12 Facts About Sphynx cat

Sphynx cat known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur.

Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these animals, starting in the 1960s.

Contemporary breed of Sphynx cat is distinct from the Russian hairless cat breeds, like Peterbald and Donskoy.

Current American and European Sphynx cat breed is descended from two lines of natural mutations:.

Canadian Sphynx cat breed was started in 1966 in Toronto, Ontario when a hairless male kitten named Prune was born to a black and white domestic shorthair queen.

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Together with a few naked kittens found later, the Sphynx cat Prune was the first attempt to create a hairless breed.

In 2010, DNA analysis confirmed that Sphynx cat hairlessness was produced by a different allele of the same gene that produces the short curly hair of the Devon Rex, with the Sphynx cat's allele being incompletely dominant over the Devon allele and both being recessive to the wild type.

Sphynx cat's hairlessness is produced by a mutation in the same gene that produces the short curly coat of the Devon Rex.

The Sphynx cat's mutation leads to a complete loss of function where the structure of the hair is damaged so that the hair can be formed but is easily dislodged.

Sphynx cat breed tends to accumulate oils and debris under the nails as well as the skin fold above the nail due to the lack of fur, so, like the ears, the nails and surrounding skin folds need to be cleaned properly as well.

Specialty products for this Sphynx cat have been developed, though they still require more grooming than most breeds.

Sphynx cat has a high rate of heart disease, either as HCM or mitral valve dysplasia.