Hairless cats are said to have appeared in various countries over the years, (including Australia) but the Sphynx is the result of the first attempts to cultivate a “hairless” breed. There have of course been others, since, such as the Don Sphynx and the Peterbald, but the Sphynx is the original hairless cat of the 1900’s. Indeed, hairlessness infrequently occurs in some pedigreed breeds Birman and oriental particularly, in Aline Noel’s experience - but in such cases the kittens do not survive beyond a few weeks, as the gene is lethal in these cases. This is not true of the Sphynx. Deriving from Canada where a moggy produced hairless kittens, the Sphynx, as we know it now is the result of carefully conducted breeding programmes in Europe and North America. They are Hr (recessive), which is a further mutation from Devon.
The Sphynx has had a short and somewhat checkered career. Recognized by TICA (The International Cat Association, based in the USA) it was at one stage also recognized by CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association - USA) but that recognition was withdrawn because of perceived health problems. (Ed Note: CFA provisional rec. Feb 98 was last year amended to championship status.)
Perceived health problems or not, the breed has survived and multiplied in North America and in Europe. Aline and the late Philippe Noel, (”Amenophis” prefix) French breeder/judges for TICA, were devotees of the breed for many years, and disputed that there are any more inherent problems in the Sphynx breed than one might find in others.
Sphynx are now recognized by FIFe (Federation Internationale Feline d’Europe) Recognition was mooted as long ago as 1982, when six Sphynxes of Canadian derivation were presented for inspection by a panel of six FIFe All Breeds judges (including the writer) at a show run by Felikat, at the Rai Pavilion, in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, at the time, it was felt that type was not really consistent, the gene pool limited, and the numbers too few to fulfill FIFe requirements for recognition of a breed. (They were subsequently bred with Devon Rex and the type became more consistent, though according to Aline, some lines tended to resemble Devon head type rather too closely.) Undeterred, the Dutch and French breeders pursued their plan and it is now common to see many Sphynx at FIFe shows, particularly in UK.
The Noels’ cats were directly descended from those presented in 1982, but displayed distinctive type, among other consistent characteristics. Different breeders have followed different courses to achieve their aims, with some outcrossing to Devon and others to Cornish Rex while others have bred to domestics, to widen the gene pool that was extremely limited. Aline abhors the practice of crossing to Devon, and feels that in terms of type, it is counter-productive, and produces hairless “neither/nors” which can and do look merely like bald Cornish or Devons. She was also wary of the dangers of introducing Devon myopathy into the (thus far) “clean” Sphynx lines. (Ed note: this has indeed now happened; I have judged such a cat in South Africa and there was a litter of affected kittens reported in Canada within the last 2 years.)
Precocious in every way, Sphynx are invariably born with their eyes open, or at the latest, opening at 1 day, and thus for a period tend to be prey to glaucoma. This is averted if baby eyes are attended to with drops. Newborns are incredibly wrinkled, and typically, heavy at birth. (120g is not uncommon) Tiny kittens’ skin is almost translucent, particularly in paler colors, in which the dark liver and veins can sometimes be made out, under the skin. The pale sections of skin darken with age.
The temperature is the same as in other cat breeds, but the metabolism of the Sphynx is much faster, and they eat LOTS more than other cats! The paler they are in color, the more they tend to sweat, (normally, sweat spreads up the hair shaft) and they are definitely not allergy free despite their lack of coat; because their saliva is spread regularly and liberally all over their bodies, they are disastrous for those with allergies.
While wrinkles are definitely not desirable in humans, with Sphynx it’s a case of the more, the merrier, according to most standards. From whisker pads to tail-base, they should be wrinkled, although they tend to put on weight during winter, with consequent wrinkle-loss in all but the “moving parts” - the extremities. Occasionally one sees an over-wrinkled Sphynx, but these are so because they are too long and lean. Interestingly, Fife’s standard does not place emphasis on extreme wrinkling; there is a cautionary note that they should not be so wrinkled as to provide potential health/cleanliness problems for the cat.
The belly should always look as though the cat had just eaten, (which it probably has!) and should at all times be shaped like a Perrier bottle. They have drumstick thighs and very obviously rounded muscles, and a long, rat-like tail. Legs are bandy, and the chest is very “open” and prominent. First, it should remind you of a bulldog, and second, of a chicken chest, with a prominent breastbone. It is not a small cat.
Legs are nonetheless finely built under that muscle, and the feet are long, with distinctive platform soled paw pads, which Aline refers to as “like cushions”. (Interestingly and perhaps more than coincidentally, when judging Devon Rex in Amsterdam in 1984 I was struck by just that phenomenon in many of the cats I handled.)
Sphynx feel like the finest of suede, or like peach fuzz. They have no whiskers, but can still gauge spaces - there goes that theory! They are not totally devoid of hair, as they are allowed fur on tail tip, bridge of nose, scrotum, earmuffs and ear tips. Occasionally, hairier kittens are born and these obviously have no future on the show bench. On which subject, it is not unknown for exhibitors to deal with unwanted hair by using human depilatory creams, the result of which can be injurious to the cat’s skin. This breed heals quickly, and Aline feels this might be because no hair can infiltrate a wound. Interestingly, hormonal females (in season or pregnant) develop more fur on the tail and flanks, but this disappears within a couple of days once the hormone situation reverts to normal.
The head of the Sphynx should not resemble that of any other breed. It has wide, high cheekbones, a gentle dip in profile (not a stop, like a Devon) and a slightly rounded forehead (also, unlike a Devon). The nose is slightly longer than that of the Devon. A vital feature in the head is a very deep and pronounced pinch, which should be both felt and very much visible. Older cats, which have undergone tooth loss, tend to lose the pinch, to an extent. If there is a common failing in Sphynx, the Noels feel it is they tend to be shallow in the chin department.
The ears are very open, and very much a feature of the breed. They are wide at base and large. But they are not so low set as a Devon’s, nor do they deviate so much from the flow of the face shape, with a “Dumbo” effect at the outside, lower level. Baby ears, of course, must be extra prominent if they are to be of respectable proportion in maturity.
If there is one drawback to this delightful, gremlin breed, it is that they suffer from the same syndrome that afflicts small boys - dirty neck syndrome! Because of their wrinkled necks being inaccessible to their tongues, they can get rather grubby in their crevices, and it is necessary for them to be washed with baby soap (lotion) or similar, on a regular basis. The inner thigh can also be a “trouble spot”. Show presentation requires them to be pristine, and indeed, they may need a ‘clean up’ between rings later on during a show day. They can also exude a unique smell.
Reprinted from “ACF 1998” with 2005 amendments
Originally compiled by Lesley Morgan Blythe from information provided by Aline Noel, one of Europe’s pioneer breeders, of “Amenophis” cattery.
