A couple of months ago, I went to my city's annual Cat Festival again. When I posted about last year's event, I had raved about the hairless sphynx cats --
Oodles of cats and kittens too! Including the most adorable
black sphynx kittens (squeeeeeee!) They are so much more
attractive than pink-skinned ones, I think. I petted an adult
sphynx just to see what they feel like -- warm, soft and
ever-so-slightly fuzzy (probably just my imagination?)
Readers said I should have also posted some photos, so this year I had my camera ready! But alas, there were no sphynx kittens this time. And the Alberta Sphynx Rescue volunteers were not allowing anyone to pet the adults. I suspect that too much unwanted petting and fondling is stressful for the cats. Perhaps there's also liability issues to consider if a cat should happen to scratch or bite someone.
There was an adult black sphynx in its own cage, but it was mostly snuggled under a blankie. So I could only get a photo of this pair of sphynxes --
As you can see, the pink one is completely hairless and the other has a sparse, downy layer of grey hair. Apparently some sphynxes can have that much hair. They were both wearing adorable blingy tube tops, probably to help keep them warm.
You could buy those stylish tube tops too, along with other merch for sphynxes such as blankies, dishes, treats, and an assortment of handcrafted signs --
You can even get knitted toques to keep their heads and ears warm! Isn't that amazing? But then again, being nude in a Canadian climate can't be easy.
[Image #1 from the internet;
Photos #2 and 3 © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025;
Photo #4 from the FB page of the
Alberta Sphynx Rescue adoption society]
...in my humble opinion, this seems a bit over the top.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about that. No nudist camps in Canada? Skinny dipping?
ReplyDeleteI'm told they feel like a velvety hot water bottle! But I don't much like breeding them in any climate short of tropical. I wonder if it's a DNA anomaly?
ReplyDelete@ Boud -- Yes, apparently hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation and, starting in the 1960s, cats started to be selectively bred for it, resulting in the Sphynx breed. And get this -- the breed was developed in Canada! I guess they are our contribution to the cat world.
DeleteI've heard they are very soft without the fur but they look so alien ... and yet cute!
ReplyDeleteFantastic, but I can only imagine the amount of blood I would lose if I ever tried to dress my duo...
ReplyDeleteJust applying the monthly flea and tick topical is a challenge!
Love that knitted gear. Have to keep those darlings warm!
ReplyDeleteSuch sweet kitties,
ReplyDelete🙀 Fun signs, however..."Cute but Psycho" belongs to every breed! 😹😻
ReplyDelete@ Cleora Borealis -- Good point!
DeleteI may be the only one, but I'm not a fan of Sphinx cats.
ReplyDelete@ Kathy G -- I don't think you're alone. Many find them freaky or creepy. I do a little bit too.
DeleteHmmmm... don't think I have ever seen one of these nude kitties in real life. Just on blogs!
ReplyDeleteI mean, we are all rather wrinkly under our outer layers...
ReplyDelete