Thursday, December 07, 2006

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen#14 - 13 Questions about Sphynx cats answered, in honour of our new Sphynx kitten Dragonheart :hug:
  1. Can people with allergies live with Sphynx?

    Some people who suffer from cat allergies can tolerate living with Sphynx cats. However, depending on the type and severity of the individual's allergic reactions, there are still people who cannot live with this breed.
    My husband is allergic to cats, but fortunately he can tolerate Sphynx. Dragonheart doesn't bother his allergies at all.

  2. Are Sphynx friendly?

    You bet! Sphynx are friendly, extremely inquisitive and love to be the center of attention.

  3. What do they feel like?

    Dragonheart, our Sphynx, feels like a warm chamois to pet. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, "The texture of the Sphynx skin has been likened to suede, a hot water bottle, or a heated chamois."

  4. Do they get cold?

    Sphynx get cold only if it is cold enough for a human to also be cold. If a human needs a sweater indoors, chances are Sphynx need one too, although they're also happy to find a warm human to curl up with (or another cat or even a dog if they are around).
    Also, Sphynx have a very high natural metabolism. Because of this higher metabolism, they eat more and more often than "regular cats" do, and need to be fed very high quality pet food. Their bodies have to work harder than that of other cats to keep themselves warm, due to the lack of fur.

  5. Are Sphynx completely hairless?

    Sphynx are not always totally hairless; they can have fine down on the body. Some light hair is often present on the nose, tail and toes. Dragonheart is hairless except on the bridge of his nose.

  6. With the lack of whiskers, do they lack the sensitivity other cats have?

    Sphynx do not have any whiskers, or if they are present, they are short and sparse. Dragonheart has very short, curly whiskers. Sphynx do not seem to suffer for their lack of whiskers. As to why, no one knows! But even when it is dark out, Sphynx have no problems getting around, they get their bearings easily, don't bump into furniture, and love acrobatics of all sorts. They are very agile cats. So this is one fact about Sphynx that remains a mystery!

  7. Are Sphynx sensitive to the sun?

    It depends on the colour of their skin. White Sphynx are more sun-sensitive, and will burn if shade is not provided for them. Sphynx are very intelligent cats, however, and if they feel their skin becoming warm, they will seek shelter in a shaded area.

  8. Do Sphynx cats clean themselves like other cats?

    Sphynx do clean themselves with their tongues, like other cats do. However, because of the lack of hair that would normally absorb body oils, Sphynx need to be bathed periodically. Their self-bathing isn't sufficient to remove all the oil. Dragonheart needs to be bathed about once a week to keep him healthy.

  9. Why are they called Sphynx?

    A Cat Fanciers' Association judge, David Mare, named them in 1973. To him, these cats resembled a famous Egyptian cat statue in the Louvre in Paris. When he thought of Egypt, he thought of the many Egyptian sphinxes, including the Great Sphinx. Thus this breed of hairless cats came to be known as Sphynx.

  10. What colours can Sphynx be?

    Sphynx come in almost every colour imaginable. Cat breeders in Europe and North America have bred the Sphynx to normal coated cats and then back to hairless for more than thirty years. This produced a wider gene pool for the breed and allowed the modern Sphynx to exhibit most of the eye and color patterns available in many of today's cat breeds.

  11. How large do Sphynx become?

    The Sphynx is a medium-sized cat. On average, adult females weigh 6-8 pounds while males are 8-10 pounds. Dragonheart's breeder thinks that he will be a large Sphynx, like his grandfather, who was 15 lbs.

  12. How old is Dragonheart?

    He's currently 4 and a half months old.

  13. Have you logged Dragonheart on Catster?

    Catster

    Scratch your own badge
    Visit my family

    He also has his own blog, which you can check out if you want to learn more about Sphynx.


If you have any other questions about Sphynx, or about Dragonheart, leave your question in your comment, and I'll try to answer them in future Thursday Thirteens.


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

46 comments:

Sonny said...

Interesting list!
And cute kitty!!!

Hugs and Happy TT from Germany,
Sonny

http://sweetlikekitty.blogspot.com

Norma said...

You are well informed about your new kitty. May you all be very happy together.

My TT is up. http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2006/12/thirteen-things-ive-been-wondering.htm

Tink said...

I love cats, but I didn't know much about Sphynx. Thanks for educating me, very interesting.
Thanks for visiting my divination TT.

Anonymous said...

Good to know! I don't think they're quite my cup of tea though. Hope he has a long healthy life with you :)

MaR said...

That was very, very interesting! some wikipedia type of TT :)
happy thursday!

The Mistress of the Dark said...

Oh my, what a kitty. The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the kitty was poor thing must freeze in the winter.

Happy TT

Anonymous said...

That was a great list and I learned so much I didn't know. Thatnks for putting it together. Dragonheart is a looker, that's for sure!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know anything about the sphynx before this. Good job.

ChupieandJ'smama (Janeen) said...

Interesting facts about your kitty! I love all the pictures. Have a great Thursday:)

Unknown said...

I think I'm going to look into getting a Sphynx. The more I look at your pictures, the more I like them. Thanks for the informative list!

Unknown said...

Dragonheart is such a beauty!
Thanks for sharing this informative list. Hope everything´s fine in Munich (not as stormy and rainy as it is here in Duisburg)

Soooooo beautiful! I fell head over heels in love with the bouncing snowman =)

Happy TT,
S.

Nathalie said...

I always had my doubts about hairless cats, but he looks adorably cute in his little sweater! :)
Happy TT!!!

Darla said...

Oh, very interesting! I didn't know much about this breed at all. Thanks!

Uisce said...

Wow, I seem to learn something new every week!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what an interesting list.

Heather said...

I think the Sphynx cats are so neat! Every one I've ever met has always been so friendly. Great list!!

Anonymous said...

That was a great 13. That's the kind of cat my daughter needs cause of her asthma.

I'm up also.

Karla Porter Archer said...

how handsome in the sweater!

Great list!

Blessings,
Karla

Carmen said...

i learned so much! and Dragonheart's name fits perfectly, i think.

Cin said...

Hi Caylynn. This is a great list - I've met a couple of Sphynx's before, but their owners weren't as forthcoming as you. Hope Dragonheart is settling in nicely!

Cheers!
Cin
http://aventurista.blogspot.com

Kukka-Maria said...

Please, please, PLEASE do not tell Dragonheart I said this, but he sort of looks like a Pug Dog in that bottom photo.

If he's anything like me...he'll detest the comparison.

I think bald tomcats are hot! ROWR!

Gattina said...

Ah my little friend ! and it's true when I saw a shpynx cat for the first time I also thought about the sculptures of egyptian cats. I have two of them one in malachite and the other in Lapislazuli which our son brought me from Egypt. And they really look very similar to Drake.

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

thanks for sharing.. i know very little about them...well now I know much more

Twyla said...

Very interesting list. I have to admit that I knew nothing about Sphynx cats. I always thought they were mean cats...thanks for clearing up those myths. :-)

Cinnamon Girl said...

That is an awesome cat!

Anonymous said...

Welcome to your new baby! That photo with the sweater is too cute.
Very interesting info on this breed, which I never knew.
Happy TT.

alisonwonderland said...

i love learning new things! thanks for the information and for sharing Dragonheart with all of us.

happy TT!

Angela/SciFiChick said...

I love that Friends episode with the Sphynx cat.. so funny!
Good to know they aren't all that mean.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the info. Everytime I see that type of cat I think of that one Episode of Friends. :) Happy TT!

Anonymous said...

I so didn't know that about those cats. It's funny how some animals will bring out allergies and some won't it depends on the person. My mother is so allergic to animals, except our late dog Pepper who was a chihuahua (not hairless), and that's the only dog she wasn't allergic too, I wonder how she would be with a syphnx cat? I think they're so cute. Happy TT

Sue said...

Great TT. It was very interesting. He's very cute!

Thanks for visiting.

Mo and The Purries said...

thank you for answering so many questions about Sphynx cats!
I had no idea they didn't usually have whiskers!
Our TT#12 is posted at
Purrchance To Dream
This week it's a Random Things Thursday Thirteen!

~ Not The Mama

K said...

I just love your cat!! Thanks for answering all these interesting questions about him! He's so cute and seems so sweet!

TopChamp said...

Hello - Happy TT!

I noticed that bathing Dragonheart went well - glad to see that! If he hadn't liked it that could have been tricky.

Carol said...

Are they hypoallergenic?

Julie in Texas said...

Fascinating Caylynn! Thanks for posting.

My TT is up. Childhood memories.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing about your sweet kitten. I've learned a lot.

Amanda said...

Interesting information on your kitten! Great pictures.

Zeus said...

Somebody has to represent your breed, and you do it well, Dragonheart. Your humans are lucky to have you, and don't you ever let them tell you it's the other way around.

A very interesting and educational list! Happy Thursday to you, and thanks for coming by today!

Julie said...

Thanks for the information about this very special cat breed! I love all cats and thought that I knew alot about them, but I never knew that Sphynx kitties needed to be bathed, or that they lacked whiskers.
I'll have to stop by Dragonheart's Catster page :)

John Holland said...

Cool list. It's interesting to learn more about this type of cat. All I know is from Rachel on Friends.

Sylvia Day said...

Awesome post. Very informative!

Happy TT!

Anonymous said...

I did not know any of that. Very interesting. I love Dragonheart's name.

I have a cat. And, she weighs way more than 10 pounds. I think she needs to go on a kitty diet.

Anonymous said...

I'm a cat lover and I've always wondered about the Sphynx. Thanks for the info.

Domestic Goddess said...

Very interesting. Things I never knew before.

Thanks for stopping by.

tiggerprr said...

I think it's so cool you found a way to work around your hubby's allergies so you could have a cat in your home! :) Thanks for all the info! :)