Low Maintenance Cats?

It is very important to understand that just because Sphynx don’t have fur they are NOT low maintenance! Here is what I do to take care of my kitties. This, of course, varies from owner to owner and sometimes day to day, but it should give you a good basis to start with. If you have any questions about any of the things I do, please email me. tsmacks@gmail.com

Daily:

*Feed. This will vary from cat to cat. It is very important that you do not feed your pets junk food.  I feed all my animals Evo Innova. Other Premium cat food brands are: Wellness, Felidae, Spa Select, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul…That is just to name a few. To change things up a bit for the kittens I will add water to their dry food and heat for 30 sec. let cool and feed. Also add boiled chicken daily adding the shredded chicken and water from boiling to the food. (This is good for adults and kittens)

*Wipe eyes. Since Sphynx don’t have eyelashes, they are prone to getting dirt in their eyes. Make sure the eyes are clean and bright, with no crusties or runnies.

Weekly:

*Bath time! This will vary from cat to cat. Basically, start with once a week, and adjust to meet your cat’s needs to keep them clean. I clean my kittens/cats in my kitchen sink. I use hypoallergenic Johnson and Johnson baby wash. You want to make sure that whatever you use is gentle, or it can give your kitty little zits or dry out their skin. Other good products are:

                         * Dr. Bronners All-One Natural Soaps

                         * Malaseb Shampoo

                          (can be found on revivalanimal.com)

*Trim nails. Since you won’t be declawing your Sphynx, it is important (especially to your furniture) to keep their nails blunt. This is easy!!! Wait till your kitty is relaxed on your lap, grab a pair of nail clippers, push the claw out by squeezing the paw pad gently, and clip! Once you’ve done it a couple times, you’ll get fast and your kitten won’t even know you’re doing it. Be careful not to cut the quick (the live part of the nail). If your sphynx kitten has light colored claws, you can see inside the nail easily. You can see a dark pink part inside the claw, this is the quick. If you accidentally cut this, you will know, as your cat will probably yell at you. It is harder on a dark cat, but just clip the tips of the claw until you’re at ease. I do this after the kitty’s bath, when they’re snuggled up in a warm towel drying off.

 *Clean ears. This will also vary from cat to cat. I use MalAcetic Otic ear cleaner (can be found on revivalanimal.com). This is a necessity! Your cat’s ears will fill up with a nasty, gross, black waxy gunk if you don’t keep them clean.

*Clean nail sheaths. Black waxy stuff will build up around your SPhynx cat’s claws. I use baby wipes and my nails to gently clean this away.