Caring For Your Sphynx

Sphynx are an indoor cat, and require regular bathing and grooming.

Some Sphynx will build up oil quicker than others, so it is quite an individual basis as to how often your Sphynx will need bathing. Contributing factors can be; environment, diet, hormones.

Some Sphynx may need bathing every 2 weeks, others may be every 2 months.

Ears will require a wipe out once/twice weekly, which is a 1 minute task.

You must be prepared to have a litter tray in the house for the duration of your cats life. My cats enjoy the luxury of having a Litter Robot – a great option if ‘scooping the poop’ is something you wish to avoid.

My cats enjoy their One Fast Cat Wheel. We are the NZ exclusive distributor of this cat wheel, made in the USA. It provides fantastic exercise and entertainment for an indoor cat.

Leaving doors & windows open will result in your Sphynx disappearing permanently. Sphynx have been bred for many generations to be an indoor cat and do not have the street skills, temperament or fur coverage to survive outside. They are likely to be run over by a car, attacked by a dog, or stolen, as they are such a unique and rare breed.

DO NOT LET YOUR SPHYNX GET OUTSIDE OR LET IT GO OUTSIDE UNSUPERVISED!

Should you wish to entertain or have windows open in hot weather, you will need to place your Sphynx into a seperate room or area where there is no risk of them getting out.

Sphynx are intelligent, active & curious. They want to be with you, on you, or near you. they love to sleep in or on your bed. You will never be alone or lonely with a Sphynx in your home. Care must be taken in the kitchen as Sphynx can easily jump onto a bench/stove/cooktop.

Your Sphynx enjoys sunshine, you will find they will follow the sun around your house. You can take them outside on a harness & lead, or have an outside area that is cat proof or a cat enclosure for short times outside. Please be aware that Sphynx will get sunburnt just like we do. They do feel the cold just as we would without any clothing on. They enjoy a warm house, so in winter they will require a house with good heating e.g, heat pump, fire plus a heated bed, or clothing to maintain their body heat.

Sphynx have the same body temperature as furry cats, but expend more energy trying to maintain their body temperature. This means they often eat more food than a furry cat, and will therefore defecate more often than a furry cat. Something to consider when considering this indoor only breed.

Some of the basic essentials are:

  • Bathe your Sphynx cat as required – less is best – they vary in their requirements
  • Clip the nails every 3-4 weeks
  • Clean the ears once a week or more if needed. Baby wipes and cotton buds are the best cleaning equipment.