Care Info

The care of your Sphynx

Because sphynx have no hair to wick away dirt and oils, they need regular grooming.

Eyes: You may need to wash your cats face and eyes occasionally in between bathing. Without eyelashes, particles may build up around the eyes.  Use a wet warm washcloth, not a baby wipe for this.  Anything that would irritate your eyes, will irritate theirs.

Nails: Sphynx should have their nails trimmed and cleaned regularly. Sphynx will get a black waxy buildup on their nails and  is normal for the breed. It works best to clean them weekly with baby wipes. When clipping nails be sure to avoid clipping into the pink vein area inside the nail as this will cause pain to your pet. Kitten nails are soft and a small regular nail clipper should be fine.  Older kittens and adults should have a cat nail clipper used.   Our cats don’t mind this ritual as it’s a time for individual attention and cuddles. I hold them on my lap and talk to them while doing their grooming.

Ears: Sphynx will also have a black waxy buildup in their ears. This is again normal for the breed and it is usually not ear mites. You may use baby wipes to remove this buildup or there are ear cleaning liquids made for cleaning cats ears. Check with your vet or pet store for recommended products. Used regularly, these ear washes will help prevent waxy build-up. Please avoid getting waterand soap in the cats ears while bathing . Be very careful if using cotton swabs as you can injure the ear or push wax back down into the canal.

Bathtime Your sphynx should  be bathed often. Many breeders recommend weekly baths, but some cats do fine with a bath every 2-3 weeks. The sphynx breed secrete natural oils and this causes dirt to build up. If not bathed, your sphynx will leave a dirty spot in your furniture and clothes. Baby wipes that do not contain alcohol or perfumes are great for touch ups. It’s recommended to use a gentle, quality body wash not shampoo. This keeps the Ph of their skin normal. Just wrapping in a nice towel will dry them quickly. Then clip and clean their nails and clean their ears. Your kitten should be used to this ritual by the time you receive them. This doesn’t always mean they will like it tho. Some will handle a bath and grooming with a relaxed attitude, others will tolerate it but not be relaxed. I have found keeping the kitten/cat wrapped in the towel while doing the ears and nails keeps them warm and happier.
It may seem that sphynx need alot of care but grooming time only takes 15-20 minutes. A big bonus of a sphynx  is that you have no cat hair on your clothes, or furniture!! Or if you have allergies and can’t tolerate hairy cats, this grooming time is worth it to have a warm bundle to love and cuddle with.

Feeding:
Sphynx have a higher metabolism. They eat more food and drink more water. (They also use the litter box more too it seems.) It’s important to feed a high quality food. Your kitten should be changed to whatever brand you want to use gradually over a couple weeks by mixing their regular food with the new food a little at a time. Their tummies are sensitive and rapid food changes may cause digestive upsets.  You might also want to add some supplemental probiotics to ease the changes.

 

Litter:    There are many types of cat litter. Each breeder has his/her favorite. Some are safer than others. We use Fresh Step.  It’s better  at controling odor than some of the others.

It’s extremely important to keep the litter box clean. Scoop it daily then dump it and wash it with soap and water rinsed with bleach water weekly. This will help to prevent the spread of disease. Your cat will thank you for it!!