The skin has a texture of chamois leather, as it has fine hairs, or the cat may be completely hairless. Whiskers may be present, either whole or broken, or may be totally absent. Per the breed standards, they have a somewhat wedge-shaped head with large eyes and ears, quite long legs and tail, and neat rounded paws.
Common Health Problems
Ask your breeder for a health guarantee for your sphynx kitten, just like you should with any purebred pet. When bred responsibly, sphynx cats have a generally healthy outlook.
Sphynx cats lack hair, which makes them vulnerable to sun exposure because their fur shields their skin from UV radiation. Their time spent in the direct sun should be restricted because, similar to people, these cats can become sunburned if they spend too much time in the sun. Sphynxes should therefore only be kept indoors as pets or be closely supervised when outdoors.
They may also be susceptible to the following ailments in addition to skin problems:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a prevalent cardiac condition characterized by myocardial thickening
- Periodontal disease or gum disorders
- Urticaria pigmentosa is a rash-producing, itch-producing inherited skin condition.
Annual health examinations with your veterinarian are recommended for your Sphynx to identify possible health issues before they worsen. Of course, it’s always a good idea to call your veterinarian if your cat exhibits any symptoms of illness.
The most noticeable characteristic of this striking cat is its lack of fur; however, Sphynx cats differ in their level of hairlessness, with some having only a fine fuzz over the extremities and others having a very fine “peach fuzz” all over. The Sphynx cat’s musculature and bone structure are visible to all because it lacks fur. It is an incredibly strong cat with graceful, long lines and somewhat loose skin that wrinkles in some areas.
Since each cat is different, they all have different food preferences, needs, and dislikes. But because they are carnivores, cats require 41 distinct and distinct nutrients in their diet. It is not unexpected that a growing, active kitten requires a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat because the proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle, and general health. Other things to keep in mind include following feeding guidelines and feeding an individual’s preference for wet or dry food recipes, as well as feeding an appropriate quantity of food to maintain optimal body condition.
A Sphynx cat’s idea of heaven is to be at home with you and be able to interact and engage with you on a regular basis. Give your Sphynx lots of toys, food-dispensing puzzles, cat trees, and jungle gyms. Despite this amount of indoor entertainment, they will still find entertainment in traditional cat pastimes like “Pushing Things Off Surfaces,” “Running Away with Pens,” and “Sitting on Important Documents.” The Sphynx requires a lot of entertainment, and the more you give it, the less likely it is that it will become “self-employed.” Positive reinforcement is a useful tool for training Sphynx cats, but you must fully embrace their strong sense of humor and mayhem if you want to be a happy owner of a Sphynx cat.
Almost dog-like in their friendliness toward both family and strangers, the Sphynx is an energetic, highly intelligent, curious, and loving cat that belongs to another extrovert type. Be prepared to be supervised and assisted with all tasks around the house, from paperwork to DIY projects, cooking to taking a bath! They are extroverted, attention-seeking, and will want to be involved in everything you do, even to the point of possibly irritating and getting in the way!
When a genetic mutation resulted in a hairless kitten in a litter of domestic shorthair cats in Ontario, Canada, in 1966, those hairless cats were discovered. The hairless gene, which is also present in dogs, guinea pigs, mice, and rats, has always attracted some people as an appealing trait to selectively breed for in companion animals. Hairless cats have been known throughout history; in fact, the Aztecs were rumored to keep them.
History of the Sphynx Cat
Because of their elegant appearance and graceful disposition, felines, known as sphynxes, were named after the mythical Egyptian sphinx (though the cat’s name is spelled with a “y” rather than an “i”). Although hairless cats were bred by the ancient Aztecs hundreds of years ago, the modern sphynx cat is actually a Canadian breed that began in Toronto in 1966 as a result of an accidental genetic mutation. The mutation caused the kitten to be hairless. Some breeders chose to breed cats that consistently produced hairless offspring because they liked the look of hairless cats.
The breed, once known as the Canadian hairless, arrived in America. American and Canadian breeders then proceeded to further refine the new breed, fusing sphynx cats with another low-hair breed, the Devon rex cats. The sphynx cat evolved into a new breed with its own set of breed standards over time.
The sphynx breed was recognized by The International Cat Association in 2005, the Cat Fanciers Association in 2002, and several independent cat clubs in Europe, though standards for the breed all differ slightly. The American Cat Fanciers Association also recognizes the breed.
Because some purebred cat registries believe that the hairlessness of the sphynx breed is a genetic anomaly that may be detrimental to individual cats’ health and longevity, they will not recognize the Sphynx cat breed.
FAQ
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