THE SPHYNX: A HAIRLESS CAT
70THE HAIRLESS CAT
SPHYNX
The Sphynx is not actually hairless, but covered by a short, silky "peach fuzz" coat that has the texture of soft chamois or suede. Such so called "hairless" felines have appeared worldwide at different times (Bruce Fogle, DVM, Catalog). The sphynx is exclusively an indoor cat choice because of its vulnerability to both heat and cold, due to its lack of a protective coat.
Each Sphynx empty hair follicle has an oil-producing gland, therefore, the cats need a daily rubbing with chamois, since there is no hair to absorb this oil. The Sphynx has a devoted and playful nature that attracts as much attention as its obvious lack of hair, according to Bruce Fogle, and its many admirers (Fogle, Catalog).
APPEARANCE
The Sphynx head includes jugged ears, large eyes, and an elfin face. These features show the influence of the Devon Rex, and if it has whiskers at all, they are often brittle and broken. The Sphynx comes in all colors and patterns, including pointed, sepia and mink. The Sphynx, interestingly shows colors and patterns on its skin just as other cats do on their fur. The cat has a powerful neck, and its body is rounded, hard and muscular. Its legs are also firm and muscular. The Sphynx is not actually hairless, but has a very fine down (Fogle, DVM. Catalog).
BREED HISTORY
The line of the first Sphynx prune, born in 1966, died out. Afterwards, a longhaired cat with a hairless kitten was rescued in Toronto, and while the kitten was neutered, his mother continued to give birth to other hairless kittens. Two of her hairless kittens were exported to Europe, where one was mated to a Devon Rex.
As a result of that union, hairless offspring developed, indicating the recessive gene involved was dominant over the Devon Rex gene. One hairless cat, nicknamed E.T., for obvious reasons, was acquired by Vicki and Peter Markstein in New York, and bred with another Devon Rex. The breed today is recognized only by TICA, as many associations fear particular health disadvantages. GCCF registers the Sphynx, but only to ensure that the gene is not carried into Devon Rex lines (Fogle, Catalog).
BREED FACTS
The Sphynx weight range is between 8 and 15 pounds (3.5-7 kg). The cats require moderate grooming in order to remove access oil from their bodies. They are gregarious, active, and mischievous (Fogle, Catalog).
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Katiem, I'll have to do more research, since I haven't read anything that would tell me one way or the other. My guess would be that a hairless cat would be less likely to cause allergies, but I do know it has oil in its skin that requires daily cleaning. (:v
Gosh, I'm allergic to cats. I guess I need this kind! ha
For someone who is allergic to cats, you sure seem to keep company with a lot of them. This is a hairless cat, so it should have less tendencies to cause allergies; however, there is a cat that is actually supposed to be hypoallerginic, but its name escaapes me at present. Thanks for commenting on my site. (:v
I went back and checked, GarnetBird, and it is the Siberian that is held as being the hypoallergenic cat. (:v
katiem2 19 months ago
OMG that little baby at the end is so cute, it made me forget all my questions. Oh... is the sphynx an allergin as in terms of their dander like other cats? Great and interesting cat the Sphynx a hairless cat! :)