I just approved some comments from a Janelle who has pointed out her distaste for the breed. She argues that because Sphynxes have no hair and therefore cannot live outside they should not continue as a breed, and that breeders are only breeding them for greed and money.
I have let the comments through even though I usually nuke troll-like comments with extreme prejudice because I can see why she is arguing this, but I do disagree.
Firstly the assumption that Sphynx cats are completely hairless* does seem to add to the confusion here. Canadian and Don Sphynx cats are not completely hairless**, in fact their closest analogue I think, are humans. Humans too were once heavily furred (see chimps and gorillas for examples of what we looked like a long time ago) and now have very short hair, the same as Sphynxes have very short hair. Both humans and Sphynxes have the same amount of hair follicles as their relatives…just much, much shorter hair where they have it. I am not saying the same evolutionary forces are involved that converted humans from shaggy pelts to smooth skin but should a Sphynx be born in a warm equitorial region there is no reason why it cannot survive outside. Just like humans did in the same sort of climate (who went for a million years naked*** before figuring out how to make clothing).
Then we have the fact that this “short haired” cat mutation pops up very regularly in nature. That is, they appear without any special breeding to ensure they are have short hair. While breeders do breed to makes sure the best chance for short-hairiness (it doesn’t always happen), if they stopped breeding today there would still be hairless cats popping up every now and then around the world from otherwise normal looking cats. If hairlessness was great for survival of the feline species then all cats would be hairless, but nature keeps trying in case conditions make it so (think global warming…maybe all cats will be hairless one day!)
Lastly I do agree that breeding animals willy nilly so that physical issues appear is wrong. Unfortunately breeders that breed for MONEY and not the love of the breed do this. All of those people that want a $100 Sphynx are contributing to that issue. If no one wanted a cheap Sphynx, unscrupulous breeders would be breeding something else to make their dirty money. Caring breeders who breed to the standard are trying to avoid physical deformities through careful selection of the parents, and out-crossing with experimental licenses to strengthen the breed.
So in conclusion, thanks for the comments Janelle and I hope that this will somewhat change your opinion of the breed and of reputable breeders. Feel free to continue your crusade against any kitten-mill type Sphynx breeder you find. We need more angry people pointing them out so less knowledgeable buyers are saved from making a terrible mistake.
* Hairlessness in this post actually mean’s “extremely short haired”…but that’s too much to type over and over so it will be intermingled with mentions of short haired
**The exception here is the REAL hairless cat the Kohana that has no hair follicles at all and does have other genetic issues because of this
*** Dr. Mark Stoneking of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany
In the last couple of weeks Sphynx cats Lucy and Luna and my partner and I moved house. The house is somewhat familiar to them as we have been coming up here for the last two years on holidays and now it is our permanent domicile. Sphynx cat Pierre stayed with his “mum” my daughter back at our old house. Even though the cats are familiar with this house we did strike a problem which is worth looking out for next time you move.
We had been moved in 5 or so days and Lucy and Luna had settled in well. Luna has been coming her for a year longer than Lucy and loves being here. Lucy has only been here a couple of times in her 1 year of life and also has enjoyed her visits, running around doing kittenish things like attacking the lounge and “hunting” wallabies. In the first 5 days Lucy was happy to do all of those things again. Even so, what could not be seen was the change in stress levels from being out of her normal environment.
Firstly her herpes flared up and her eyes became very red and sore (conjunctivitis) but as her appetite was good and there was no coughing or sneezing we kept an eye on it (no pun intended) and planned to get some drops should it continue into the new week. The weather was very hot for a week and it was hard to tell if she had a temperature , but again eating and drinking were fine so we just monitored.
Then came Thursday afternoon when I was on my computer and Lucy was asleep on her sheepskin (very important to bring things familiar to your Sphynx to the new home) which I had put on the printer beside me on the desk. Also on the printer was my laptop which had a USB stick in the side with a lanyard attached so I don’t lose it (see picture)
I noticed that Lucy was cramped next to the laptop so I slid it towards me with the intention of putting it under the desk. At that moment Lucy, hearing the sliding sound that went something like “ssssssssssssss” woke up. She saw the lanyard moving along the sheepskin and all of her ancient instincts kicked in. She jumped at least a metre in the air and fled the room.
Naturally I followed her and gave her big cuddles telling her not to be so silly that it was nothing to worry about. I tried to carry her back into the room and she resisted going, something she never does apart from going near a running shower or vacuum cleaner that’s turned on. I put her on the ground and let her go off for a sleep elsewhere. It was after that she started to really act in a bizarre manner.
Firstly she wouldn’t cross any doorway without leaping in the air. Then any cable she spotted, electrical cable computer cable and the like was to be approached like it was alive and dangerous. She would reach out a paw from the furthest she could reach and tentatively pat it to make sure it was not dangerous. Lastly any sound that was vaguely “ssssssss” like would have her bolting from the room. Instead of getting over her fright, she actually got worse, and everything seemed to frighten her. I was concerned she was losing her eyesight because of her increasing anxiety. The vet wasn’t open till Monday and I made an appointment, I rang the nearest emergency vet (2 hours drive away) and talked to them about it. Being “country” vets they didn’t seem overly concerned and said to monitor..which I did, obsessively.
Most of the next 3 days had her sitting in the middle of the floor in a small unhappy ball, being super vigilant for anything that was threatening. Nothing we could do would seem to alleviate her fears.
Come Saturday afternoon she threw up, a long snake of a vomit that looked to be all the food she had ingested that day. It’s the first time that she has even vomited and this added to my worry that she was very sick. The weather was still very hot and I chose to give her a cooling (not cool or hot water, but tepid) bath to see if her symptoms were because she had an elevated temperature. Amazingly, after the bath she became more responsive and less fearful.
I took her outside to play in the cooler night air (when I say cool it was still about 30c) and she became more curious and looked for flying insects to try to catch. She has continued to improve and the vet appointment I booked for Monday afternoon was cancelled as she was almost back to normal.
I suspect she was feeling unwell from the stress of the move and combined with her natural anxiety for a new place ended up with her freaking out. Make sure you are super vigilant when you move house for any kind of weird behaviour from your Sphynx that could signal something similar.
The last couple of months have been hard on Sphynx Kitten Lucy. Her playmate Pierre is still feeling under the weather and would rather sleep under the covers than play chasings around the house like Lucy wants to do. So like every (over compensating) mother I have decided to buy Lucy a present.
I have to say I was completely taken by this site that sells amazing cat furniture. I nearly bought a colorful cat tree called the Amazon, looks just like a cute tree house (like Tarzan type tree house), but changed my mind at the last moment and went for the Havana (who names these things? lol)
My goodness what self respecting kitty could go past without sharpening at least one claw on this gorgeous cat climbing tree. OK maybe I am projecting my thoughts onto the cats, but I do hope they like it!
Got it for a bit of a discount too with about $60 off full price. The place is called Kitty Mansions and they have an HUGE selection of cat furniture.
I sometimes look at the search terms that bring people to the Sphynx Cat Blog. Someone very recently got here by searching for “$100 Sphynx Cats” and when i saw that my heart broke. They aren’t the only people that are looking for a cheap Sphynx cat either. I see “free hairless cat”, “cheap Sphynx kittens” and “Can I get a Sphynx Cat for under $200″ type searches all the time. It is is so sad that they end up on my blog because I talk about how much it costs to feed my 3 for a week or how expensive vets and medication bills are.
If you are reading this post because you want a cheap Sphynx kitten or cat then I have the following to say to you.
If you can’t afford the asking price of a reputable breeder then you aren’t going to be able to look after the Sphynx once you have it.
They eat more than normal cats = higher food bills
They require more heat that normal cats = higher power bills
They have grooming requirements = time and money
And although you can rescue a Sphynx cat (and I would love all the Sphynxes that need rescuing to always go to a loving and caring home) only experienced Sphynx owners should really take on the task of rescue. Many rescue Sphynxes come with pre-existing conditions (because they are often old) or have been living in less than ideal conditions that can cause mental and physical issues.
Buying from a reputable breeder at the full price should also mean you get a health guarantee included in your purchase contract. That protects you, the breeder and your cat.
I can’t think of anything more heart breaking than buying from a kitten mill only to see your little baby die because it was not bred properly.
Please, PLEASE, don’t buy a “cheap Sphynx cat” and let’s stamp out unscrupulous breeders.
Sphynx People Say…