Cat of the Week: The Sphynx

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      When you see a shpynx you will definitely know it because of their appearance.  They are medium sized cats between 7 and 15 pounds that on average live 9 to 15 years. They have a round belly, a light bone structure and well developed muscles.  The have angular heads with big eyes that can be a variety of colors.  They have a flat forehead and defined cheekbones and they also lack or have very small whiskers.  These "hairless" cats are covered in a very short fuzz-like coat.  Although they lack hair, Sphynx come in a variety of colors and patterns like white, black, brown, cream, spotted, patched, and so on.  These cats have large pointy ears and a long slim tail often with a fluff of fur on the end.
    Although their is evidence that the hairless cat dates all the way back to the Aztecs, the first successful breeding attempt occurred in Canada in 1966. There was trouble with the breeding and it wasn't until the 1970's and 1980's that they had continuous success and started recognizing the sphynx as a breed.  A recessive gene is what causes the cat to become hairless.
   The spynx is a very friendly, curious and social cat.  It will need a great deal of attention from its owner and will want to be their friend.  They are not an aggressive cat and would do very well with children and other pets. These cats are very affectionate with their families and they love to play.  The sphynx is a very vocal cat and may meow at you a lot as well as purr a lot.  This breed of cat is mainly an indoor cat because they are very sensitive to the heat, cold, and sun.  Although you may think that this would be a good cat for someone who is badly allergic it is actually not because most people are allergic to a protein in the glands of the saliva and skin.
  These cats do need quite a bit of grooming.  They need their ears cleaned and need to be bathed once a week to get oils off of their skin.  If you start bathing these cats as kittens they will get used to baths and wont struggle as much as a typical cat would.
  The sphynx is a wonderful cat that will make you laugh, become your friend and will be an important member of your family.
 
 Info from:
http://www.catbreedsjunction.com/sphynx-cats.html
http://www.ehow.com/about_6565205_sphynx-cat.html