Care and Breed Information:

Sphynx Temperament and Sphynx Care: The Sphynx cat is one of the most loving cats there are. Even if you don't think they are the most attractive, their personality definitely will make up for it! They ride on your shoulders, curl up on your lap, walk right on your heels (just like a dog) and even sleep under the covers with you.

The Sphynx is an almost hairless cat that feels like a soft, warm, fuzzy peach. Due to this "hairlessness", they are INDOOR ONLY cats. Outside parasites, extreme temperatures (hot or cold), and the sun will cause your Sphynx great harm, up to and including death. Please make sure your Sphynx is a house pet for life.

Due to the "hairlessness" of the Sphynx breed, they may require a bath frequently, which they tend to tolerate quite well. Depending on the amount of fuzz they have, they can go about a week to ten days between baths. Please keep this "maintenance" issue in mind before deciding this breed is for you. In addition to baths, Sphynx require weekly ear cleaning, nail clipping, nail cleaning, eye cleaning, and lots of love.
Be aware that we do not permit any of our Sphynx babies to be declawed!! SEE BELOW:
Providing appropriate scratching materials and gentle training with a squirt bottle (no hitting, please) will encourage baby to only scratch where he/she is allowed.

If you take care of your Sphynx properly, feed them premium food, and love them unconditionally, they will lead long, happy and healthy lives.

Please go to www.declawing.com for more information, but here are a few details regarding the declawing procedure.

The Cat’s Claws
Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw and leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves are naturally designed to support and distribute the cat's weight across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs. A cat's claws are used for balance, for exercising, and for stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders, and paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own clawhold - similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch and tone the muscles of its back and shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder and back muscles and joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes.

Understanding Declawing (Onychectomy)
The anatomy of the feline claw must be understood before one can appreciate the severity of declawing. The cat's claw is not a nail as is a human fingernail, it is part of the last bone (distal phalanx) in the cat's toe. The cat’s claw arises from the unguicular crest and unguicular process in the distal phalanx of the paw (see above diagram). Most of the germinal cells that produce the claw are situated in the dorsal aspect of the ungual crest. This region must be removed completely, or regrowth of a vestigial claw and abcessation results. The only way to be sure all of the germinal cells are removed is to amputate the entire distal phalanx at the joint.

Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger.