The friendship of man and cat is not one millennium. During this time, a lot of breeds of these flexible graceful predators were brought out, but none of them caused as much controversy as sphinxes, the care and content of which differs significantly from the generally accepted kochashi.
Contents of the Sphinx in the apartment
The appearance of the sphinxes is far from the traditional image of cute fuzzy, which occurs in the majority of the word "cat". It is a large, well-built, long-pawed creature, completely devoid of wool. The skin of the sphinxes is close to human: it can tan and sweat. They are more like aliens from outer space than ordinary cats. Full care for sphinxes, cats without wool, is possible only at home, where you can maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity for them. Currently, there are three types of sphinxes: Canadian, Don and St. Petersburg (Peterbald).
Contents of the Canadian Sphynx
The only officially recognized by the world feline community is a variety of sphinxes. Her story began half a century ago, with the birth of an ordinary domestic cat bald kitten. A painstaking selection work on the continuation of 25 years resulted in the appearance of the Canadian Sphynx breed, the complexity in the care of which is due to visible hairlessness. Although these cats also look bald, in fact they are covered with a short "suede" fur. Shubka requires regular water procedures, which, to the credit of the sphinx-Canadians, pass with uncharacteristic cats tranquility.
Don Sphynx - care and content
This breed has a similar appearance on Canadians. The Don Sphynx should also receive similar care. One of the main procedures in caring for a hairless pet is bathing. If necessary, it can be replaced with a damp wipe with a soft cloth or napkins with a neutral pH. Since the sphinx-donchak lacks eyelashes, it is necessary to include in the daily aural ritual and cleansing the eyes of mucus. Huge ears will require periodic cleaning from sulfur secretions, and sharp claws need regular haircut.
Sphynx peterbald - conditions of detention
Residents of the city on the Neva can boast of their own breed of bald cats. She appeared as a result of crossing the Don Sphynx and Oriental cats . Peterbalds or St. Petersburg Sphynx cats should receive regular and delicate care and maintenance, especially as regards their skin prone to drying out. It should not only be regularly cleaned of dirt and protective secret, but also moistened. For these purposes, you can use both natural oils and regular children's cream.
Features of care for sphinxes
In the understanding of many, cats of the Sphynx breed require almost hothouse conditions. In fact, this is just one of the misconceptions. To survive the winter on the street they are unlikely to succeed, but in an apartment or house they will be quite comfortable. For the period of unheated off-season, the owners should equip the pet with a warm shelter and prepare a warmed wardrobe. And in the summer heat it is worthwhile to provide him with the opportunity to refresh himself in the fixed water and sunbathe in the sun. Sphinxes are necessary and regular communication with people - hugs, games and even conversations.
All varieties of sphinxes have a tendency to overeating, so it is worth taking them with special gravity to choosing a diet and maintaining a diet. Such are the Sphinxes, that leaving and keeping them in the house brings not only joy, but also certain hassles. To a pet can lose excess energy and maintain itself in good physical shape without compromising the home environment, it is worthwhile to establish for him a special playground or at least give some time to the mobile games.
Care for newborn sphinxes
Small, covered with numerous skin folds, newborn kittens of the Sphinx care and care are received mainly from the mother cat. If both the cat and the offspring are healthy and have not received any postpartum complications, all the worries of the owners are reduced only to ensuring sufficient caloric intake for the nursing mother. But sometimes the intervention of a person in a feline family is simply necessary:
- Kitten's disease. Healthy newborn sphinxes are tightly knocked down and round. They actively suck milk, while the oral cavity and tongue are damp and have a pink color. Skin folds during pulling back quickly to the place, and the skin itself is warm and dry to the touch. Kittens sleep much, while their heads are tilted forward and their paws are pulled up to the tummy. When moving away from the maternal heat, the healthy baby actively moves in her direction. If the kitten is sluggish, does not want to eat, squeaks and sleeps spreading paws - this is an occasion to immediately show it to the vet.
- Disease or death of a cat. If the sphinx was left without maternal care, the best way for them to become a cat is the nurse, who will be able to provide the necessary care for the kids. It does not matter what kind of breed it will be. If such an option is not possible, kittens-sphinxes care and maintenance should be obtained in an incubator with a temperature of at least 27-32 ° C. That kids did not suck each other, for the first time they will have to be divided by partitions (up to 15 days of life). To feed kittens is best a special milk substitute, and for normal operation of the intestine it is necessary to regularly wipe with a damp warm cloth (simulate licking).
Skin Care Sphinx
The skin of bald cats in its characteristics is very similar to the human. Care for a kitten sphinx, just as for an adult animal of this breed must necessarily include hygiene procedures:
- Bathing. To wash the animal is best in the bathroom, picking up water to the level of his chest. Putting the cat in the bath, you should gently pour it with water from the bucket, avoiding water ingress into your ears. You can conduct this procedure not more than 2-3 times a month.
- Wiping. To get rid of contaminants in hard-to-reach places, for example, on the withers, you can also use rubbing with a damp cloth or napkins. In especially neglected cases, you can use alcohol lotion. They can not help but appreciate the Sphynx sissies care and keeping their tender skin clean in this way.
- Humidification. With frequent bathing or burning in the sun, the animal's skin can begin to peel off and even climb. Cope with a similar problem will help a normal children's cream, which should be in small portions to rub in problem areas.
Eye Care Sphinx
Hairlessness and lack of eyelashes lead to the fact that daily care of sphinxes includes mandatory examination of the eyes. In a healthy animal, eyes are washed with the secret of the lacrimal glands, which can accumulate in the corners. The master's task is to carefully remove it with a wet wadded disk. For washing the eyes, you can use both ordinary water and herbal tea (eg chamomile) or tea. The presence of yellow or green discharge from the eyes is a signal for an urgent visit to the veterinarian.
Features of care for a pregnant cat of the Sphynx breed
Those who decide to engage in breeding of hairless cats, it must be remembered that the prepared for maternity Sphynx cat care and maintenance should receive appropriate.
- Firstly, during pregnancy, it increases sharply the need for calories. Therefore, it will have to feed it somewhat more often than a normal adult animal.
- Secondly, a few weeks before the proposed birth, the cat needs to be given the opportunity to equip its future nest, for example, to bring a box that is 30-40 cm larger than the length of the cat's body.
What to feed the Sphinx?
Regardless of the variety of the pet: Canadian, St. Petersburg or Don Sphinx, care and nutrition will require the owner's attention and firmness of character. The fact is that sphinxes are by nature a glutton - the absence of wool significantly speeds up their energy exchange. To avoid excessive appetite leads to obesity, you must adhere to the diet. Feeding bald cats can only be fed premium or natural food. In this case, the ration should necessarily include low-fat meat, chicken eggs, low-fat dairy products and vegetables.