The Canadian Sphynx breed was started in 1966, in Toronto when a hairless kitten named Prune was born to a black and white domestic shorthair queen (Elizabeth). The kitten was mated with its mother (backcrossing), which produced one more naked kitten. Together with a few naked kittens found later it founded the first attempt to create a hairless breed. Facts About Sphynx Cats
- They make warm and
adorable cuddle buddies
- These cats are incredibly loving, and will greet you at the door and sleep on your lap, but they also need a lot of companionship and regular grooming, which makes them higher maintenance than most cat breeds.
- Think of them in the same way you would think of a baby. It's hairless, close to the ground, not designed to clean itself, and has special needs.
- A Sphynx cat needs a bath at least once a week, and preferably in a medicated pet shampoo.
- Sphynxes have no hair in their ear canals, which means dirt and debris collects in their ears more easily. Be prepared to clean the gunk out of their ears with a cotton swab and some ear cleaner a couple of times a week.
- If you choose to trim your cat's nails, do so directly after its bath when the nails will be softer and easier to cut. Make sure to only trim the sharp ends and not the more sensitive pink part of the claws (called the "quick").
- Any breed of cat with a partial coat, light coat, or lack of coat — like the Sphynx — is particularly susceptible to sunburns and skin cancer, and therefore exposure to direct sunlight must be limited. better to let them explore the outdoors when they are able to stay in a shaded area or during summer evenings when the sun has gone down with supervision.
- This breed does not like being left alone, and they have a desperate need for attention. If you get one, you need to be able to return all the affection and love it gives you.
- They need to be warm all of the time (not just when humans are in the house). If you don't leave the heaters on, then you will need to purchase a heated cat igloo or make sure they have a warm bed with pillows.
- Sphynx cats live up to 15 - 20 years
- Sphynxes often don’t have whiskers or eyelashes, which draws even more attention to their expressive, almond-shaped eyes and chubby whisker pads.
- Sphynx cats are known for being chatterboxes. They "talk" to their owners using a whole repertoire of chirps, squeaks, and whines.
- Thanks to an enviable metabolism, these cats have hearty appetites.
- Lastly, you must be able to love your hairless companion even when they:
• don't cover their p**p in the kitty litter
• their p**p smells like the worst thing you have ever smelled and now you have visitors at the door
• they have trodden on their soft p**p and cuddled up to you in front of the guests, leaving p**py marks all over you
• let an eyewatering fart go when you are cuddling them in front of the guests and explaining how gorgeous they are as a breed. If you cannot even contemplate being able to do those things then do not buy a Sphynx. But if you can, then welcome to the most loyal, gentle, and affectionate breed in the cat family!
