Care Guide
 

Food & Water

Most breeders recommend mixing both Eukanuba and Science Diet Formula. Mix the Eukanuba Food (60%) into a Ziploc Bag with Science Diet (40%). We suggest 60% of Eukanuba because it is much cheaper than Science Diet.

Start with the kitten formula until they are a little over a year old.  At that time, gradually start giving them 60% of Eukanuba Adult formula (ours like the chicken flavor), and 40% Science Diet Adult Optimal Care formula.

It is recommended that you give your cat fresh water every morning. Breeders recommend giving your Sphynx bottled or Distilled water.

Kitten Formula
Adult Formula

Heat & Clean Environment

Sphynx cats need to be warm because they have no fur. We try to keep our house at 70° F when possible. If it is colder than 70°, we put a sweater on our Sphynx. Since they do not have fur, they have a very high metabolism that keeps their body temperature up. Try to leave a blanket out so they can sleep under it if it gets cold. Our Sphynx likes to curl up under our bed covers. 

Try keeping your house baby safe. These little guys get into a lot so go around and pick up anything they might think is a play toy. Some plants can be dangerous and cause them to become sick or even die.

Baths

Unlike normal cats, most Sphynx cats love baths. You must give them a bath at least once a week (no more than twice). This keeps their skin soft and gets rid of the oils on their skin. You will need to put a few inches of warm water in your tub (NOT HOT or COLD) and wash them with Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Try to keep the soap away from their eyes. After you have cleaned them all over, use a cup to rinse the soap off them. Have a dry towel ready to wrap them in. Since they have no fur, they dry very fast. After their bath, keep them under a blanket if it is cold in your house.

Ears

Since these little guys do not have hair inside their ears, they often become dirty. Use baby wipes to clean inside their ears and remove any dirt and wax. You may use a cotton swab but do not put it deep inside their ear. They also sell ear cleaning solution at most pet stores. If their ears are really bad and you notice a lot of black wax, this may be a symptom of an ear infection and you should take your Sphynx to a vet so they can irrigate their ears.

Eyes

Sphynx cats lack eyelashes so they get black crust in the corners of their eyes. You must clean the crust out of their eyes frequently. Use a wet Kleenex to gently wipe their eyes. They also sell cat eye wipes at most pet stores. DO NOT use Baby Wipes because these contain perfumes that irritate their eyes.

Nails

You will need to clean your cats nails and feet weekly. It is a good idea to do this when you give them their weekly bath. When you trim their nails, look for the pink vein that is visible inside the nails. Do not cut this vein or it will cause bleeding and soreness. Some breeders suggest to never de-claw your Sphynx, but if you choose to have your cat de-clawed only use laser de-clawing. This technique is a little more expensive but it does not harm your cats feet and their natural balance.

Litter

You will need to empty their litter box every morning. If you do not do this, they could start doing their business on your floors or furniture. We recommend Arm and Hammer Super Scoop litter because it works well to block the smells.

Flea Meds and Shots

NEVER GIVE YOUR SPHYNX SHOTS OR FLEA MEDS as this could kill them. Your breeder should have given your Sphynx their required shots when they were born. Veterinarians will sometimes suggest giving your cat shots at their annual checkup, please contact your breeder before they do this. Most Vets have never seen a Sphynx cat before and do not know anything about the breed. These cats do not need some of the shots normal cats do. Once reason is because they never go outside. Keep your Sphynx away from other cats so they do not pick up diseases from them. Sphynx cats can get fleas but they are very easy to see and do not stay on them since they have no fur to hide in. Just pick them off and spray the areas they lay with flea spray.

Punishing your Sphynx

If your Sphynx does something wrong and you want to punish them, clap loudly saying "NO"!  Never hit them because they will not understand what they have done wrong and will just end up being afraid of you.