The Sphynx cat is a breed of cat known for its lack of coat (fur). It was developed through selective breeding, starting in the 1960s. The skin should have the texture of chamois, as it has fine hairs. Whiskers may be present, either whole or broken, or may be totally absent. Their skin is the color that their fur would be, and all the usual cat markings (solid, point, van, tabby, tortie, etc.) may be found on the Sphynx cat’s skin. Because they have no coat, they lose more body heat than coated cats. This makes them warm to the touch as well as heat-seeking.

A common misconception with Sphynx is that they need weekly or bi-weekly bathing. I do not find this to be true, and find monthly bathing to be appropriate. Skin quality is dictated by several factors; genetics, diet, and environment. Feeding a balanced diet improves the over all health and appearance and cleanliness of the skin.

Keep in mind, ear cleaning should still be done on a weekly basis. As a Sphynx has no hair in and around the base of the ear, they do produce a higher quantity of ear wax to account for a greater quantity of debris entering the ear canal. This can be gently cleaned out using an ear cleaning solution like Epi-Otic or Zymox Enzymatic Ear Cleaner and some cotton pads. All Rose Country Sphynx are habituated to ear cleaning, bathing and nail trimming from a very young age so that they handle this process easier in their new homes.

The sphynx breed does have instances of the genetic disorder hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Studies are being undertaken to understand the links in breeding and the disorder. The Sphynx cat has a high rate of heart disease, either HCM or mitral valve dysplasia.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a form of heart muscle disease where the muscular walls of the ventricles become abnormally thickened. The disease is showing itself to be genetic, and there lies the importance of annual scanning of breeding cats. Although it is possible a cat can develop HCM later on in life even if it has been previously scanning negative, it is still the best tool we have to try to eliminate this disease in Sphynx. HCM can sometimes progress very slowly and initial symptoms can be subtle and at times nonexistant. HCM can affect any cat and any breed (as well as domestics).