The Sphynx

The character
The character of the sphynx is almost as special as his unique appearance. They are very often described as part cat, part monkey, part dog, and a part child. They are addicted to attention. Household chores you will never do alone again. There’s also nothing like the sphynx cuddling with his owner. They love to sleep with you in your bed and love to sit in your sweater or vest. Visitors are warm welcomed and pretty soon they managed to steal their hearts with their playfull character. The sphynx makes sure that he is the center of attention.

Care
People often tend to think that the sphynx is low in maintenance because they are hairless. The lack of hair remains the skin getting oily which normally will be absorbed by the hair. As a result, sphynx cats do require weekly or montly bathing. Our kittens are accustomed to bathing at an early age. Some actually enjoy it and others will learn to tolerate it. Use special shampoo for cats. It’s important that there will be no shampoo in the eyes or ears.The ears, eyes and nails need extra attention.

Washing
Everyone has their own way to wash a sphynx. I wash my cats usually in the sink or in the shower. I never let the head get in contact with soap, but I wash it off with a wrung-out washcloth without soap. If the cat is scared of washing, i always do my best to make it as little stressful as possible for them. If they are afraid of slipping, i put an anti-slip mat down to give them more grip. When they are done, I will wrap them in a nice warm towel and hug with them, to make it a positive experience. I try to wash the kittens at a young age so they are well used to it. Some may learn to appreciate it and some will only tolerate it.

Ears
Due to the lack of furr, sphynxes also produce more wax in the ears than other breeds. Some are fortunate that the ears are not so easily soiled, but others definitely need a weekly ear cleaning, otherwise the earwax deep into the ear may become infected or itch. I use baby wipes and cotton buds and some ear cleaner. Only clean the part of the ear what you can see. Do not go to deep into the ear. You might damage something or push the wax deeper into the ear.

Eyes
Sphynx gather more dirt around the eyes because the lack of eyelashes. Usually they clean it themselves, but sometimes I use a damp cotton ball to get rid of the dirt.

Nails
Clip your cats nails regulary. To do this, hold your cat gently but firm and cut about 3 or 4 mm off, of each nail. Use nailclippers that are made for cats. Cut only in the part of the nail you can see through to not case any pain. Sphynx cats tend to build up with a brown looking waxy substance around their nails. This does come of easier after a bath and will make the nailclipping easier.

Sun
Sphynx enjoy the sun, but be carefull. Just like humans, they are prone to skinburn, especially the light colored ones. If your sphynx will be exposed to sunlight for longer time, rub him with a protective sunscreen, especially made for cats.

Appearance
A common misconception is that the sphynx is a totally hairless cat. This is not true at all. Some do have a fine down over their bodies that can be felt but not seen. The most hairless cats feel rubbery. Most sphynx have slight hair on their nose and ears, while others have hair on their tails or feet. This hair is very fine and soft. The degree of hairlessness varies. This is influenced by several factors. Like genes, age, hormones and invironment. Not only the hairlessness makes a cat a sphynx. Their look, size and characteristics should conform to the defined standard of the breed.