THE SPHYNX CAT BREED

You'll learn what you need to know about the breed's grooming, diet, fitness, temperament, and history.


The Sphynx cat breed is generally referred to as a "hairless" cat. They don't seem to be hairless, but they are. A fine down coats their bodies. It feels like having a warm peach when you hold a Sphynx cat in your hands. Sphynx cats also have wrinkles, which is a unique feature. The areas with the most wrinkles should be around the elbows, behind the ears, and around the muzzle. A Sphynx cat's body is muscular and medium to wide in size. They may have whiskers or not. You should expect the whiskers to be separated and sparse when they do.


Sphynx Cat Personality & Temperament

Sphynxes are high-energy cats that excel at balancing, climbing, and even perching like birds on their shoulders. They adore your attention, despite being overlooked, and revel in being the center of attention. Sphynx cats are affectionate and loyal and will follow you around the house wagging their ears. To stay warm, they enjoy snuggling up in bed with you. Sphynx gets along well with other pets, including dogs and cats.

Sphynx Cat Health & Care

The importance of grooming your Sphynx cat cannot be overstated. A normal cat's body oils are absorbed by its fur, but the Sphynx has no natural means of maintaining its skin's oil balance. Skin problems and oily furniture will result from not grooming your Sphynx. Bathing with gentle tear-free baby shampoo at least twice a month is adequate to keep their skin safe and prevent everyday dirt from 'caking up on their skin. Bathing your Sphynx too often can result in an increase in body oil production.

Sphynx cats, including bathing cats, need daily nail trimming and nail bed cleaning. When giving your cat a bath, we suggest that you do so. It's possible that you'll have to vacuum their nail beds at least once a week. Their ears must also be washed on a regular basis to remove the wax and dirt that accumulates due to the lack of hair in their ears.


Sphynx Cat Allergens to Humans

While Sphynx tends to be hairless, they are not hypoallergenic. Dander, or dead skin cells, is still produced by them.

Sphynx Cat History & Background

The Sphynx cat's well-known background dates back to the 1970s. A white Devon Rex was born with a pair of hairless kittens. The kittens born from this pairing, as well as hairless cats born in Oregon, had congenital defects, but the kittens were enough to pique the community's interest. Breeders in Europe and North America began developing the breed. Over the years, selective breeding and outcrossing have resulted in a healthy and vigorous breed with a diverse gene pool. The Sphynx was officially admitted into the Championship class of the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 2002.<br>

Sphynx Cat Diet

A raw food diet is recommended for your Sphynx cat. We feed our cats a diet that is modeled after what they would eat in the wild because it helps them with digestion, poop odor and volume reduction, increased energy, a healthy weight, and better dental and urinary health. It takes a little effort on your part to feed a raw food diet, but we guarantee it is not difficult.

To learn more about a proactive and integrative health approach to feeding your cat, watch Dr. Karen Becker's video discussion, Raw Food Diet.