Cats are perfect pets for people who want to have the company of an animal in their home, but who also want to have some independence from them. This means cats require less attention than other pets, but they aren’t less affectionate for that.
Within the cat world, with all races, there is a specific breed that stands out from the rest and that has both lovers and detractors. We are talking about the sphynx cat, one of the few breeds of hairless cats.
This hairless breed arose from a spontaneous recessive-type genetic mutation. This means that the mutation continued to be passed on to the following generations of the first cat with this variation, which, opposite to what one might think with its name, wasn’t born in Egypt, but was born in Canada.
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Physical Characteristics Of Sphynx Cats
The most notable aspect is obviously his lack of hair. Although it isn’t entirely true, because if they have a small layer of fluff similar to suede, which is imperceptible to the eye and touch. They also don’t have eyelashes, so you have to take more care of the sight of these cats. Also highlights his wrinkled skin.
The feeling when petting a sphynx cat is similar to that of touching a hot peach, it’s not a bad sensation, on the contrary, with this breed you can notice its body heat more so that it gives you a warm feeling. Other data to take into account are that the lack of hair is an acquired genetic characteristic.
The heat that can be lost due to the lack of hair is compensated by a body temperature up to 4 degrees higher than that of the rest of the felines.
Sphynx cats are medium in size, between 4 kg in weight on average, and muscular. Even without visible hair, they take on different colors. White, black, blue, cream, brown… Its tail is proportional to its size, and its eyes are large and oval towards the ears. Their life expectancy is between 10 and 15 years old, and they are extremely sociable cats.
What Kind Of Training Does My Sphynx Cat Need?
These cats are extremely affectionate, they enjoy being around other animals and people, and they also hate loneliness. For these reasons, they are ideal for homes where there is always someone at home.
Sphynxs are also ideal if you have more than one pet, since the sphynx cat relates perfectly, both with dogs and with other cats, especially if they have grown up together.
They have a lot of energy and are very active, so they will seek to play with their owners many times. Also, with that much energy, they will surely be moving most of the day.
They enjoy running, playing, and climbing, so if you don’t want to meet him at some point on top of some dangerous place, it’s a great option to buy him a cat tree to climb and rest.
Finally, it’s a very docile and loyal cat, almost as much as a dog, and it is more dependent than other feline breeds. He will chase you around the house and when he can he will lie on your lap. They also love lying in the sun, but you have to be careful with it since they have no hair and that causes a greater risk of sunburn.
How To Pet A Hairless Sphynx Cat
Although with the aforementioned it may seem like a cat that loves to be caressed, you have to know how to read the moment when it can look for them. It may seem like an obvious law for all cats, but never force your cat to receive cuddles, this will produce just the opposite effect and cause the cat to avoid petting.
Every cat is different, if you have decided to get a Sphynx cat or already have one, you must understand that each cat is a world, you can have a very affectionate cat that doesn’t separate from you or a more independent one that looks for you whenever it wants.
In each case, you have to observe the moments in which it is better to caress him.
The golden rule is that you are never petting him in his sleep. Your cat can’t expect your touches and can get scared. The ideal is always to let the cat look for those caresses. In the case of this breed, luckily, they are more affectionate than the average, so you will have many moments in which they will be close to you and wait for you to give them love and affection.
Care Required By The Sphynx Breed
Due to its special condition, this breed needs more care than other breeds. First, the sphynx cat is an indoor cat, it’s not recommended that it go outside a lot, since there is a risk that it will suffer sunburn, some disease, that it can catch a cold, or that it can fight with another animal, in this case, the lack of hair implies a greater risk of injuries.
Another important factor is that this cat breed requires more food than the rest. The lack of fur is compensated by a higher metabolism, which increases its body temperature to compensate for the heat it loses.
This metabolism requires a more caloric diet to continue working. The sphynx breed needs more food and a higher proportion of fat and protein.
To get an idea, if a haired breed requires a diet with 30% protein and 20% fat, the sphynx cat will need 5% more in each. It will also need more water, due to the moisture it loses with sweating.
Finally, this breed doesn’t have a coat that protects it from dirt, and it can’t groom itself like the rest, so it will need our help to be clean and maintain its hygiene. Unlike the rest of feline breeds, the sphynx doesn’t only sweat from the pads and other places like every cat. This gives off a kind of fat throughout its body to maintain its temperature.
This fat needs to be cleaned periodically to avoid dirt and infections, so from a young age, this breed has to be used to baths. Generally, a bath is recommended every 20 days, which also varies depending on the characteristics like activity or age.
When drying after cleaning, it’s important not to use any dryer, since they are very prone to colds.
