OUR STORY:
In 1990 I met my first Sphynx kittens. They were spritely, playful and wore sweaters. I thought of them consistently for the next 30 years. I lived in Alaska during most of that time and thought it would be unfair to have a clowder given the climate conditions. Eventually, I moved to Oregon, and the weather has proven to be more agreeable. A lifelong dream is manifesting. Time to brush the dust off it. It took a bit of effort to find the right breeder, and the rest is history. Fell in love with Castellina, my first female, and decided to begin a life of raising the precious felines. They are smart and spunky, and their average weight is 8-10 pounds. Many owners have enjoyed a cat’s company for more than a decade as they live 15-20 years. They enjoy hanging with their person or people, and many have been known to sleep with their people under the covers. They enjoy laps of all sizes, are good with well mannered children. They love people, and will run to greet you at the door when you arrive home. Friendly, and intelligent, they seek the spotlight, playfully finding ways to make you laugh. I’ve heard them described as a cat, dog, monkey child. I can’t help but think that to be true. They are mildly chatty, a welcome characteristic in this home. They are easy to train, they will play with you for hours if you indulge them. Being indoor cats, they adapt to the running wheel, and take to it readily. They are athletic, and easily bored. They like toys, stalking lures, and tall scratching posts to keep them entertained. They are prone to chilling, and will be found in the warmest spot in the house. Ours are provided cat caves, with warmers under them. Sphynx are so active, they rarely become overweight. Most can free feed without concern for weight gain. Keep them on a high protein diet to keep them healthy and coat shiny. What coat? They aren’t necessarily hairless, and many have a short coat, that can change with the seasons. They aren’t necessarily hypo allergenic either. People with allergies to cats, whether it is saliva or dander, should proceed with caution. While the Sphynx have minimal dander, their saliva may produce allergic reaction to anyone with such allergy. The hairless cat requires minimal grooming. The natural oils of the skin can get on your furniture and clothes. I often put a sweater on Lulu to protect my clothes because she is a “greaseball.” She got that name for a reason. They are bathed when they need it. Once or twice monthly, although I trim nails once a week. Their ears and paw pads need attention to keep them clean, again, because of the natural oils they produce. Sunbathing should be kept to a minimum as their skin has no protection from damaging rays, and could get burned. The common medical conditions are Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), or a thickening of the heart muscle which makes the heart work much harder to pump adequate blood supply. Recent genetic findings have helped many breeders attenuate the recessive gene that may be associated with up to 60 percent of the cases. Sassy Sisters breeding cats have been genetically tested, and are scanned annually to assess healthy conditions for healthy offspring.
