…Regarding the Sphynx… INTRODUCTION: This is the story that’s found more or less in all the web-sites on sphynx. We decided to use the same story because to us it seems the most complete and the most interesting. We also believe in the importance of knowing the origin of a species, so that we have a greater understanding of their stronger and weaker points………… WE THANK: those people who have loved these kitties who are so unusual, going against local custom and modern trend……..without these people this splendid creature would not exist……..as we see them today…… WE THANK: all the breeders who carry out this task with great fatigue and difficulty, and yes, lets say it ………very high costs!! THE STORY: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!!! Ever since time began cats without fur appeared spontaneously amongst normal cat litters throughout the world. In 1902, a couple in New Mexico (Mr,& Mrs. Albuquerque ), received from two indians two nude cats, Nellie and Dick, and were told that they were the remaining survivors of an antique breed raised by the Aztec; the two cats did not mate together, therefore there weren’t any descendents.
 
Standard General Size Medium, surprising weight for its size. Head Shape Modified wedge with rounded contours, slightly longer than wide. Skull Skull slightly rounded with a flat plane on the forehead. Profile Slight to moderate stop at bridge of a straight nose. Cheeks Prominent cheekbones. Muzzle/chin Strong rounded muzzle and a firm chin. Whiskers Whole or broken, coarse. Ears Shape Large, broad at base and open, slightly rounded tips Interior is totally hairless. Slight amount of hair allowed on lower outside edges and on the back of the ear. Placement Upright, set at a slight angle on the head, not flaring. Eyes Shape Lemon shaped, large, slanting to outer edge of ear. Slightly more than an eye width between eyes. Colour Ideally to conform to skin colour. Neck   Medium length, shape is rounded and well muscled. Arches from shoulders to base of skull. Powerfull, especially in males. Body Structure Medium long, hard and muscular, not delicate. Full rounded abdomen, but not fat. Broad rounded chest. Legs   Length in proportion with body, medium long. Hind legs slightly longer than front. Front legs widely set. Medium boning, firm and muscular. Paws Oval with long slender, prominent toes. Pads thicker than in other breeds, giving the cat the appearance of walking on “air cushions”. Tail   Slender, broader at the base and tapering to the tip. Length in proportion to body. Lion tail (puff of hair on tip) acceptable. Coat and skin Texture Appears hairless, may be covered with short, fine down. Chamois-like, a feeling of resistance may be felt when stroking the skin of some cats. Wrinkles Wrinkled skin desirable especially around the muzzle, between the ears and around the shoulders, although wrinkling should not be so pronounced that it affects the cat’s normal functions. Short, soft, fine hair is allowed on the feet, across the bridge of the nose and cheekbones, at the back of the ears, the scrotum and the tip of the tail. Colour All colour varieties and patterns are permitted, including those with white. Any amount of white is permitted. For colour varieties refer to tables below. Remarks   • The cat should not be small or dainty. • Males may be significantly larger so long as proper proportions are maintained. • The Sphynx is sweet-tempered, lively, intelligent and amenable to handling. Faults Head • Straight profile. • Narrow head. • Lack of wrinkles on the head. Body • Overall small cat. • Body that is too thin. • Frail appearing or delicate or fine boned. • Too cobby or Oriental. Coat • Significant amounts of hair anywhere else as described under coat. • Any indication of wavy hair or suggestion of the DRX or SPH in molt. • Any means of hair removal.   Points Table Scale of Points Points Total   100 Head Shape. 5 25 Profile. 5 Muzzle and chin. 5 Cheekbones. 5 Shape of Eyes. 5 Ears Shape, size and placement.   10 Body Chest. 10 35 Abdomen. 10 Neck. 5 Legs and paws. 5 Tial. 5 Coat Quality, texture and wrinkles.   25 Condition   5  Standard TiCA: http://www.tica.org/pdf/standards/sxstd.pdf Standard CFA: http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/standards/sphynx.html  http://www.tica.org/pdf/standards/sxstd.pdfhttp://www.cfainc.org/breeds/standards/sphynx.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1
In the following years there were other cases of nude cats that became known by the public ( 1936 in North Carolina, 1938, and 1950 in France ) until on the 30th January 1966 when in Ontario (Canada) a black and white cat, with normal fur, called Elizabeth, gave birth to a black and white female, completely nude,……called Prune. The breeders Rydiadh and Yania Bawa Ed Keese and Rita Tenhove recuperated the kitten and gave a name to this new breed. MOONSTONE CATS, CANADIAN HAIRLESS, CHAT SANS POIL, and then finally SPHYNX. In 1975 a brown tabby cat, Gesabel, who lived on a farm with the Pearsons in Minnesota, gave birth to a nude cat which was called Epidermis. In 1976 Gesabel gave birth again, where amongst the litter appeared another nude cat, Dermis. The Pearsons sold the kittens to the breeder Kim Mueske, on her breeding farm called Z. Stardust. NELLI AND DICK
 
JAZABELLE ed EPIDERMIS Kim mates the kittens various times, but always got furry kittens as a result, until, with the advice of Doctor Pfluger which was not to mate one of the kittens born by the mother, obtaining then three beautiful nude kittens. The most important mateing came after, between Cantuer’s Hercules of Z. Stardust ( a Red Devon Rex ) and Epidermis who gave birth to Winnie Rinkle of Rinkurl (Z. Stardust ) , an important promoter to the breed whom we find in most of the pedigree Sphynx, existent today. Dermis died in 1989 at the age of 13, Epidermis joins her in 1991 at the age of 16, and her daughter Winnie in March 2002 at the same age as her mother. In June 1978 in Toronto ( Canada ) Shirley Smith, a breeder of Siamese cats, was called to recuperate two cats that had been abbandoned by a female stray, of which one of these was a black and white nude cat,which was called Bambi. Bambi was in a bad state ,and his genitals were badly mutilated, therefore had to be sterilized. Bambi ended his life with Linda Birks from the breeding farm Aztec where he died at the venerable age of 19. BAMBI The mother of Bambi again gave birth to other nude cats; in 1979 and in 1980 ,where from these two different litters were born Paloma and Punkie. These two female kittens were sent to Holland, to Doctor Hugo Hernandez, who at the time was trying to make a selection for this new breed. Punkie was mated with a white male, of the Devon Rex , Curare Van Jetrophin breed, and gave birth to five kittens.
 
Dr. Hugo Hernandez con uno dei cuccioli, Q Ra. One of these kittens, Q RA , went to live with a danish breeder, Tonia Vink. Paloma was mated with Ramses (the brother of Q RA ) so that another strong point of the breed was born, Hator de Calecat,known as Tulip. In 1983 from another mateing of the same, were born another five kittens, one of which was very important, Chnoem de Calecat. HATOR de CALECAT « TULIP » H. de Calecat Cucciola
 
Nel 1985 Walt e Carol Richards, from the breeding farm Britanya and Texas, begin a mateing program cross-breeding a Devon Rex (of which they are breeders ) and sphynx. From one of their own Devon, Britanya’s Aida Lott, mated with Chnoema de Calecat (ET) there were born four kittens , who go down in the history of the breed, as ancestors in many of the pedigrees. The kittens, Britanya’s Lady Godiva, Britanya’s Lord E I’m Naked, Britanya’s Baroness Quizzit, and Britanya’s Gremlin of Petmark, were all exhibited at Anaheim (California) where Godiva was the first Sphynx in obtaining the title of THE GREAT SUPREME CHAMPION TICA. LADY GODIVA e BARONESS QUIZZIT From then on nude kittens have been born naturally, and many have been used to widen the genetic pool of the breed. Many steps have been taken to avoid inbreeding ( that is of the same blood ) too closely related, which is the cause of genetic disease and still today there is an active program of crossbreeding ( even if in some associations it is forbidden , and in others accepted, in a few years time it will not be accepted at all unfortunately ) with the household cat ( of which is born the sphynx )attempting to delete the possibility of Achilles Heel, l’HCM (Cardio……hypertrophic ) and also to avoid other harmful characteristics that can weaken genetically the pedigree. Cats, who live freely outdoors have up to 90 percent of genetic diversity between themselves……….its clear that in a selected species , it’s impossibile to have such a wide variety of genes, but nontheless a variety of genes in a species is fondamentally important for ensuring a healthily balanced kitten……securing a long and happy existence that only good health can give. PALOMA PUNKIE PUNKIE e CURARE Van Jetrophin CAREING FOR THE SPHYNX The sphynx is normally a very strong and healthy cat, as long as difended from eccessive cold and heat (ultraviolet rays)because they obviously don’t have fur to protect them,but only a light down.(the percentage of nudity of the sphynx apart from the genetical charactristic,depends on enviromental temperature, hormonal level and the time of year);they are bathed usually once a week at the same time ear cleaning,being careful not to go too deep; the nails are kept short, not exported completely,as this is considered a barberous act!!!! The sphynx is an indoor cat,needing a safe and protected place to live in,therefore protection on the windows against Mosquitos would be a good idea!!If there is outdoor space a catrun would be fun,so that time could be spent playing together with our little nude friend!! ….. The sphynx has always been brought up in doors, and this probably explains its affectionate clinging behaviour with human beings. It’s the type of cat that likes attention,and loves to participate in all the events that take place in the family!!!!
 
ALLERGIES The Sphynx is not a non-allergic cat,just because it doesn’t have a fur coat.The cause of allergy is due to a protein found in the saliva, not because of the fur as most people would think…….but not having the fur as a vehicle to distribute the protein,for who suffers from a very mild form of allergy, could have a very good rate of tollerance, therefore a posative out come, with this particular species.