To answer the question above – yes, they are a very real thing, and many people love them. While we are always used to seeing cats with lots of furs, these guys are bred to intentionally not have hair and are referred to as naked or hairless cats. More about them can be found on this website.
These unique felines, also known as the Sphinx, are just as fun and loving as the rest of them and if you are not sure if they are the ones for you, keep reading to find out more about these creatures so you can make the right decision.
Caring for Hairless or Naked Cats
Just like felines with fur, these too need a lot of care, in terms of their grooming needs, sensitivity to different temperatures and diets, the more you know about them the better your decision will be.
Grooming your cat: these bald moggies, even though they have no hair, they still do have grooming needs. The main reason cats have fur is to absorb any excess oils into their skin. But because these don’t, they most often need regular baths as their skin can get pretty oily. The recommendation is once a week. They also lack eyelashes, and as a result, dirt can get into and around their eyes much easier than those with eyelashes.
Their ears gather excess wax too, so need to be cleaned at the same time you bathe them. Grime can also accumulate between their toes and may cause an infection if you’re not too careful. Bathing them needs to be done carefully, and once they’re out, you should dry them immediately using a soft towel and do not rub them as their skin may get chapped. Bathing them more than once a week can dry their skin.
These Sphynx type cats do need a bit extra TLC (tender loving care) but it is worth it if you have the time and patience. Look at bath time as you would with an infant, just one with claws. As cats do not like water, be gentle and coax him into first getting comfortable then applying the pet shampoo on his skin, but never be rough with them.
An alternative to immersing them completely into the water is to use a damp soft washcloth with the shampoo in one and a clean wet one to follow up.
Health Issues with Hairless Felines
One of the most common health conditions to affect cats is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a problem that causes their heart muscles to enlarge making it hard for blood to circulate and oxygen flow to be normal to the rest of the body: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center because this condition affects their hearts, and this is the main organ that keeps the rest of their body operating properly, it can cause issues in other parts of their body.
The recommendation from many veterinarians is to get regular echocardiograms done so that if there is a chance of this happening it is caught in its early stages.
The other issue that can affect them is one of their teeth. Dental issues, as far as cats go, can be a major problem if you do not brush your teeth regularly. The best thing is to take them to the vet to do it for you and to also show you how it is done properly using a special brush. Sometimes their teeth may need to be extracted if the problem gets worse and it can be a costly affair for you and a painful experience for them.
Temperature Sensitivity
As you can imagine, because they do not have a thick coat of fur to shield them from colds and heat, they can be sensitive to different weather conditions. They could either get too cold in the winter seasons or too hot during the summer.
In reality, all cats should be indoor felines but many pet owners let theirs roam free. With the Sphynx breeds, it may not be possible to let this happen, especially if you don’t want them getting dirty, hurt or get mites from other street cats.
If the temperature drops, be sure to clothe them in a cat sweater, and if it gets too hot, always make sure there is a source of water for them to dip themselves in to cool down.
Ultimately, if there is a source of shade, freshwater for them to drink and protective clothing for them to wear, they’ll be comfortable. Some pet stores offer sunscreen for animals, but be sure that it is the sensitive or mild kind and never use human sunscreen on their skins.
One of the best things you can do is to maintain their skin, and health, through a proper diet. You will want to invest in high-quality pet food and none of the stuff that has artificial ingredients and fillers that will make them sick.
The food they eat will directly affect the amount of oil their skin produces, so if you give them high-quality and healthy food varieties, they will not produce too much oil and will stay happy and healthy at all times too.
Sometimes it may not be that obvious to recognize these issues but with the right care and treatment, you can keep a lot of these things at bay and raise a happy, healthy feline in the breed of Sphinx.
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