Cats and Kittens

The Sphynx cat breed came about in 1966 when a cat gave birth to a hairless kitten. While the cat is not totally hairless it has a very fine coat that feels like peach fuzz but it is very difficult to see. These cats are rare and expensive and there is a waiting list to acquire one.

APPEARANCE

Besides being hairless these cats have patterns of darker colors that form from the skin pigmentation as they grow. They are medium size with a strong bone structure and muscular. They have large ears and wide eyes.

This breed of cat is another breed like the Oriental shorthair that breeders have genetically altered to breed a rainbow of colorful cats. While they have also strengthened the breed at the same time and managed to eliminate many common disorders and diseases that once plagued this breed of cat.

BEHAVIOR

The Sphynx is a very friendly, out going cat. They love humans and enjoy playing with them and entertaining them. They are what most would consider a clingy cat they follow you everywhere you go. If you sit down they will sit with you and if you leave to go out for even a few minutes they will very loudly express their unhappiness. Once they attach themselves to the person of choice it’s like growing an extra leg. They will not leave your side. My cousin had a Sphynx it was so attached to her she had to take it everywhere she went or it would “cry” the entire time she was gone.

They get along well with other pets too. They are active and often find themselves in situations they need help getting out of.

Sphynxs are a favorite at cat shows beside their unique look they are great performers and easy to train.

HEALTH

There are no specific health conditions you should be aware of other than general maintenance. Because of the lack of hair they need to be bathed and have their ears cleaned on a weekly basis.

If it’s cold the cat will be cold as there is no fur to keep it warm. Pet stores sell sweaters and coats for cats it’s highly recommended you get them one because they will get sick if they remain cold for a long period of time.

The price of this rare cat is not available. I can only imagine it is very expensive being a rare breed and a show cat.

Sources

www.cfainc.org

www.cats.about.com

www.kittykitty.com

Cats are wonderful animals who can make real companions to humans. Most humans, however, do not understand cat behavior well enough to train them, and often use dog training techniques, which work very poorly on all but the most “dog-like” cats. Humans (and dogs) are social animals- we prefer to exist in a group. We hunt in groups (even today), and as humans have domesticated dogs, we’ve bred them for qualities that mesh well with our society.

Cats, on the other hand, are solitary predators. They do things that sometimes seem inexplicable to us. If you want to get a dog to do something, you make him do it, reward him, and after sufficient repetition, he will do it on command. Forcing a cat to do something is a sure-fire way to guarantee you will never see that behavior from that cat again.

So, how do you train a cat? Positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is a behavior modification (training) philosophy that uses bribes and rewards to teach behavior. The cat does the behavior, and you give him a treat. You accompany the treat with the verbal and hand signal and a clicking noise, and eventually he’ll do the behavior when you give the signal, and not just on his own time.

Negative reinforcement is also available to cat trainers- if you’ve ever tried to deter a cat from jumping on the table by squirting him with a water pistol, then you’re familiar with this tactic. However, you’ve probably also learned that the cat jumps on the table when you’re not home- the only behavior he’s learned is not to do it when you’re there.

I try to reserve negative reinforcement for behaviors that are actually hazardous to the cat, like jumping up on kitchen counters and the stove. A better way to teach a cat not to jump onto something is to train him to jump off of it. When he jumps up, give him a command and hand signal to get off, then put the treat down low. When he goes for the treat, click and praise, and give him the treat.

I’ve mentioned the click a couple of times in this article, and that’s because the foundation of this training process is the click. “Clicker training” was invented in the 60’s and 70’s and has been used to train dogs, cats, dolphins, horses, people, even fish and cockroaches. The principle is simple: while the animal is doing the behavior you want, you make a clicking noise (or some other slightly startling signal). You follow the click with a reward. The noise bridges the time between the behavior and the reward.

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For the most part, the only basic things you need to do to keep your cat healthy is provide shelter, healthy and nutritious food, and plenty of water. Of course, like all living things, cats will get sick sometimes no matter what.

As a cat owner, you’ll you need to make sure you provide your beloved feline with only the best food.

Premium cat food is ideal, as the food is designed to keep your pet happy and healthy for many years.

You also need to pay attention to your cat’s behavior, so you’ll recognize symptoms of sickness and can take her to the veterinarian immediately. Most of the more common ailments and sicknesses are minor, although there are some cases where a vet can be the determining factor between life and death for your cat.

Your cat’s behavior will be one of the most critical factors when you are trying to determine whether or not she is feeling under the weather. Acting sluggish, laying around, lack of energy and refusing to eat are all signs that you must rush her to the vet immediately. Her coat is a good thing to keep an eye on also. If you notice that her coat is dull and patchy, or if you notice abnormal shedding, you need to contact your vet as soon as possible.

Diarrhea and vomiting are fairly common, even with basic sickness. On the other hand, if your cat seems to be doing either one of the two for more than a day, you should contact your veterinarian. Coughing is also pretty common, as most cats have hairballs from time to time. If your cat seems to be coughing for another reason, you should have her checked out as soon as you can..

To ensure that your cat isn’t exposed to various diseases, you need to make sure that she stays up to date with her vaccinations. There are several diseases out there that require vaccinations, including rabies and feline distemper. Feline distemper is one of most devastating diseases a cat can get, yet it is also one of the easiest to prevent. The disease strikes cats very quickly, and leaves you as an owner very little time to find treatment.

Feline leukemia is another fatal disease, but can also prevented early on with the proper vaccinations. Although the disease isn’t possible for humans to contract, it can be spread very quickly among cats. There are vaccinations that can treat the disease these days, although you’ll still want to be careful to not expose other cats around a cat with feline leukemia.

Another problem that is most common with outdoor cats, is worms. A cat with worms will typically have a lackluster coat and little to no appetite. There are many different kinds of worms, including hookworm, tapeworm, and ringworm.

Worms can come from fleas, lice, or even the organs of dead rodents that cats consume. Normally, the cat will digest the eggs which will later mature and attach themselves to the intestinal walls.

If you take proper care of your cat, chances are she’ll be healthy for years to come. You should always make sure she has high quality food, and never misses any scheduled checkups with the vet. If she gets the proper vaccinations when she is required to get them, she should be safe against numerous pests and diseases. Take the proper steps with your cat now to prevent anything from happening in the future.