VERY IMPORTANT – Avoid Ketamine, a COMMONLY USED anesthetic that has been shown to be harmful to exotic breeds. Also, Sphynx cats produce black ear wax and this can be a surprise to a vet without experience with the breed. The black wax doesn’t mean that your cat has mites. (If your cat has ear mites scratching and head-shaking will accompany the buildup.)
Food: All of our cats and kittens are on “100% RAW” due to continued education of its benefits to our babies and education of the truth about packaged pet foods. After using it we are completely convinced that it’s the best for them.
It’s so important to us we created its own page, read more about RAW Diet here.
A great forum on Facebook is “Cats Completely Raw And Proud (Cat CRAP)”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatCrap/ It’s a closed group if you want to join just message us or another member.
Felines are obligate carnivores! Please join the above group and decide for yourself but we have seen miracles in the healing of digestive, skin, respiratory, and urinary tract issues from simply switching to raw. If you have any of these issues and keeping in mind all of these can be misdiagnosed as other diseases, and are not feeding a good raw recipe, please consider it before consulting a vet because sadly all most vets participate in the promotion of one brand of food or another and thus wouldn’t likely recommend raw.
Water: Of course, fresh water is important for all animals and humans alike but we have found that actively promoting fresh drinking water for our kittens/cats is the key to good health and even avoiding vet visits. All of our cats/kittens have pet fountains and because we fill them frequently we know they drink lots more with the fountain than a standard water bowl so we highly recommend you invest in one. We rinse/clean them often ( about weekly) and fill them daily because, of course, we have a house full of beautiful Sphynx. We don’t have to change the filters very often because we use RO water. Just change as needed.
“UPDATE” – the below fountain is our new favorite because it has a basin that will still be accessible even in the case of a pump failure. Fountains should always be cleaned regularly and monitored to ensure they are functioning properly. Around $27 with free shipping; including cleaning brushes and filters. I have actually started popping the filter cartridges open with a knife and filling them with activated carbon pellets I buy in bulk on amazon as well because I like them better than the ones they sell. It saves me money and seems to work better.
Litter: Dust can be an issue with hairless cats as their lack of hairs in their noses prevents normal filtration so the more Dust Free the better. You will hear lots of opinions about hairless cats and litter. Another issue is that without hair on their paws they do track litter, that’s just something you will battle. We have tried them all and will continue to try them as they come out. While we respect everyone to make their own choice for what they feel is best, our experience has found that the best so far is “HEB BRAND” Multi-Cat Clumping – It’s the least dusty and works best for us. Another we have used and works okay are a few of the Tidy Cats® instant actions in the large plastic tubs. The best seems to be Red and the 2nd best is light blue. They are both marked 99% dust free but BEWARE the black one. (The BLACK one is not labeled Dust Free at all) .
Skin Care: We used to bathe our cats/kittens weekly starting when they were very young because of the oily buildup on their skin, but since we have switched to the “RAW DIET” we just bathe as needed, and it’s not often at all. While bathing can be a lot of fun and Just as with babies this can become a pleasant experience for all involved it can also dry out their skin. We encourage it as required and each cat/kitten is different of course just as each of our skin is different. There is no absolute rule on this but pay close attention to your baby’s skin and watch for oily buildup because it can cause skin issues.
Diet plays a HUGE role in the oiliness you see mentioned so often. If you don’t feed them a raw diet, you will need to bathe them often. Their skin is more prone to oil and the issues that bring such as bumps or pimples. Also, yeast infections or spots are common and easily treated with normal yeast infection creme from the drug store that women would use for yeast infections. Many people mistake yeast spots for ringworm but you will find that with the above creme they dry up within a few days and they will leave a dark spot on the skin which will disappear with time. The “Blue” and darker cats/kittens show everything but it all fades. It’s just part of having their delicate skin. Of course, you can always just ask your Vet but if yours is not familiar with hairless cats’ skin they could easily make a misdiagnosis.
Bath Water Temperature should be just as you would a baby, test with your forearm and it should be “just right,” being careful not to be too warm or cold. Weekly baths are recommended using tear-free baby shampoo seems to work for us. As with all cats but especially hairless avoid getting water directly in the ears. We use a slightly damped washcloth to wash their faces and inside ears. A fresh dryer towel or blanket can be a wonderful way to finish bath time.
Baby shampoo will work fine, we prefer the Aveeno brand.
Ears: Weekly ear cleaning is very good for your kitten/cat. You can use a normal ear cleaner from the Vet and Q-Tips. As with any baby, you should be very careful with the ear drum.
If you see a black waxy appearance that’s a sign of a yeast infection or ear mites in their ears and should be treated with a cream or drops from the vet on a Q-Tip twice daily until you find the black stops appearing. It’s very common and more of a routine maintenance than something you should worry about.
Room Temperature: Hairless cats obviously can get chilled easily. We always have little fleece blankets laying around for them to cuddle up in. You will learn to check blankets and covers before you sit to avoid crushing them. You can easily hurt them if you do plop down on them accidentally.
Sphynx do have special care needs and sensitivities and are commonly misdiagnosed. Consider nutrition above all when treating issues!
WE ARE NOT VETS but if you have any questions we are always available for you and love for our new “parents” to stay in touch, send us pictures, and ask any question you want anytime.
Share things you learn about your new baby and let’s work together to give true care to them.