The Sphynx (aka Canadian Hairless) is a rare
breed
of cat with extremely
little fur, or at most a short fuzz over its body, and no whiskers (vibrissae).
Their skin is the color their fur would be, and all the usual cat marking
patterns (solid, point, van, tabby, tortie, etc) may be found in Sphynx too.
They are sometimes mistaken for
Chihuahuas because of their extremely unusual and, some say, uncatlike
appearance. They are very affectionate and extroverted and like to cuddle with
their humans, other humans, and each other.
Sphynx Kitten - 2 Weeks
Delicate as they may appear, Sphynx tend to be well-muscled and robustly
healthy, with a few obvious weaknesses. It is essential to keep a sphynx cat
warm and free from drafts, especially during kittenhood, as they have no more
protection from cold than a naked human would. Sphynxes are also prone to
sunburn and sunstroke because they lack the normal protection of fur. They tend
to get dirty and greasy, since their skin produces the same oils as a
fully-furred cat, but the oil is not spread over fur as usual. As pets they are
notably more social than "normal" cats, and happier to be handled, but also
require more maintenance including weekly bathing and ear-cleaning. Their
natural bathing habits tend to be ineffective on skin, so the owner must
compensate a bit.
Sphynx cats are not
hypoallergenic[1],
in fact they can be even worse for severely allergic people than furred cats.
But because they don't deposit hair on furniture or clothing, they tend to be
easier to clean up after, and therefore often less troublesome to mildly
allergic owners. A large number of individuals allergic to cats can live with
Sphynx cats without experiencing any form of allergy. Some notice symptoms but
handle it by bathing and cleaning them slightly more often than one would
otherwise. Allergic people often bathe and clean their Sphynx cats every 5 - 7
days, while others do it roughly every two weeks or when needed.
Although hairless cats have been reported throughout history (hairless cats
seem to appear naturally about every 15 years or so), and breeders in Canada
have been working on the Sphynx breed since the early 1960's, the current
American and European Sphynx breed is descended from two lines of natural
mutations:
Dermis and Epidermis (1975) from the Pearsons of Wadena, MN, USA and
Bambi, Punkie, and Paloma (1978) found in Toronto, ON, Canada and raised
by Shirley Smith.
The Sphynx breed is known for a sturdy, heavy body, a wedge-shaped head, and
an alert, friendly temperament. A cat being hairless is not necessarily a Sphynx!
Other hairless breeds might have different body shapes or temperaments than
those described above. There are, for example, new hairless breeds, including
the Don
Sphynx and the
Peterbald
from Russia, which arose from their own spontaneous mutations. The standard for
the Sphynx differs between TICA and FIFE.
Sphynx hairlessness is produced by an allele of the same gene that
produces the
Devon Rex, which has only one of the usual two fur coats. The Sphynx allele
is incompletely dominant over the Devon allele; both are recessive to the wild
type. Sphynx were at one time crossbred with Devon Rex in an attempt to
strengthen this gene, but unfortunately this led to serious dental or
nervous-system problems and is now forbidden in most breed standards
associations. The only allowable outcross breeds in the
CFA are now the
American Shorthair and
Domestic Shorthair. Other associations have different rules. In Europe
mainly Devon Rex has been used for outcrosses.
A well-known Sphynx is SGC Belfry Ted Nude-Gent who is in the Austin Powers
movies. He plays the part of Mr. Bigglesworth, Dr. Evil's
cat.
A Sphynx was to star in Harry Potter, but the scene was cut due to time
constraints.
