For many people, their pets become not only joyful animals, but also full-fledged members of the family. To choose a suitable pet, you first need to decide on priority qualities and character traits, such as complaisance, obedience, love for children, devotion or cleanliness. The Sphynx is a very unusual breed of cat, because not everyone will like it.
What features is the unusual breed of sphinx famous for? What positive and negative characteristics does it have?
basic information
Sphynxes are cats of a hairless breed, which have several varieties, depending on the place of origin of the breed, that is, Canadian, Don, Ukrainian Levkoy, Peterbald.
The Canadian Sphynx is distinguished by the fact that it has short hair on its paws, muzzle and tail, and has practically no whiskers. Weight varies from 3 to 6 kg. The first representative was discovered in 1966.
Canadian Sphynx
The Don breed should have no hair at all, only pleasant, soft and warm skin to the touch. In 1986, a resident of Rostov-on-Don found a kitten on the street that was so frightened that its fur was coming out in clumps and did not grow back. The breeders wanted to consolidate this feature and thus the Don Sphynx breed was born.
Don Sphynx
The Ukrainian Levkoy has an interesting characteristic difference - folded ears, like a Scottish fold cat, and lack of hair, like the Don Sphynx. The first representative of this unusual breed was bred by felinologist Elena Biryukova in 2004 on January 21.
Ukrainian Levkoy
Peterbald breed was created in 1996 by crossing the Don Sphynx and an Oriental cat. St. Petersburg is considered its deposit. Ears spread out to the sides are characteristic.
Peterbald
Diseases
Don Sphynxes are predisposed to certain genetic diseases:
- “kitten falling asleep” syndrome;
- microphthalmia;
- congenital entropion of the eyelids;
- shortening of the lower jaw;
- curvature of the cat's caudal spine;
- nipple hyperplasia;
- skin vasculitis.
In addition, these exotic creatures seriously suffer from skin problems. They are often tormented by acne. Mostly naked individuals are susceptible to this disease. The Don Sphynx with fur gets sick much less often.
Positive aspects of keeping sphinxes
- Cats are always warm , as their body temperature is 38-40°C . This allows them not to freeze at slightly lower temperatures, but breeders recommend buying special clothing for them.
- Lack of wool . Representatives of this cat breed do not need seasonal brushing (spring, autumn) and do not force their owner to clean clothes and all surfaces of hair.
- Incredibly gentle, devoted, friendly, affectionate character . They are ready to spend hours on the owner’s lap and be offended if he pays little attention.
- Cats are not vindictive or embittered . If something doesn’t go according to their “scenario,” the sofa upholstery and curtains will most likely remain intact.
- Not bad for training . You can teach your pet simple tricks with jumping and running (their jump is more than one meter), and bring some things. This can only be taught if the animal wants it.
- They get along well with other pets and small children . Very patient and playful.
- Cats have high intellectual abilities and love to please their owner, so litter box training should not be a problem.
- Animals are in good health , but vaccinations and helminth prevention should not be neglected.
- A varied palette of colors : gray, red, white, blue, black, and in females there is tortoiseshell (large dark spots).
- Babies open their eyes very quickly or are even born sighted, unlike others in the cat family.
- Life years are quite long: 13-19 years .
- As for food, are completely picky and have a good appetite, since maintaining a high temperature requires a large amount of energy. The diet should contain fiber and a lot of protein. It is important to give the meat thawed or boiled in order to avoid diseases.
Character
One thing can definitely be said about this breed: they love everyone! They love to cuddle with their owners, play with children with pleasure, happily greet guests and get along well with other animals. Sphinxes love human warmth and affection, they constantly huddle close to people, always purr contentedly and are almost never capricious.
They cope well with trips, visits or moving - they do not experience stress on these occasions, like many other breeds.
They are smart and immediately understand where to sharpen their claws and where to go to the toilet. But they do not like to be alone and suffer greatly when alone.
Also, Canadian hairless sphinxes have such a quality as fidelity. They are extremely loyal to their owner, whom they consider their best friend. If the owner is sad, the pet feels it and will entertain him for hours until he cheers him up. Sphynxes love to sit on their arms and lie on their heads - these are their favorite places. And if for most other breeds it is important to simply have a home, then these cute hairless creatures need a person to be nearby all the time. And they happily give him all their love, faithfully and unobtrusively always being there.
Negative aspects of keeping sphinxes
- Due to the lack of hair and high temperature, the cat's body sweats profusely and quickly. The discharge is odorless, but leaves dark stains both on the animal’s skin and on surfaces. Washing off sweat is quite a difficult task, so you should wipe your pet daily with a special lotion from a pet store, a damp cloth or a sanitary napkin without adding alcohol. Particularly carefully clean areas where there is a large accumulation of folds (groin and neck areas, muzzle, paws, armpits). Viscous sweat fluid accumulates in the ears; it is necessary to wipe them with a cotton swab at least twice a week.
- If you don't wipe your Sphynx often enough, sweat spots that look like a tan, so you should bathe him once a week. The shampoo should be hypoallergenic; shampoo for children is also suitable.
- absolutely different things can be used as toys . It is worth removing small objects, raising curtains and tablecloths if they reach the floor.
- Although they have good health, due to the lack of fur, they often catch colds . It is important to ensure that there are no drafts in the apartment. Due to the fact that they have virtually no eyelashes, they may develop ocular conjunctivitis or entropion. Skin diseases are common: acne, vasculitis. As well as hyperplasia, softening of the last vertebra, curvature of the spine, breast cyst.
- It is important to change the tray at least once every two to three days , since when the slightest smell appears, the Sphynx does not want to use it. You can use anti-odor spray and cat litter, which also prevents the odor from spreading too much.
- It is advisable to buy a sleeping place that is closed in the form of a house and avoid drafts.
- Due to the characteristics of the breed, they hardly chew food , so it is important to monitor the size of the pieces if natural food is chosen.
- Due to the lack of fur, the skin is very sensitive , so there is a high probability of sunburn. To avoid such cases, you should use sunscreen.
Review of the Canadian Sphynx cat breed
When a year ago they brought me a large meowing box with a pink bow, I burst into tears of happiness. In it was a pink little miracle, smelling of fresh black bread, with different eyes, disproportionately large ears, a long thin tail and a large belly. Small, hot, velvety - a dream, not a child.
“You will be a queen,” I said, and then, as if in protest, the child grabbed my nose with his teeth. From that moment on, the happy, calm and carefree life in our cozy home ended.
Now, like no one else, I understand what the words mean: Why people, having spent a lot of money on this breed, can give it away, and even God forbid, throw it out onto the street. That's why I decided to write a review to avoid rose-colored glasses about hairless cats. Because often people don't even realize 30% of the fact that they are going to buy a little bald head.
So, what is the idea of a person who lived without animals, a cat? If she wants to, pet her, if she’s tired, let her sleep peacefully on the sofa.
Forget. By purchasing a Sphinx, you let the hero of the film “Problem Child” into your family. Of course, the Sphinx is literally a godsend for sociable people, without a hint of order in the house. But you need to get used to some features, and accept some.
1. Sociable - to describe this creature. Now you will always brush your teeth, take a bath, watch TV, read a book, cook dinner, clean the house and, of course, sleep. Since childhood, the Sphinx considers herself the best assistant in the world. He alone knows how to properly mix the salad, arrange the figures on the shelves and take a bath. There's no use getting angry about it. Just get used to the fact that the bald pachyderm is always jumping next to you.
2. Contrary to popular belief, Sphynx cats also have allergies! Since the allergy is not caused by the hair itself, but by the secretion that cats produce. Therefore, baldness is not always an option for cat lovers with allergies. Be sure to pay attention to this!
3. I don’t know about anyone, but our “super-breeding cat from a super-elite cattery” doesn’t bother keeping herself clean at all. As a child it was just hysterical. The child, who ate and pooped, dirty half with food on top and half with poop on the bottom, happily ran all over the curtains, underwear and carpets and did not think at all that decent cats even licked themselves after eating. It was especially joyful at night, waking up to the wonderful smell of a soiled kitten and bed linen. With age, she (perhaps having learned from the second Abyssinian cat) began to wash herself, but the priests still controlled her before entering the bedroom. At the same time, regarding the natural secretion: I cannot say that it is so strong that it leaves stains everywhere. There is not much of it, it is not felt and does not leave traces. 4. The Sphinx is a cat that is useless to punish. And if she decides that this is a corner of the wallpaper, she will tear it up, even if you die in front of her eyes, even if you kill her, she will not understand physical violence and will continue to do her job. It’s impossible to wean off. It is useless to punish, because she, with the face of a fool, joyfully, without understanding, again takes up her work. 5. We waited a whole year, but so far no changes have occurred: a tornado was constantly wandering around the house. She plays, fights, rushes around the apartment, climbs the curtains, screams like a fool, jumps on the ceilings, opens cabinets, throws everything on the floor, chews clothes, breaks glasses and eats glass, terrorizes the second cat, catches birds with her claws on the glass... The only way to exist with such a child is simply to be a complete indifference, and not to pay attention to the tenth broken service, the eaten hole in your favorite sweater, the plowed up flower pot, the cat litter scattered around the house and the corpses of cotton swabs. We now hide the cotton swab in a padlock, because it is the main enemy. Daily creams taken from the bathroom shelf, hairspray, sleeping on the toilet, torn toilet paper, scattered panties from the closet... Are you sure you are ready for this every day? For example, in the morning we treat ourselves to a cup of cocoa, while our hosts turn away for a second.
6. I know that many people have this problem. The Sphinx began to bite its tail. At first we didn’t understand what it was: only blood on the tip of the tail and a scratch. Then the horrific details of this deviation were discovered online. People wrote that cats eat half their tail, gnaw the bones, and the remains die off... To be honest, we were very worried about this problem. Someone says that it is a mental disorder, and then we thought that it itched or hurt... As a result, the task turned out to be simpler: the tail was very long and constantly dangled in front of the eyes. And she, like a real idiot, mistook it for a toy and began to tear it out. A sore appeared, then healed, itched, and the process repeated. We wore a hat, dragged them to doctors, persuaded them, and so on. Then they were slaughtered for six months, somewhere, just periodically seeing that the tail was bitten off again, they were caught, processed and released. Due to constant pain, the tail had to be shortened by 2 cm, and at the same time sterilized.
7. The breed needs to be looked after globally, and this is no joke. Ears need to be cleaned regularly, eyes too. You need to make sure your kitten doesn't catch a cold. The Sphinx is constantly looking for a warm place and can sleep in pillows and blankets all year round.
They say that they are demanding when it comes to food - we did not notice this. We feed our cats special food - natural minced meat. But in addition to it, you can easily use cucumbers, avocados, mushrooms with sour cream. In general, everything he manages to reach while I turn away for a second. But of course you can’t feed from the table, this causes serious harm to the animal’s digestive tract. Whoever wrote this, the animal is not a person, and it needs normal food, and not your fatty, salty, healthy broth with spices. And one more problem with kittens: a complete lack of stopping food. Therefore, portions must be measured, otherwise if he eats a neighbor’s portion or steals something (for example, he stole half a kilo of minced meat), then there is a chance of dying... strangers are horrified when they see such a picture, everyone thinks that we are starving the cat hunger and don’t let her eat.
8. The Sphinx gets used to everything very well. We gave the cats to a friend, and while the Abyssinian hid under the sofa, my little one got used to him on the very first day, decided to become a “servant” and began tearing down the apartment. She doesn’t care about strangers, or smells, or the apartment... The main thing is to eat on time and enjoy the game. 9. The Sphinx is not at all touchy. I know cats that can retaliate, pounce and bite or something like that. The only protest was that we constantly put a cap on her (so that she would not lick the wound after the operation and would not eat the tail). The cat spoke out against the “fooling” of animals and solemnly piled a pile the size of itself onto my suede boots. Well, the boots were old, so I had to throw them away... But she never sulked, was offended, or attacked for no reason. If she gets hit in the ass especially hard, she will be the first to come to make peace and hug. Of course we love our little idiot. She is the most living and energetic creature we have. She requires serious care, she freezes in the winter, she will eat your favorite sweater, she will break your great-grandmother's vase, but if you are not too obsessed with such things... Believe me, there is nothing more beautiful than a warm velvet belly plopping down on your face with boundless love and purring . There's nothing more adorable than a sleepy face in the morning and a jumping little pony when you come home from work in the evening. Once you take her into your arms, you simply won't be able to let her go back. Believe me, this can become real happiness!
