ABOUT THE SPHYNX BREED

The Sphynx breed is a rare and wonderful, affectionate, hairless cat treasured by the cat lover throughout the world. The distinguished naked, wrinkled image is immediately intriguing to people. Their friendly and captivating personality coupled with their stature and appearance is both magical and magnetic. The Sphynx breed is also "hypo-allergenic". The Sphynx are extremely inquisitive and love to be the center of attention. They perform silly antics for your entertainment. The Sphynx is sweet-tempered, lively, and amenable to handling. They love human attention but can also enjoy the company of dogs and other cats. They are puppy-like with an abundance of energy and mischief and are always with you, on you or showing off for you. This is a very robust and smart breed, they will curl up with a warm body or get under your bed covers to keep warm.

The Sphynx breed is of medium size and body conformation with surprising weight for its size. Females are generally smaller than males. Because of the lack of hair that would normally absorb body oils, the Sphynx needs periodic bathing and ear cleaning. Or just wipe down with a damp cloth or baby wipes. This is not a difficult task with a cat that has been acclimated from kittenhood with bathing and grooming proper for the Sphynx.

History of Sphynx

The Sphynx cat breed began in 1966, when a black and white cat gave birth to a hairless kitten in Ontario, Canada. The owner named the hairless kitten Prune, due to the wrinkled hairless skin. Prune was bred to other cats in an attempt to create more hairless kittens. Because hairlessness is a recessive gene, some of the kittens resulting from this union had hair, while others did not. These kittens were called Canadian Hairless cats, which some people referred to as Sphynx cats, due to their physical similarities with an ancient Egyptian cat sculpture called the Sphinx. However, the breed did not continue because these cats had serious health problems. It seemed that the cats' immune systems did not develop properly. As a result, the breeding ceased, and no efforts were made to continue the breed. Then, in 1975 in Wadena, Minnesota, a cat gave birth to several hairless kittens. One of the kittens was named Epidermis, who was bred to other cats in an attempt to create the Sphynx breed. Three years later, several hairless kittens were found on the streets of Toronto, Canada. There was one male and two females. The male was named Bambi, and the females were named Punkie and Paloma. The two females were sent to the Netherlands to a Dr. Hernandez, a cat breeder interested in producing hairless cats. The females were bred to a Devon Rex, another cat with very little body hair. The resulting offspring of the European Sphynx cats are where the Sphynx breed began. Eventually, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized the Sphynx as a breed, and the cats were permitted to be exhibited at the TICA shows. In 1998, Cat Fanciers' Association recognized them as a breed. There are now several thousand Sphynx registered in the world.

 About Sphynx

Sphynx cats are cuddly, friendly, and intelligent beings. Sphynx make excellent companions. They love being around adults and children, while cuddling and purring. They love being the center of attention, and will do nearly anything to get their owners to cuddle them. Sphynx come in a variety of colors, such as white, red, black, brown, calico, tortoiseshell, among others. Just because the Sphynx is a hairless breed, does not mean they are totally hairless. Many Sphynx have little baby hairs on their backs called "down", and may sprout hair behind their ears, on their tails, and on their feet, while some Sphynx are totally bald or "sticky bald". Some cats sprout extra fuzz on their bodies during the winter, and lose it during the Spring. Since Sphynx cats are virtually hairless, they tend to go where the heat is: on computer monitors, printers, televisions, under covers, etc. Touching the skin of a Sphynx is similar to that of touching warm suede, or a warm peach. Those who have Sphynx recognize them as warm cuddly beings with childlike personalities. They are incredibly loyal and love "their humans".

The Sphynx is a natural mutation. In 1966 a domestic cat gave birth to a hairless kitten. Not in Egypt, but in Toronto, Canada. This was the beginning of the Sphynx cat. There have actually been a number of natural-occurring hairless cats around the world. These beautiful cats were created by Mother Nature, not man. Breeders were attracted to the unusual cats and bred them to coated cats of other breeds. These cats would usually produce all coated babies, but when those were bred back to a hairless cat, some of the offspring would be hairless. These breedings have continued until today to produce the wonderful hairless cat we call the Sphynx.

The Sphynx is a medium to large cat with few health or genetic problems. They are not always totally hairless. Sometimes they have a "peach" feeling coat. Sometimes there is a bit of hair on the face, legs, and tail. Totally hairless babies can develop hair as they mature due to hormones. Other factors may also cause them to grow more hair, such as surrounding temperature, age, puberty, etc.

One of the first questions we are asked is whether they get cold. If the room is warm enough for you (around 70 degrees), the Sphynx is quite comfortable too. No, you do not have to put sweaters on them, although we find our Sphynx children love to wear T-shirts, dresses, and sweatshirts. This too helps them stay clean, as the clothing will assist in absorbing a lot of the natural oil which is produced by the cat. The more hairless the Sphynx, the more oil it produces.  Their favorite way to keep warm is to snuggle with each other and their humans. They will bury themselves under the covers at night and stay there all night next to you like a hot water bottle!

The standard for the Sphynx is to have very large ears set not too high nor too low on their head. The eyes should be large and lemon-shaped. They come in every imaginable color. Sometimes this makes it difficult to determine their precise color, especially in young kittens. The only way to definitely determine their color is to DNA test them for color.

Because of the oils that occur naturally in all cats, and since Sphynx do not have hair to absorb it, they need more frequent baths than most cats. Luckily, a bath for them is about a five minute project! They also need to have their ears cleaned a couple of times a week, as the oil will accumulate to create a blackish, gooy substance. Many vetrinarians have misdiagnosed a Sphynx as having ear mites due to this condition. A quick cleaning with a Q-Tip will eliminate this problem. They do need to have their claws trimmed on a regular basis. Other than that, the Sphynx is very easy to care for.

Some people who suffer from cat allergies can tolerate the Sphynx, but it depends on the severity and type of the individual's allergies.

It is the personality of this magical breed that also makes them special. My husband, Brian and I can sit for hours watching them play and perform, they often look back at us to be sure we are watching. They are super loving and devoted, usually preferring our company to that of other cats or animals. Please contact us for more information on our babies. We love to show them off!

Awesome Personality

The Sphynx personality is best described as being "part dog - part monkey - part child - part cat". These felines are extremely social. They are always wanting to be around the action and excitement. Their inquisitive, alert nature make Sphynx wonderful show cats as well as pets. They are not a one-person cat. They are extremely humorous and love to clown around.

 Affectionate Nature

Of all of the wonderful qualities of this breed, their people-oriented nature is probably the most desirable.  Our Sphynx are truly the most loving, friendly, attentive, devoted and outgoing pets one could desire.  Day or night, our naked companions are ready to cuddle up in our lap or on our shoulders or even snuggle up under the covers.  There is never a dull moment. 

Intelligence

The intelligence of the Sphynx is remarkable. It seems that they not only understand everything we say to them, but will actually mind! They love to ride in cars, and we have found that they can easily be leash trained and taught to play fetch.

Patience

Patience is another virtue that our Sphynx cats possess. They have great patience and a willingness to put up with almost anything. They are highly tolerant and never aggressive. They get along quite well with other pets, including dogs and love to play with adults and children of all ages.

No Shedding, Fleas or Hairballs

At long last, a cat that does not shed!  No brusing or combing.  No hair on clothes or furniture.  No hairballs, fleas or ticks.  A cat without fur but very pleasing to the touch -- like a warm silky peach or nectarine.

 Hypoallergenic (almost!)

Many folks with mild allergies, like us, find that they can happily live with a Sphynx. 

Please contact us below:

Thank you for visiting Barebabies Sphynx Cattery.  Have a wonderful day!

Barebabies Sphynx Cattery: 606-329-9284

Office: 606-324-3668  Fax: 606-324-0668 

www.barebabies.me   nudecat@aol.com