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How to keep your sphynx clean and healthy.
Bathing
Our pet sphynx get bathes 1 to 2 times a month unless they get into something. If you bathe your sphynx too often their skin can dry out or start producing more oil. In between baths I wipe down the cats with a warm wet wash clothes to take off extra oil and any dirt that has collected. If you do this daily the twice a month bathes seem to be enough for most sphynx we have worked with. Our show cats get a bath before each day of showing and are treated with lotion to prevent drying out at shows. |
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Sphynx breed standard
When we first started working with sphynx not very many vets knew about the breed and their differences. This lead to some treatment issues in the beginning. To help prevent similar issues we have posted the breed standard here to provide information to those who need to know. This is directly from the TICA breed standard listing as of Nov. 2018.
HEAD: Shape: Medium-sized, modified wedge with rounded contours, slightly longer than wide. Skull is slightly rounded with a rather flat forehead and prominent cheekbones and a distinct whisker break. Eyes: Large, rounded lemon shape. Slanting to outer corner of ear. Slightly more than an eye width between eyes. Ears: Very large, broad at base and open. Set upright, neither low set nor on top of the head. The interior is totally hairless. Slight amount of hair allowed on lower outside edges and on the back of the ear.
Muzzle and Chin: Strong rounded muzzle with distinct whisker break and firm chin. Profile: Slight to moderate stop at bridge of nose. Neck: Medium in length, rounded and well-muscled. The neck arches from the shoulders to the base of the skull and is powerful, especially in males.
BODY: Torso: Medium in size, medium to medium long in length. The chest is broad, may tend toward barrel chested. The abdomen is wellrounded, having the appearance of having eaten a large meal, but not fat.. Legs: Length in proportion with body, with medium boning and firm musculature. Hind legs slightly longer than front. Front legs widely set. Females may have slightly finer boning. Feet: Medium in size, oval shape with long, slender toes. The paw pads are thicker than in other breeds, giving the cat the appearance of walking on "air cushions". The toes are very long, slender and prominent. Tail: Whippy, tapering from body to tip (rat-tailed). Length is in proportion to body. A lion tail (puff of hair on tip) acceptable. Musculature: Hard and muscular, not delicate. Boning: Medium.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Sphynx appears to be a hairless cat, although it is not truly hairless. The skin should have the texture of chamois. It may be covered with very fine down which is almost imperceptible to both the eye and the touch. On the ears, muzzle, tail, feet and scrotum, short, soft, fine hair is allowed. Lack of coat makes the cat quite warm to the touch. Whiskers and eyebrows may be present, either whole or broken, or may be totally absent. The cat should not be small or dainty. Males may be up to 25 percent larger so long as proper proportions are maintained. The Sphynx is sweet-tempered, lively, intelligent and above all amenable to handling.
When we first started working with sphynx not very many vets knew about the breed and their differences. This lead to some treatment issues in the beginning. To help prevent similar issues we have posted the breed standard here to provide information to those who need to know. This is directly from the TICA breed standard listing as of Nov. 2018.
HEAD: Shape: Medium-sized, modified wedge with rounded contours, slightly longer than wide. Skull is slightly rounded with a rather flat forehead and prominent cheekbones and a distinct whisker break. Eyes: Large, rounded lemon shape. Slanting to outer corner of ear. Slightly more than an eye width between eyes. Ears: Very large, broad at base and open. Set upright, neither low set nor on top of the head. The interior is totally hairless. Slight amount of hair allowed on lower outside edges and on the back of the ear.
Muzzle and Chin: Strong rounded muzzle with distinct whisker break and firm chin. Profile: Slight to moderate stop at bridge of nose. Neck: Medium in length, rounded and well-muscled. The neck arches from the shoulders to the base of the skull and is powerful, especially in males.
BODY: Torso: Medium in size, medium to medium long in length. The chest is broad, may tend toward barrel chested. The abdomen is wellrounded, having the appearance of having eaten a large meal, but not fat.. Legs: Length in proportion with body, with medium boning and firm musculature. Hind legs slightly longer than front. Front legs widely set. Females may have slightly finer boning. Feet: Medium in size, oval shape with long, slender toes. The paw pads are thicker than in other breeds, giving the cat the appearance of walking on "air cushions". The toes are very long, slender and prominent. Tail: Whippy, tapering from body to tip (rat-tailed). Length is in proportion to body. A lion tail (puff of hair on tip) acceptable. Musculature: Hard and muscular, not delicate. Boning: Medium.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Sphynx appears to be a hairless cat, although it is not truly hairless. The skin should have the texture of chamois. It may be covered with very fine down which is almost imperceptible to both the eye and the touch. On the ears, muzzle, tail, feet and scrotum, short, soft, fine hair is allowed. Lack of coat makes the cat quite warm to the touch. Whiskers and eyebrows may be present, either whole or broken, or may be totally absent. The cat should not be small or dainty. Males may be up to 25 percent larger so long as proper proportions are maintained. The Sphynx is sweet-tempered, lively, intelligent and above all amenable to handling.
Sun protection
Sphynx can and will sun burn if not protected. Since our sphynx are indoor only we have treated our southern windows with a UV filter film from the hardware store to prevent sun damage. Before that we used baby safe sunblock to protect their skin. This worked well but left a layer of sun block on the bottom of every window they laid in. If you are going to take your sphynx out and about a little baby sun block is a great idea, just wipe of the extra with a damp washcloth.
Sphynx can and will sun burn if not protected. Since our sphynx are indoor only we have treated our southern windows with a UV filter film from the hardware store to prevent sun damage. Before that we used baby safe sunblock to protect their skin. This worked well but left a layer of sun block on the bottom of every window they laid in. If you are going to take your sphynx out and about a little baby sun block is a great idea, just wipe of the extra with a damp washcloth.
