It has also been nicknamed Moon Cat and Canadian Hairless.
Even though most speak of this cat as hairless, the Sphynx actually has a thin layer of fuzz sort of like that of a peach skin.
The Sphynx has large ears and most often few or no whiskers at all. This cat can come in any color.
The body temperature is 4 ° higher than that of other cats. This makes the Sphynx cat feel somewhat like a warm-water bottle.
This cat will need more food than your regular cat.
This is important as it needs the extra food to produce enough energy to keep warm.
An Indoor Cat
The Sphynx is an indoor cat only.
As the cat does not have any fur it can easily get sunburned if exposed to the sun.
This cat gets easily cold and should not be exposed to cold weather. The Sphynx will seek out warm places in the home and may very well take pleasure in sleeping in your bed under the covers.
The Sphynx is a people oriented cat. This cat breed is very affectionate and loves to cuddle.
It also enjoys playing. The Sphynx is a wonderful and loving pet, but quite expensive.
The Sphynx unlike other cats does sweat.
This cat will need extra care. It is recommended to give the Sphynx a bath once a week.
The Sphynx Cat and Allergy
Many believe that this hairless cat is great for people with cat allergy. This is not necessarily true.
What causes most people to have an allergic reaction to cats is the protein called FEL D1 in the cat saliva.
The Siberian cat is known to produce less than normal FEL D1 and is considered hypoallergenic cat.
The Sphynx does produce FEL D1 and people who are allergic to FEL D1 would be better off getting a Siberian cat.
If it is strictly cat hair that causes a problem, the Sphynx certainly is good news.
Sphyx Cat History
From time to time hairless cats have appeared in cat litters.
The first cat that caused the modern day Sphynx cat breeding program to start was a hairless cat named Prune.
Prune was born on January 31, 1966. His mother was an ordinary black and white pet cat named Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Prune belonged to Mrs. Micalwaith living in Toronto, Canada.
A young man heard the rumors of this strange cat. As it happened, his mother, Yania Bawa, was a cat breeder of Siamese cats.
They were absolutely fascinated about this hairless cat.
They obtained both Prune and Elizabeth and set to work to start a breeding program.
Once Prune reached the proper age he was mated back to his mother.
After long and complicated breeding programs, also involving American Shorthair cats crossed with hairless cats, success was attained.
This new cat breed of hairless cats was given the name Sphynx.
