Sphynx Cat

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

Affiliate links may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosure.

A Sphynx feels like warm suede and behaves like a cat that has decided you are furniture. Affectionate, energetic, and social is accurate. They are medium cats, about 6 to 12 pounds, often living 12 to 16 years. Activity is high. The voice is moderate to loud. There is no coat to shed, and grooming is still high because the grooming is skin care.

Oil, sun, and laundry

Without hair, sebum collects in the nail beds, ear margins, and anywhere the cat touches. Plan a bath every one to two weeks once the cat is used to it, plus a weekly ear check. Use a mild shampoo made for cats and rinse until the skin is not slippery. Dirty skin gets acne and yeast. Bedding goes in the wash more often than it would with a shorthair, because the oil transfers.

They sunburn. A bright window needs shade during the harsh hours. They also chill. Keep the home in a comfortable human range and offer a heated bed with a chew-proof cord. Sweaters are optional and only useful if they stay dry and do not rub.

Food, heart, money

Hairless cats often eat more than a furred cat of the same weight because they spend calories on heat. Measure the food anyway. A Sphynx with no waist is not "big boned." Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the disease to screen in breeding cats with an echocardiogram. Dental disease shows up, as it does in many breeds with fine jaw structure. Entropion and skin hypersensitivity happen often enough to mention to a vet early.

The cost card totals about $1,700 to $3,200 a year, including skin products and a bit of clothing. That is before a cardiac scan. Kids and other pets usually work; this breed wants company and does poorly as a lone cat in an empty apartment.

The ASPCA cat care guides cover skin and nutrition in general terms. A Sphynx that skips meals gets cold and hypoglycemic faster than a fluffy cat with reserves, so the not-eating page matters here, and the checker is the right tool when you are debating whether a quiet day can wait.

Sphynx skin and heat

Do Sphynx cats need baths?

Yes, more than a haired cat. Skin oils that would sit on fur sit on the skin and on your duvet. Many owners bathe every week or two with a gentle, cat-safe product and a thorough rinse.

Are they hypoallergenic?

No. Allergens are in saliva and skin secretions. Some allergic people react less without flying hair, and some react the same. Visit an adult Sphynx before you commit.

How do you keep them warm?

They need a warm room, sun that will not burn bare skin, and a sweater only if the cat tolerates it and the fabric stays clean. A cold windowsill is not a sleeping plan in January.

What health test matters?

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Ask for cardiac ultrasound on the parents, not only a DNA panel. The breed also gets the usual dental and skin problems of a cat that lives close to your laundry.