Breed Info
I am available for you 24/7...please...no question is silly or odd. I have heard it all. I want this to be the best experience ever for you. It has been for me.
11 inch - 1 foot
11 - 14 years
16 - 28 pounds
So... You have a Sphynx in your life...
A Sphynx has been referred to as “the ET of the cat world”. This is a very intelligent, inquisitive, extremely friendly breed that is unusually people-oriented. They love to chatter with you. Sensitive little creatures, they do not do well with rejection. Your Sphynx will commonly greet you (or any other person, for that matter) at the front door, with obvious excitement and happiness to see you. Sphynx are not known to be particularly fond of dogs or other cats, preferring all the available attention for themselves, although many do bond well with other companion animals. My Sphynx are accustomed to being around my four little dogs and do very well. I personally feel they will adapt to their new home and who ever lives there. They have been exposed to small children as young as 12 months old. Whether a person is fond of this bald wrinkled cat, or whether a person is less than enthusiastic about its appearance, everyone has a strong and memorable reaction to meeting their first Sphynx. You will be owned by your little Sphynx in short order. Your new addition is Registered with TICA, current vaccinations, chipped and altered.
...What supplies do I need for this little creature...
- First and foremost, you need to consider what area in your home you will have your new kitten spend their first few days. It is a good idea to keep them in a smaller confined space to begin with so he/she will have time to adjust their new surroundings. This is very important especially if there are other animals in your home. Your kitten needs to become accustomed to the sounds, smells and surroundings in their new home. The best room is a bathroom. This is typically a small room and does not provide many places to hide should they be frightened in the beginning. I recommend that your kitten stays in this room for a couple of days. It is important that your kitten learn where their litter, toys, food and water is. When you first bring your kitten home this should be the room where their carrying case is opened up into. Do not force kitty out of case, let your kitten come out on their own time. Make sure this room is warm and comfortable. If you have other cats it is important that your new kitten be quarantined for a few days at least. Slowly introduce to each other. I would have your new kitten sleep in this room for a few days. I know you will want to make this a successful integration. Make sure vaccinations for all animals in your home are current. I isolate any new additions to my home for three weeks to be sure there is no introduction of sickness. PLEASE make sure you love your kitten lots and spend time with them while isolated. They won’t do well in isolation without lots of loves and cuddles. Because I usually have young kittens in my home I need to take more precautions than the average owner.
- Litter. They are accustomed to using Worlds’ Best in the red bag. It is corn base, clumps well and easy on their naked little feet. Make sure you pick up a litter scoop. The smaller openings for now because their pee and poops are smaller and tend to fall through the larger holes. Fill pan with a couple of inches. If it is too deep they like to spread it around outside the pan. I will supply you with a small bag to get you started. Your kitten has been litter trained prior to leaving. The odd mistake in the beginning is allowed.
- Litter pan should be large enough for them. They are used to an adult size pan. If the pan is too small, they may poop beside it. This litter pan needs to be totally emptied and disinfected with a bleach base cleaner, dried and new litter put in. Be sure to show your kitten where the litter pan is every hour or so until you are confident the location is known. This is like asking your little child if they need to use the potty while toilet training. Sometimes kittens get carried away playing and not think about using litter, it becomes urgent then. If you are changing the litter location be sure to keep one in the old spot and another in the new location you prefer to be used. A hooded litter pan can frighten your kitten, especially the ones with a door. Electronic litter units can frighten your little one. Save the fancy stuff till your new kitten is older. Most of them have a weight needed to make them operate, some have crystal litter that can injure their little toes. If you have an issue with your kitten soiling outside of the box or in the wrong place, call me. I can give you some good ideas and we can solve this easily. Reprimanding your kitten will cause fear. Did you know that litter box problems is the #1 reason why pet cats are given to animal shelters. This can be a complex issue with many reasons.
- Wet wipes for those beautiful eyes and naked bum. Kirkland Wet Wipes are non fragranced and priced right. Be sure to use a very soft cloth for the bath.
- Johnson’s Baby Shampoo for baths. Do not use adult people shampoo, it will strip their oils and cause dry bumpy skin. Rinse really well and keep baby warm.
- Food and water dish is best if ceramic and on the heavy side. They like to tip their water dish, whether for attention or they think it is fun, not sure yet. Dishes need to be cleaned every day and refilled with water and food. To start with it is a good idea to only put in about 1/2 cup of dry. We are using Now Kitten Food and Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten-Chicken formula. I will supply you with a starter pack with both of these in it. Have the food and water already in this room when you introduce your new kitten. Anytime… you are wanting to change foods, please, do this slowly. It can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. If you have questions about this, always, please contact me.
- Toys to keep them from playing with your toys. I will send home a few toys your baby is used too.
- Cat tree or condo. I start them with a smaller tree to play on in case of falls. The tree should have carpet and sisal rope for scratching. It is a good way to get exercise and grow strong healthy muscles, strong heart and healthy lungs. A bored cat always gets into mischief.
- It is important not to invite all your friends over to see your new treasure for the first few days. Excessive handling by non-family members while your kitten is adjusting can cause a great deal of stress.
- It is a good idea to have Lysine (Immune booster) and Forti Flora (probiotic)
- I use Fresh Breath clean teeth gel for their teeth. Super easy to do. Less expensive than a trip to have teeth cleaned and scaled.
...What are some things I should know...
Even though your little Sphynx acts like a dog in some ways, its not. Kittens especially are high energy, Sphynx even more so. Their metabolism is high and they are warm to touch. They can be silly and somewhat messy. Bonus….no fur on all your clothes and furniture. Poop hockey can be a favourite game. (sorry)
If you have an aquarium, open water like a bucket or toilet, please make sure it is covered or not accessible to your kitten. They are attracted to water naturally.
If your kitten begins to scratch or bite you, it usually means that your kitten is over stimulated and excited. You can remove your kitten from the situation, time out if you will. Be sure there is a litter box in the timeout room. You can clean the scratch or bite with warm water and apply some Polysporin. If there is extreme redness, pain or drainage, please see your Doctor. Do not play rough with your kitten no matter how cute it is, it will set them up for poor behaviour. As in your contract you will never declaw your kitten. There are laws that forbid this surgery in some provinces. It has been introduced in Alberta, not passed yet. It is considered cruelty to animals. You would have a hard time to find a Vet to do this procedure now.
Do not leave string or yarn with your kitten to play with, they will more than likely swallow it and cause a huge problem. Possible bowel blockage or worse. It is a strangulation hazard. Be sure your blind cords are not accessible, same issue for strangulation hazard. Practice golf balls are an amazing toy for your little one. You can use something like “apple bitters” to stop chewing on something. They love computer and phone cords in this age of social media. Please be sure they are put away. You can try a squirt bottle to try to deter your kitten from counter surfing. I gave up. I use Clorox and Lysol wipes instead. Cause I know the moment I am out of the room they touch the counters to spite me…lol…
Do not leave a collar on your kitten. As cute as it is, it can be dangerous.
Sneezing/Coughing is to rid themselves of an irritant. As long as there is no any visible coloured discharge from nose and or eyes there is not much to worry about. If there is coloured secretions, difficulty breathing, it is definitely time for a Vet visit….NOW…
Normal eye secretions are pinkish brown or clear in colour. They will often shake their head to remove or clean their eyes. You may need to use a wipe to help them. Excessive tearing can be a result of something in the eye, there are no lashes to stop fine particles from getting in their eyes. You will notice they usually eat with their eyes closed. I think this is part of the protective behaviour they have innately.
Loss of appetite can be as simple as they are bored with their food. Food could be off, expired. Check that. Pet stores are generally good about replacing a bag with not much out of it for a new one. Develop this relationship. You can participate in cat shows if you like that. Registration is with TICA. I have done a number of shows, not my most favourite thing but it is fun. I can help you with any questions you may have about this.
Please, please remember your Sphynx is vocal. That is what they do. If you do not like this, perhaps this is not the cat for you.
If you have an aquarium, open water like a bucket or toilet, please make sure it is covered or not accessible to your kitten. They are attracted to water naturally.
If your kitten begins to scratch or bite you, it usually means that your kitten is over stimulated and excited. You can remove your kitten from the situation, time out if you will. Be sure there is a litter box in the timeout room. You can clean the scratch or bite with warm water and apply some Polysporin. If there is extreme redness, pain or drainage, please see your Doctor. Do not play rough with your kitten no matter how cute it is, it will set them up for poor behaviour. As in your contract you will never declaw your kitten. There are laws that forbid this surgery in some provinces. It has been introduced in Alberta, not passed yet. It is considered cruelty to animals. You would have a hard time to find a Vet to do this procedure now.
Do not leave string or yarn with your kitten to play with, they will more than likely swallow it and cause a huge problem. Possible bowel blockage or worse. It is a strangulation hazard. Be sure your blind cords are not accessible, same issue for strangulation hazard. Practice golf balls are an amazing toy for your little one. You can use something like “apple bitters” to stop chewing on something. They love computer and phone cords in this age of social media. Please be sure they are put away. You can try a squirt bottle to try to deter your kitten from counter surfing. I gave up. I use Clorox and Lysol wipes instead. Cause I know the moment I am out of the room they touch the counters to spite me…lol…
Do not leave a collar on your kitten. As cute as it is, it can be dangerous.
Sneezing/Coughing is to rid themselves of an irritant. As long as there is no any visible coloured discharge from nose and or eyes there is not much to worry about. If there is coloured secretions, difficulty breathing, it is definitely time for a Vet visit….NOW…
Normal eye secretions are pinkish brown or clear in colour. They will often shake their head to remove or clean their eyes. You may need to use a wipe to help them. Excessive tearing can be a result of something in the eye, there are no lashes to stop fine particles from getting in their eyes. You will notice they usually eat with their eyes closed. I think this is part of the protective behaviour they have innately.
Loss of appetite can be as simple as they are bored with their food. Food could be off, expired. Check that. Pet stores are generally good about replacing a bag with not much out of it for a new one. Develop this relationship. You can participate in cat shows if you like that. Registration is with TICA. I have done a number of shows, not my most favourite thing but it is fun. I can help you with any questions you may have about this.
Please, please remember your Sphynx is vocal. That is what they do. If you do not like this, perhaps this is not the cat for you.
...What?? A bath?...
Yes, a bath. Sphynx do not have hairs, lashes to wick away oils. Some need to be bathed more than others. Black on their nails and in their ears is normal. It is not Mites! They do keep themselves pretty clean. You’ll be the best judge. Cleaning their eyes and ears is important. It is important to touch their ears and feet lots to get them accustomed to being touched. Be gentle when cleaning these areas, just like wiping a newborn. Gentle handling will lead to many years of easy clean up. Clipping their nails is important. You can “YouTube” this and get some excellent information and how to examples. Bums need to be wiped as needed. Wet wipes are your new friend.
...Making a mess with their kibble...
This is a common complaint. Not sure why they do this. Maybe trying to share. You can put their food dish on a larger placemat to catch the food, sweep it up or use a larger dish under the smaller food dish. The larger dish will catch the kibble they are trying to share with the house. As I mentioned before, use ceramic dishes that are straight sided and to heavy to tip. Especially for the water.