Don Sphynx – naked cat

The Don Sphinx attracts attention with its specific appearance. Although he may initially arouse mixed emotions, he is extremely friendly and affectionate towards his owner. The originality of appearance and character are its greatest advantages. Get to know this adorable breed and its needs better.

Basic information

Don Sphynxes are hairless cats with an exceptionally distinctive appearance. An adult individual reaches 25 to 30 centimeters in height. A female cat weighs between 2 and 3 kilograms, while a cat weighs between 4 and 5 kilograms.

These cats have an elongated body with a robust but slender appearance. Their eyes are slightly slanted, their ears are large and widely spaced, and their head is wedge-shaped. Their legs are long but proportional, with the hind legs being longer than the front ones. The tail is long and straight, while the feet are oval in shape. Cats’ skin is wrinkled – it may be covered with light hair or may be completely bare. The breed standard allows for all possible cat colors.

When deciding to adopt a cat of this breed, you should carefully consider the choice of breeding. Choose a registered, reputable breeder to receive complete information about your kitten’s health. Breeders may examine cats for cardiac problems, but this is not required – ask the breeder about the tests performed.

The prices of kittens are approximately PLN 2,000-5,000 – they depend on factors such as the reputation of the breeding farm, the health of the kitten’s parents, its compliance with the breed standard and the absence or presence of fur.

The first Don Sphynx was bred in the 1980s in Moscow. In the litters of cats of the famous Russian breeder Iryna Nemikina, there were cats with and without fur. Over time, the dogs also began to lose their fur. The recognition of a genetic mutation led to the creation of a new breed.

It is worth knowing that the mutation responsible for the lack of hair is nothing new and has occurred sporadically in cats for centuries, but before the creation of sphynxes, these cats were not intentionally crossed with each other to create a hairless breed.

The Sphynx is very attached to its owner. Every day he likes to sit on your lap and play with his owner, and his curious nature makes him everywhere. It easily adapts to the presence of other animals, including cats.

The cat is also very active and likes to play together, and willingly undergoes training and training. He is intelligent, so learning new commands and tricks is easy for him. Lack of adequate exercise will cause the animal to start destroying furniture and look for new activities on its own.

The Don Sphinx likes warmth and looks for its source so as not to get cold. The lack of fur makes it often feel cold, so it will happily climb under its owner’s blanket and cuddle with him.

The basic element of raising a kitten is teaching it to be clean – the cat should learn to use the litter box from an early age so that there will be no problems with cleaning the house later. Appropriate litter for sensitive cats can help with this, as the lack of hair makes the cat’s skin susceptible to irritation. These cats are extremely curious, so you should approach your pet patiently but firmly and reward its good behavior with treats and praise.

Also, ensure that your pet is properly socialized from an early age so that it knows how to react to the presence of strange people or animals. Also remember that these cats like to be the center of attention and do not like being alone at home, so it is worth gradually accustoming your cat from a young age to the fact that sometimes you have to leave the house or you cannot pay attention to it right away.

See also: Why does a cat spread litter from the litter box? How to deal with this fact?

These cats are extremely curious and sociable, willing to play with their owners, so toys such as balls, mice or fishing rods will be a perfect gift for a cat. Interactive toys, on the other hand, are an excellent activity for a cat when the owner is away – these cats do not like loneliness, so it is worth providing them with a toy that will occupy their attention when you are not at home. Interactive toys activate the cat, make it think and stimulate its natural hunting abilities.

It is also worth equipping your kitten with an appropriate scratching post that will satisfy its scratching instinct and divert its attention from furniture or home furnishings.

The care of cats of this breed is not so much complicated as it requires conscientiousness and is different from the care of cats with fur. A cat has no fur, so its skin may be covered with a lot of sebum. Your pet should be bathed regularly – it is recommended to bathe it once every 2-3 months, using an appropriate shampoo for cats. You can also use a damp washcloth to remove excess sebum.

The owner should also keep the cat’s ears clean. Regularly checking their condition will help you avoid unpleasant complications. In addition, cats’ eyes often water, so it is necessary to check their condition regularly and maintain proper hygiene. Don’t forget to take care of your cat’s oral hygiene and trim its claws when necessary.

Cats of this breed can be greedy because their lack of fur means they constantly have to maintain the right body temperature. For this reason, they have to eat relatively more than fur cats, so it is easy to overfeed them and lead to obesity.

The food we give to our cat must provide the appropriate amount of nutrients and energy requirements. At the same time, she should take care of the correct body weight. It is also important to appropriately determine food portions depending on age, weight and lifestyle. Choose high-quality dry and wet cat food, and if necessary, choose food for overweight cats. For sphynxes with food allergies or hypersensitivities, choose hypoallergenic food.

You can also feed your cat a raw BARF diet, but it requires appropriate supplementation and excellent knowledge of nutritional requirements.

See: BARF – raw diet for dogs and cats

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These cats are very susceptible to changing weather conditions due to their lack of fur, so they should be provided with appropriate living conditions so that they do not catch colds in the cold months. A cat outfit or a warm blanket can help with this.

The breed is generally healthy, but has a tendency to suffer from hypertrophic cardiopathy. Responsible breeders perform echocardiography of cats and exclude affected individuals from breeding, but the disease may also manifest itself at a later age. In addition, sphynxes have skin problems and allergies, as well as food hypersensitivity, upper respiratory tract infections, hereditary myopathy and mitral valve dysplasia.

Cats of this breed usually live for 12 to 15 years.

This breed is very active, so it is a better companion for young people and families than for an older person. Sphynxes get along perfectly with children, provided that the child is taught respect and gentleness towards animals.

These cats are very attached to their owners and require a lot of attention, so they will not be suitable for people who are away from home for a long time or who are very busy. It should also be borne in mind that they are very susceptible to cold, so the owner must remember to provide the pet with appropriate conditions. Their lack of hair, however, is an advantage for people who love order – with a Sphynx, you will not have to deal with frequent cleaning of hair or anti-hair pastes.

Despite the lack of hair, the breed is quite allergic, but it should be borne in mind that not every allergy sufferer will not tolerate the presence of a cat.

Advantages

• easy to care for,
• sensitive and attached to its owner,
• accepts other animals.

Defects

• has a tendency to gain weight,
• likes to be the center of attention.

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Date of publication: 14/09/2020