carry atleast one copy of the gene that causes HCM.

* There is NO such thing as an HCM free cattery!! Though we all wish we were!!

* HCM affects cats of all breeds and all mammals, this is not something new

* HCM is the thickening of the left ventricle wall of the heart.

* The best tool available is HCM scanning yearly!!

* 0 copies of the gene mutation is called Negative (2 copies of the normal gene without mutations)

* 1 copy of the gene mutation is called Heterozygous (1 copy of the normal gene without mutation and 1 copy of the gene with mutation)

* 2 copies of the gene mutation is called Homozygous (2 copies of the normal gene with 2 mutations)

* Removing a large number of cats from a breeding program will have a major negative impact the sphynx breed. It’s best to not breed homozygous cats!

* Remember HCM gene mutation penetrance is not 100%. Just because a cat carries 1 or 2 gene mutations does not mean they could get HCM in their life time and just because a cat has 0 gene mutations does not mean they won’t ever get HCM in their lifetime.

* Sphynx who develop HCM develop it during 2 - 3 years old or 8 - 10 years old. The gene mutation(s) are present at birth but penetrance isn’t known until HCM has actually developed.

* At this time, NCSU does NOT know if the risk of developing disease is higher in cats that are homozygous for the mutation than heterozygous!

* There are many unknowns about HCM and the sphynx HCM dna test! Please do your research and follow the facts and not what people are saying. We have spoken to NCSU, geneticist, and veterinarians about HCM and the sphynx HCM dna test, if you have questions contact them directly, do not assume and believe everything you read online.

* TICA is requiring breeding sphynx to be HCM dna tested, NCSU cannot guarantee sphynx outcross results and are requesting they not be tested unless purebred sphynx!!

* At Petite Elfin Cattery, we DO the sphynx HCM DNA on our purebred SPHYNX, we will NOT do the Sphynx HCM dna test on any cats or kittens with an outcross with bambino, elf, dwelf, Devon Rex, American curl, munchkin, etc. the test is incorrect! This is backed by NCSU and their advice based on their HCM dna test!!

We will however have our cats scanned yearly for HCM. Any testing Positive would be removed from our breeding program. They will be spayed and live the rest of their lives out in our home as they have been. They are our pets first.

We hope some of this clarifies frequently asked questions and concerns.

Send a message to learn more

03/06/2022

Tiger Lily was able to out for a few pics after the sun went down today.