The sphinx

[rosethecopycat]

I have a question.
My friend has SERIOUS allergies and cannot come into a room with a cat. (what a sad existence) A cat will send him to the E.R.
Now, my question is: The Sphinx, will it cause him to have a reaction or do to it's lack of fur could he be alright?
It would just be a matter of him and his wife getting used to those funny faces. The way I look at it is, better than never having a cat at all. But to me, I think they are adorable and I'm sure they have all of the fine cat attributes and love to play and love. (not sure about whe grooming part, do they lick their skin and wash their face with their paw? )
Plus, you get to dress them up in clothes!

[Uabassoon]

I don't know too much, but from what I've heard is that people can still be allergic to them. Because it's not the hair people are allergic too, it's the saliva and since they still clean themselves they still get the saliva on their bodies. I've heard that some people who are allergic are ok and some still have problems. And I think they need to be cleaned with a damp cloth every so often to keep their skin from getting too oily.

[Vermontcat]

Rose, you should pm Moosmom because one of her cats is a Sphinx named Moo Shoo. You could also look up a thread about the breed posted under Cat Breeds that she has posted in too. I am sure she will be able to answer your questions.

[Karen]

I think it varies person to person. Some people actually say that Siberian Forest Cats are less likely to cause allergies because their dense fur keeps the dander on the cat more than in the environment ...

[moosmom]

Rosethecopycat,

The Sphynx is a great cat with a wonderful temperament.

MooShoo is 2 1/2 years old and a fantastic cat! Two things you should know...they can be very high maintenance cats because of their lack of fur. For instance, Moo has to be bathed every 2 weeks because the oil in his skin has no fur to go into, therefore it lays on the top of his skin and he will get a ring around his neck (that's my cue to bathe him). The same thing with his ears. They get VERY dirty (again, due to lack of fur in the ears) and have to be cleaned 2-3 times a week. Their lack of fur also requires that you keep your heat turned up to at least 70-72 during the winter time. Whenever Moo gets cold, he knows where he can burrow himself to warm up. It's usually in a kitty sack, under a blanket, or with good 'ole Mom under the covers.

A Sphynx can be very expensive. MooShoo is a rescue from a bad breeder who neglected him. He is a special needs kitty who is blind in his right eye and has partial vision in his left, due to a herpes virus that was left untreated. But that doesn't prevent him from tearing through my apartment. The cost of one depends on whether you want pet quality or show quality. Pet quality means that they are not quite up to show standards (ears not big enough, bent tail, etc.). They run anywhere from $1500 to $3000 depending on the breeder and quality. You can e-mail a breeder and ask if they have any Sphynxes that they plan to retire from breeding or showing. Most breeders will do that providing they have the cat spayed/neutered.

Allergies to cats is due to the saliva. When a cat bathes (licks himself), the saliva dries and becomes airborne. That is what makes people allergic. A Sphynx will probably not give you as much of an allergy as a full furred cat.

I wish I could give you some links to go to but unfortunately I'm at work and my computer isn't able to to that. But if you go into yahoo.com, search for feline breeds and click onto "Sphynx". It'll give you a whole bunch of websites for different breeders. I hope it helps AND I hope I've been of some help. Good luck in your search.

Another thing you might want to look into is a Cornish Rex, which is basically a Sphynx with short, wavy fur. They don't shed half as much as a regular furred kitty.

Check out my avatar slideshow, MooShoo is in it!!

[moosmom]

Here are some links that might help you.

http://www.sphynxter.com/welcome.html

http://www.apophis.com/faq.htm

I hope it helps. Aren't they the CUTEST thing you've ever seen??