These interesting kitties are rather unique, and known by all for their hairless physical appearance. Without any real fur to cover their bodies, these cats give us an idea of what cats look like underneath all that hair. Although we all know the Sphynx as the hairless cat breed, there are many other qualities about them that make them so intriguing. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about Sphynx cats:
Source: The Crazy Cat Lady via Flickr
1. Actually They Aren’t Hairless
A sphynx may look hairless at first glance, but their bodies are actually covered with a thin layer of down that resembles peach fuzz. They are soft and warm to the touch, almost feeling like chamois leather would. Something to note is that while they aren’t completely hairless, they are in fact completely free of whiskers.
Source: carophoto via Flickr
2. Cuddle Bugs
Due to their lack of fur these cats like to rub their bodies against their owners as a means to keep warm, even though their bodies are naturally 4 degrees warmer than other cat breeds. The sphynx are also big time cuddlers that are known for being sweet and affectionate with their humans.
Source: Jill Carlson via Flickr
3. Don’t Let Their Name Fool You
Despite such an ancient rooted name, the sphynx originated in Canada in 1966 as the result of a mutant gene that produced the first ever hairless kitten. Because of their sleek bodies, striking eyes, and bat-like ears that sit tall directly atop of their narrow faces, they were appropriately named the sphynx as homage to the ancient Egyptian statues.
Source: Amy via Flickr
4. Bathe Me, Please
Because this breed doesn’t have any real fur to absorb body oils the way hair would, these cats require a weekly bath to prevent from having a stinky cat on your hands. Plus with all those wrinkles, this makes the self-grooming process for a sphynx a bit challenging.
Source: Niklas Pivic via Flickr
5. Must. Eat. Food.
With a body that runs at a higher temperature, this breed requires almost 2 to 2.5 times more food than any other breed to keep their body heat up. To help them keep warm you will find that a sphynx is drawn to the warmest place in the house when they aren’t in your arms, usually in the sun by a window. But whatever you do don’t let these guys outside in direct sunlight as they can’t handle the sun’s harmful rays and sunburn extremely easily.