Although their hairless bodies offend some people, Sphynxes make great conversation pieces and wonderful pets. Hairless cats resulted from a spontaneous mutation and are recorded in history over many years.

In reality, Sphynxes aren't completely hairless--a thin, fuzzy down covers their backs and thickens around their noses and mouths, behind their ears, on their feet and tails. Some cats have more down than others. Cats with too much hair are called furry/fuzzy variants. Most Sphynx have no whiskers. Since they're hairless, Sphynxes don't shed. However, they do need to be washed every few weeks to clean away the residue on their skin. If you don't wash them, they'll leave oily patches on your furniture. You can also towel-wash or sponge bathe them. Kittens have loose wrinkled skin that they grow into.

Although these cats come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, they're hairless, so color is really skin pigmentation. Coloured cats look as if they've been tattooed. Lines of Sphynxes differ in terms of build. According to Standard, they should be long, fine-boned, and muscular. Wrinkles are allowed only on the cats' noses. Their bellies should be full and round, but not fat. Sphynxes should have long necks and square chins. Their eyes should be deep set and slanted. They should have a definite curve in their noses. Their tails are long and whip-like. Like Devon and Cornish Rexes, their ears are large and upright.

The Sphynx is extremely sociable, but full of mischief!

Breeders