Sphynx

Sphynx is a hairless breed of cats born out of natural mutation to a regular farm cat in Toronto, Canada in the 1960´s. The race is still fairly new in Finland. The first Sphynx came from USA to Finland in 2000 and the first litter was born in 2002. The Sphynxes special looks divides opinions but once you get to know its character, you will lose your heart.

They say that the Sphynx is a mix of cat, dog, monkey and baby, which is totally true! The Sphynx is by nature very energetic, smart, playful, social and a curious climber, and by no means a sofa decoration. The Sphynx participates in all home activities, preferably hanging on your shoulder giving directions. The Sphynx gets along well with children and other pets, if the other party is tolerable. The Sphynxes are very social and it is recommended for it to have a cat friend if the owner is away long hours during the day.

The Sphynx is not completely hairless, its skin is covered with soft, fine down. The Shynxes skin feels soft to the touch and kind of like a soft suede peach. The wrikleness is preferred especially around the snout, between the ears and shoulders. The Sphynxes body is midsize, firm and muscular, the belly slightly rounded. The weight on an adult cat varies from 3 to 5 kg. The back legs are slightly longer than the front ones. The Sphynx has long, thin, clearly defined toes. The paws are thicker than other breeds. It appears that the cat would be walking on “air-cushions”. The head is wedge-shaped, slightly longer than wide, a little stop in the intersection of the straight nose & forehead, cheekbones are highlighted. The ears are large, tips rounded, open and broad by the base of the ear. The eyes are lemon shaped, large and slightly askew to the ears outer corner. The tail is thin and narrowing. A short, soft & fine hair is allowed in the legs, muzzle & cheekbones, behind the ears, on the testicles & the end of tail. All colours and patterns are also allowed.

The Sphynx is washed regularly, because the body oils, which would normally be absorbed by the hair, build up on the skin. The Sphynx has a fast metabolism so the skin starts to feel oily, armpits & other skin folds darken and the cat should be washed 2-4 times a month. The washing is fast & easy when the cats are used to water since kittens. The washing up takes only a few minutes and a towel is sufficient for drying. The skin is not lotioned.

The ears, which lack hair, need regular maintenance about once a week, because of the wax build-up, that is black and greasy. Grease also collects up on the nails, and is scraped away regularly. The nails should also be clipped 2-4 times a month.

Because of the high metabolism the Sphynx eats and visits the litter-box more frequent than a regular cat. The Sphynxes skin feels very warm, and the cat regulates its temperature by eating a lot. Because of this it should be offered high-grade food, which should always be available.

If you yourself are warm, then probably the Sphynx is warm too. If you feel cold, then perhaps you could put a shirt on the Sphynx or raise the temperature a bit. The Sphynx is quite smart, and finds a nice warm place by itself if needed, under the blanket, on the radiator, or in the sauna.

The Sphynx is an indoor cat, and should not be allowed outside unattended. It can get sunburned and is also prone to insect bites.

The hairless cat is not necessarily a solution for allergic people. Allergies are caused by the cat’s saliva & skin dandruff. Because the Sphynx is cleaned regularly, and there is no loss of hair, an allergic person might cope with the Sphynx better than with a normal cat.