Hairless cats have been documented
as spontaneous mutations for over 100 years. A couple attempts
were made to set up a breeding program, but failed. That is
until the mid ‘70’s when a stray domestic shorthair produced
two hairless kittens. These kittens eventually went to live
in Portland and became very important foundation cats for
the breed.
In the late ‘70’s three hairless kittens were rescued from
the streets of Toronto, Canada. These kittens were sent to
live with a geneticist dude in the Netherlands, who figured
that crossing these kittens with Devon Rex would produce favorable
results. The American and European sphinx lines have crossed
to make the kitties we breed today. There was a time when
outcrossing Sphynx to Devon’s was permitted, but this is no
longer the case. While outcrossing is very important, domestic
shorthairs or American shorthairs are all that are used. From
time to time, spontaneous mutation hairless kittens are born
to normal coated cats. These kittens are then usually worked
into breeding programs to give genetic diversity and strengthen
the breed.
» Healthy? Yes, very! Sphynx are very strong and healthy
cats, with little genetic problems. Just watch those teeth.
» Hypoallergenic? No. No animal is truly hypoallergenic,
although many people who have allergies to cat dander can
live in relative comfort with Sphynx. Many people are allergic
to an enzyme in a cat’s saliva, and all cats groom themselves.
But since Sphynx groom themselves a little less, it is possible
that allergies may be less severe. If you’re only allergic
to dander, you may be in luck. Sphynx produce much less dander
and no furballs. The best thing to do is to visit a cattery
and see how you react. You may still need to wash your hands
after petting, but many times allergic reactions are minimal.
I have two friends who are allergic to cats, one has absolutely
no reaction when in my house, and the other has some, but
not nearly to the extent as she normally does.
» Personality? Galore!! Everything you read about Sphynx
tells you the same thing… These kitties are nuts! They’re
like little dogs! They run to the door to say hello when you
come home, or stand in front of it to try to keep you from
leaving. They smooch anyone that comes in the house, and generally
hop from lap to lap to get lovins from everyone. They get
along with everyone and everything. Kids, people who hate
cats, dogs, whatever. They love to snuggle and curl up under
the blankets. Ask anyone that’s ever had a Sphynx in their
family, these are the best cats EVER!
