Sphynx Care
Some believe that since the sphynx are "hairless" they are less maintenance than a furball cat. That is not so, they are a "different" type of maintenance. No, you won't need to brush them daily and deal with shedding but you will have to give them baths and clean their ears and toenails. A cat's skin produces oils which trap dirt. While this isn't obvious in a Persian, you will notice it on the Sphynx's naked body. ~ : )
We bath our kittens from a young age to get them accustom to it. Some Sphynx even grow to like bath time! We use an antibacterial / anti-fungal shampoo that is good for their skin. A good time to clean their ears is after bath time, when they are wrapped up in a towel. The ears have a tendency to get very dirty with wax. We use an ear cleaner and q-tips but never go further down than you can see or you may damage the ear. This is also a good time to do toenails. We use Wet Wipes to clean the gunky off of each toenail. Then use baby or cat toenail clippers. Only clip the tip of each toenail and do not get into the pink inside the toenail. This can cause bleeding. If you have an accident and the nail does start to bleed, dip it in cornstarch to stop the bleeding. You may want to keep the cat wrapped in a towel while clipping the toenails as well.
Sphynx Diet
Sphynx cats have a higher metabolism to stay warm and eat more than normally coated cats. We free fee our Sphynx cats a combination of Iams Hairball, Purina One Kitten and Purina Kitten Chow dry food. Always be sure to provide fresh water for your cat every day. They receive canned cat food once a day, usually in the evening. We also give the cats treats throughout the day.
Sphynx Health
All of our kittens come with a health guarantee. Our kittens go to their new homes after 12 weeks old depending on the cat. We vaccinate against against Rhinotracheitis, Calici, and Panleukopenia. Our contract states that you agree to do regular yearly vaccinations as well.
We do not recommend vaccinating against FIP, FIV or FeLV due to health concerns with the vaccines but we guarantee our cats to be free of these diseases. If you decide to use these vaccines, then this voids our contract.
Do not use flea or tick medicines or powders on the Sphynx as they can be deadly. Potpourri, liquid or dried, can also be potentially fatal to a cat. Certain house plants are poisonous.
If you take proper care of your Sphynx cat: regular vaccinations, healthy diet and lots of love, they can live a healthy and long life.
Sphynx Standard
We show in both CFA and TICA. Please click below for their respective standards.
CFA
Sphynx Standard
TICA
Sphynx Standard
Bringing Your Kitten Home
What an exciting time, when you go to pick up your first kitten. It may be coming from far off on an airplane or you may be driving to pick him up. Here are some tips to remember that may help things go smoothly.
-Be sure to have everything ready for the kitten's new arrival. You will need food/water dishes, food, treats, litter pan, litter, scooper, bed and blankets, toys, grooming supplies (shampoo, baby wipes, q-tips, nail clippers), crate for traveling and even a harness and leash.
-Sphynx cats really are like 2 year old children. It is a good idea to childproof your home. Some Sphynx have been known to even open cabinets. Always remember, they like to get into things. Keep toilet lids down as kittens may go for a swim and could drown. Plug wall sockets just to be safe. Anything a child could get into, so can a Sphynx! ~ : )
-Introduce your cat slowly to other family members and especially other pets. Place the kitten's crate inside a designated room and close the door to give him time to adjust to the new sounds and smells. After a while, open the crate door so he can come out when he is ready but still keep the door to the room closed. When the kitten is ready, he will come out to investigate the place. After a couple days, you may leave the door to the room open. Curiosity will get the best of him and he will begin to explore. If you have other pets, do not leave them together unattended for the first week or so until you know how they will react with each other.
-Don't expect a kitten to be able to find the litter box the first day in a big house. Take him to it several times a day and eventually, he will find it on his own. You may even want to put more than one litter box in a larger home or if you have more than one cat. We use all natural litter that contains no sodium bentonite or heavy perfumes for small kittens while adults use Tidy Cat Crystals. These are easy to keep clean and absorb the odor very well.
Scratching & Training
A cat has a natural tendency to want to sharpen it's claws. This is not a vendetta against you but a natural instinct. Yelling and screaming at a cat is not the way to train it but can make the cat scared of you. To keep the cat from scratching your furniture, here are some tips:
-Have a scratching post in an obvious location for the cat. If you do not want the cat to scratch your carpet, buy a post with sissal rope on it instead of carpet.
-If the cat even looks like he is going to sharpen his nails, pick him up and take him to the scratching post.
-Keep his nails clipped all of the time.
A useful tool in training a cat is a watergun. If the cat is jumping on a counter or scratching the couch, a quick squirt of a watergun will deter him. In all training, the key is "BE CONSISTENT". Do not reinforce an action that is cute as a kitten, but that you don't want them to do as an adult. They will not understand the difference.
Adults | Available | Show Ring | Web Design | Photo Album | Interested? | Home
©
2004-2007 HolyMoly Cats and Billyhill.com
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Designed
& hosted by Billyhill.com
All
pictures / graphics on this website are the copyrighted property of Stephanie
Osborne.
Do not use without express written permission from Stephanie Osborne.
