Common Questions

What food do you feed your kittens? I have tried several different brands and have found that my kittens do really well on Iiams kitten food (in the purple bag).

Do you free feed or do you feed on a schedule? Kinda a bit of both! We feed our kittens morning and evening. But we like them to have access to food pretty much all day (Sphynx kittens are high energy!). We watch how much food is consumed, and then we feed enough so that the bowl only has a few crumbs in it when it is time for the evening feeding. Sphynx kittens will start slowing down a bit between 9 months and a year old, so at that time you may need to become stricter on how much you feed to prevent your Sphynx from becoming over weight.

What litter do you use? Tidy Cat Multi Cat Scoopable litter (yellow bucket with red lid)! I LOVE it!! It truly does kill odor.

Do you use flat pan, top entry, or covered litter boxes? I have both flat pan and covered boxes. I highly recommend covered litter boxes because Sphynx kitties really love to dig and play in their litter. I have heard a lot of good things about top entry boxes and that they really do reduce the mess.

What beds do Sphynx like best? ALL OF THEM! Sphynx love beds and blankets of every texture and shape. They also enjoy heated beds.

Would a Sphynx be cold in my house? No, Sphynx have skin like humans so if you are comfortable in your home, then your Sphynx will be too. On the other hand, Sphynx are definitely heat seekers. So even though they are not "cold", they are going to look for warm bodies, cozy blankets and warm windows.

Can I use a topical flea treatment on my Sphynx? Yes! Every breeder will have a different opinion on this, but as a Vet, Johnny felt very strongly about flea treatment (we do have an indoor/outdoor dog). We use Revolution and apply it topically on the neck area (you may have to wait a minute for it to soak in before you apply the entire tube). Revolution treats fleas, ticks, some intestinal parasites and heartworms. It is very important for your animals to be on a heartworm preventive, especially if you live in the South! We also have used Interceptor in our Sphynx. It is a heartworm preventive and treats some intestinal parasites. We have never had any skin irritation or an allergic reaction in our Sphynx from these products. But do keep in mind that any animal, of any breed can have an allergic reaction to vaccinations or any medication. It all depends on that particular animal. We just haven't found the Sphynx breed to be prone to problems with topical flea treatments that you obtain from a Vet. Topical flea treatments that are not obtained from a Vet can cause reactions more frequently because they may not have the proper amounts of medication or they may contain other ingredients. Also DO NOT divide up a tube of dog topical flea control for use on a cat, this could be fatal. **So the bottom line is... we feel that it is safe to use topical flea treatment that is preoperly dosed and obtained from your Veterinarian**

How often should I bathe my Sphynx and what Shampoo should I use? A gentle pet shampoo from your Vet or the pet store is best. It helps if it has oatmeal or aloe in it to keep from drying out your kitties skin. How often to bathe depends on your kitty. Some require weekly, others only need it once a month. Be sure not to bathe more then once a week or you will dry out your Sphynx's skin and cause them to produce extra oils to compensate. See more about grooming and bathing on our "Grooming" page.
I have watched videos online of Sphynx playing in the bathtub. Do all Sphynx love water? Absolutely not!  Sphynx are just like other cats in their strong dislike of water. Certain Sphynx do love swimming, but those cats are the exception to the rule. Since regular bathing is necessary for Sphynx, we begin bathing our kittens at young age to get them used to bath time. I can't promise that your new baby will love water, but our kittens do tolerate it :).