The shocking and eye-catching sphinx attracts so many people. The warm velvety skin of this cat will not leave anyone indifferent. Not without reason on the Internet you can find a lot of reviews about the sphinxes written by loving hosts. The price of cats of this breed is quite high, which indicates their extreme popularity.
Origin history
For the first time, cats similar to figurines were mentioned in ancient Egypt. The oldest sphinx breed was called Mexican Hairless. Unfortunately, today it is completely lost. The last representatives were shown at the exhibition in the thirties. Now the oldest breed - the Canadian Sphynx - has a little more than forty years, the St. Petersburg Sphynx and the Don Cox - even less.
Canadian Sphinx
In the late sixties in Canada a bald kitten was born in an ordinary cat. After a while, the owners crossed him with his mother and got a few more bald kittens. A few years later it was announced the creation of the breed Canadian Sphynx. Thus, a kitten named Prun became the ancestor of a new species.
Caring for the first kittens was not easy. Breeders did not yet know how to care for them, and therefore often kittens simply died. Due to the fact that after nine years two more kittens appeared in Minnesota, the breed was able to heal and strengthen. However, for several years in the USA and Canada, bald kittens occasionally continued to appear. Some of them were sent to Europe to create a new branch of sphinxes.
Appearance
The breed improved over time, and the appearance of cats gradually changed. The first representatives had folds and furrows throughout the body. Modern Canadian sphinxes have kept them only in places. They are not as wrinkled as their ancestors and have smoother skin. Reviews and description of the breed Canadian Sphynx:
- Their body size is quite average. They can not be called large cats, despite the strength and muscularity.
- They have a magnificent long and thin tail, gracefully wrapped up.
- The hind legs are usually longer than the front, which makes the figure slightly raised.
- Mustache is practically absent.
- Little kittens are born with folds all over their faces. Over time, it is smoothed out a little, and already in adult cats, as a rule, wrinkles remain only in the neck and on the crown.
- Straight and widely spaced ears are a hallmark of this breed. A small gun is allowed at the tips of the auricles. The tips are generally rounded.
- He has a well-formed and defined face with expressive eyes and a large nose.
- The shape of the head of this cat is called wedge-shaped. It is quite harmonious, since it has almost the same width and length.
- The eyes are usually large and round in shape, tapering slightly towards the tips.
- The legs are slightly curved, and there are convex pads at the ends.
- Thanks to the long fingers and pads, the Canadian Sphinx has a peculiar gait. Externally, it feels like he is gracefully stepping on heels.
The greatest delight is the velvety, soft skin of the sphinxes. According to the owners, they constantly want to touch and pet their pet. The color of cats can be very different. The breed standard distinguishes several types of sphinx color:
- Quite popular - brindle.
- White color with dark spots is called "harlequin".
- There is a Siamese color, which has four varieties.
- Striped tabby looks quite original and attractive.
- An interesting color called "van" suggests a completely white background with a spot on the crown of the head. The presence of two or three spots on the body is also allowed.
There are also monophonic and bicolor shades that can be seen in the photo of the Sphinx breed. Among the monochromatic, you can find lilac, chocolate, white and cream cats. And also there is a rather rare red shade, blue and black. Bicolor color implies the presence of any of the listed shades in combination with white.
Caring for these animals requires effort and attention from the owners. There are some features of the sphinxes that are unique to this breed. It should be borne in mind that these cats are practically independent and very attached to their owner.
How and what to feed the sphinx
Around this breed there are a lot of rumors and prejudices. For example, many believe that the sphinxes are extremely picky in food and disdain to eat food that lies two to three hours after cooking. Such a statement is fundamentally false.
First of all, cats of this breed are big gluttons, since they have to spend a lot of energy to maintain heat. They eat much more and more often than others. Experts advise them to purchase high-quality feeds developed specifically for this breed.
Approximate diet
They are contraindicated in the use of fatty, salted and smoked. Any of these products can cause a sticky brown coating on the skin. As a rule, the daily diet consists of three types of food: natural, dry food and wet canned food. Owners are advised to put at the same time three bowls in which each of these feeds is added. Natural foods should be raw (meaning meat) or boiled. So all the same, than to feed the sphinx?
- Most of the daily diet should be meat of beef or chicken. And also the liver of animals is allowed.
- About fifteen percent are dairy products. They should not be sweet or too fat. Preference is given to fermented baked milk, cottage cheese and special milk intended for animals.
- Dry feeds are selected only from well-known companies specializing in cat food.
- Not more than once a week an animal is given a chicken egg.
- It is recommended to use cereals or vegetable mixtures. Their number should not exceed five percent of the total food.
Thus, we can summarize: 60% - meat, 20% - dry food, 15% - dairy products, 4% cereals and vegetables and 1% seafood.
How to care for your skin
Owners of sphinx cats in reviews often note that after a while a brown coating appears on the surface of the skin of their pets. This is a feature of the structure of the skin. Sphynx cats should be bathed (or at least wiped with a side napkin) at least once every fourteen days. In specialized stores you can buy shampoos designed specifically for sphinxes. As a rule, other detergents are not suitable for them. And also the seller can offer napkins for caring for a cat. Fortunately, hairless pets are very fond of swimming. Water procedures are easy and relaxed.
If you do not observe hygiene, then over time various dermatological problems may arise, which will be quite difficult to get rid of.
Another feature of the sphinx skin is that it is able to sunbathe. This can be seen in those cats who like to bask in direct sunlight. By the way, such procedures do nothing good for them. Being under the sun for a long time, the sphinx can easily get sunburned.
Frost and cold
Not only the hot sun is an enemy for cats of this breed. They do not like cold and are very afraid of frost. Due to drafts, they are often sick. Subcooling after bathing is especially dangerous. Breeders advise beginners to immediately purchase houses for the sphynx hairless cat, as well as special clothing. Some members of the breed can freeze even at a temperature of twenty degrees.
Disease and Hygiene
Sometimes a cat has a bad breath. This is primarily due to inflammation of the gums, which can be damaged due to spicy foods (e.g. shrimp). And also in the absence of oral hygiene when keeping sphinxes, teeth in animals quite often deteriorate. They are covered with yellow plaque and become loose over time. In the veterinary pharmacy, you can purchase a special toothpaste for brushing your teeth. It is also recommended that you feed the cat some time with a cleaning feed.
According to reviews of sphynx cats, most often they are exposed to colds. This is a real scourge. A sphynx cat cannot be drafted after bathing. Among hereditary diseases, obstruction of the respiratory tract, congenital disturbance of muscle tone, and heart disease are most often observed.
The skin and ears of the animal require special attention. A brown, sticky coating may form on the skin and dirt may accumulate in the ears, which leads to inflammation. Due to the lack of eyelashes, the sphinx sometimes has problems with the eyes. The owners will have to completely take care of these parts of the body.
Under the tail of cats there are sebaceous glands that secrete fat. Sometimes the glands become clogged and then acne occurs. The owners must carefully remove them, and then wipe the tail with a special tool for degreasing the skin.
Character Features
They are extremely attached to their masters and can hardly do without a man. They may have conflicts with other animals. It was noted that sphinxes do not particularly like talking with cats and cats, both of their breed and of an outsider. The owners sometimes get the impression that the sphinxes consider themselves not cats, but people. For them, those procedures that ordinary cats cannot tolerate are very often considered normal. For example, they like to swim, patiently and calmly treat nail cutting and ear care. And also they are quite convenient to treat.
Of all the other breeds, the sphinxes are perhaps more likely than others to eat human food. This does not mean that it is useful to them. Just such close communication with people makes itself felt and the animal gradually lures a person’s habits. For example, not every feline will eat, like sphinx, sour cabbage, fresh tomatoes, raw potatoes, fresh peas and so on.
Claw care
To trim the claws you will need to purchase a special device. The owners should carefully carry out the procedure, trying not to touch the pink edging, otherwise the cat will feel pain. A thin red vessel may well be noticed and carefully circumvented. If, nevertheless, blood appeared, then the claws should be wiped with hydrogen peroxide. As a rule, only the tip of the nail is trimmed leaving most of it. Sometimes cats themselves bite off their claws. The sphinxes have such a tendency.
And also many owners get claws. They can be both horizontal and vertical. This item is selected depending on the habits of the animal. Not only babies, but also adults quickly get used to the claws.
How to breed
Usually, the female gives birth very easily and quickly enough. Sphynx kittens are born without difficulty. It is recommended to help the cat get rid of the afterbirth, as well as wipe the newborn kittens and keep them warm until the mother has finished giving birth. Sometimes the number of kittens can reach twelve. In reviews of the sphinxes, the owners of these cats say that they open their eyes early enough and are characterized by increased activity. In kittens on the top you can see a light fluff, which passes after two to three months. They are more wrinkled than their parents. With growth, the folds are smoothed out and remain only in the head area.
The onset of pregnancy, as a rule, is difficult not to notice. The cat becomes even more affectionate and affectionate to the owner. Closer to delivery, the female prefers to retire. After about sixty-three days, the long-awaited birth occurs.
Knitting
The owner of the male must accept the cat on its territory. First of all, he provides her with calm and comfortable conditions of stay. Sometimes owners have to help their pets. The mating process itself lasts no more than two minutes. The fact that she passed, you can find out the behavior of animals. The female prefers to lie on her back and ride on the floor for a while, and the cat immediately begins to lick its body.
Judging by the reviews of the sphinx, the hosts are preparing for this process in advance. If the owner has decided to breed kittens, it is highly recommended not to give the cat hormonal drugs to suppress desire. After he makes sure that everything is in order with the animal, you can look for a partner. Before the meeting, animals are subjected to the process of expelling worms and other parasites so that they do not infect each other. Cats are also clipped. The only thing that should not be done before mating is to bathe your pets so as not to remove the specific cat scent secreted.
Species features
In total, there are three types of sphinxes: Canadian, Don and St. Petersburg. Each of them has its own characteristics. For example, the St. Petersburg sphinx has long limbs and a strong body. He has quite wide cheekbones on a wedge-shaped head. The chin of these cats is also quite powerful. A distinctive feature of the St. Petersburg sphinx are the almond-shaped eyes. In Canada, they are round. Eye color is usually blue or green. The nose of this breed is quite large. Together with slanting eyes, it is a rather original outwardly animal that many owners like. Another distinctive feature of this breed is its pointed ears.
The Don Sphinx is quite large in size and has a muscular body. He also has almond-shaped eyes and well-defined cheekbones. The forelimbs of the representative of the Don breed are quite long, and their size almost corresponds to the hind. The ears are large and rounded at the ends.
Canadian sphinxes have quite large muscles of the body with low growth. He has large expressive eyes, occupying most of the face. The head is also wedge-shaped and the whiskers are almost completely absent. A distinctive feature is the long hind limbs, as well as very large and wide ears.
In addition, almost all three types of sphinxes presented differ from each other in skin. For example, in the Don, it is quite elastic and has wrinkles only under the armpits and on the crown of the head. The St. Petersburg sphinx has harsh and elastic skin. Unlike other species, it is quite redundant. The most enjoyable skin is the Canadian Sphinx. Cats of this breed are covered with velor, velvety fluff, which is very pleasant to the touch.
Host reviews
In their reviews of the sphinx, cat owners love to show off their pets. In their opinion, this is the best breed of cats that you can imagine. Many owners, they admitted, were amazed at the minds of these individuals. From the very first days, animals are perfectly mastered in a new house, and many of them independently find bowel trays. The sphinx is quite omnivorous, and therefore feeding problems never arise. According to the owners, cats prefer meat, eggs and cottage cheese. They do not refuse sweets from the master's table.
After reading the negative reviews about the Sphinx, we can conclude that the brown bloom brings the biggest nuisance to the owners. Sometimes this causes some inconvenience. If you overlook, the sticky brown fat that secrets the sphinx skin will be on the clothes of the owner, furniture or carpet. In case of strong discharge, you should review the diet and completely abandon any fats. That's exactly what doctors advise sphinx owners.
In addition, the owners claim that these cats are very difficult to wean from bad habits. That is, if a pet decided to do something, then in order to wean it, you will have to work hard. And also these cats have very poor personal hygiene. Simply put, they do not comply with it. Sphynx cats with stubborn dirt under their tail are completely uncommon. This behavior categorically does not suit the fastidious owners who are accustomed to the fact that cats usually look after themselves and control any appearance of dirt on the body.
The rest of the owners are absolutely happy with their pets. They are especially touched by the fact that, unlike other cats, sphinxes love to swim. Some of them jump into the bath with water and with great pleasure swim in it until they are pulled out. In a word, sphinxes give a lot of reasons for surprise.
The owners of these cats warn that when buying an animal, you should immediately get all the necessary things. These include special shampoos, lotions for wiping the tail from fat, wipes for wiping the skin, cotton buds, tampons for cleaning the ears and so on. The fact is that most of the worries about animal hygiene the owner will have to take on.
In order for the cat to be healthy and live as long as possible, it should be well fed with high quality food. Leaving true reviews about the breed Canadian Sphynx, pet owners advise you to purchase several bowls at once, each of which will contain a separate food. And breeders also recommend buying houses where sphinxes will hide during the cold snap. It should be borne in mind that cats of this breed are very sensitive to drafts and the slightest decrease in temperature in the room.