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Sphynx
The Sphynx are well-muscled and robustly healthy medium sized cats, with a few obvious weaknesses. Their body is sturdy and heavy, covered with extremely little fur, or at most a short fuzz over its body, and no whiskers (vibrissae). They also have very strong necks and legs. Their skin is the color their fur would be, and all the usual cat marking patterns (solid, point, van, tabby, tortie, etc) may be found in Sphynx too. Their unusual
almost uncatlike appearance make them sometimes mistaken for Chihuahuas . It is essential to keep a Sphynx cat warm and free from drafts, especially during kittenhood, as they have no more protection from cold than a naked human would. They tend to get dirty and greasy, since their skin produces the same oils as a fully-furred cat. Each hair follicle has an oil gland but the oil is not spread over fur as usual.
ORIGIN: Although hairless cats have been reported throughout history (hairless cats seem to appear naturally about every 15 years or so), and breeders in Canada have been working on the Sphynx breed since the early 1960's, the current American and European Sphynx breed is descended from two lines of natural mutations: Dermis and Epidermis (1975) from the Pearsons of Wadena, MN, USA and Bambi, Punkie, and Paloma (1978) found in Toronto, ON, Canada and raised by Shirley Smith.
Other links: FBRL TICA ACFA CCA WCF CFA
