Have you ever wanted one of those naked cats? I did. I wanted a sphynx since the moment I first laid eyes on Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers movie. I had never actually seen one in person. But as soon as I saw that wrinkly face, it was love at first site. Unfortunately this breed of cat is expensive and not easily found, so I never actually thought I would be the owner of one. But it turns out I would be the owner of not 1 but eventually I would end up owning 5 over the years.
My very first sphynx was Lestat. He was such a gorgeous cat. I found him for sale locally and I was so excited. I knew I just HAD to convince Chris. But not just to let me get a cat, but an EXPENSIVE cat...with a lot of "no's" from my hubby, I stayed persistent. I drove him nuts. But I just couldn't let this dream go. Luckily my birthday, Mothers Day, and our anniversary all fall in the same month so Chris finally agreed to let me get him as a one time gift to cover all 3 occasions. My persistence had paid off!
My first encounter with a hairless cat was when I went to pick up my new kitten. Petting him for the first time was not what I expected AT ALL. I guess I figured it would be like running my hand over my arm or maybe a freshly shaved leg. I was wrong. He was so warm. His skin almost felt a little rubbery giving off kind of a sticky resistance. It was a foreign texture. Very unique indeed. I would eventually come to realize that not all sphynx cats are created equal. Some have more hair then others. Some feel sticky while others feel like a warm fuzzy peach. Then you have ones with half coats, even full coats, but their fur isn't like a normal cat. Its more like a velvet down. Despite being absolutely captivated by this little alien creature, I found out shortly after bringing him home...I.WAS.ADDICTED. Sphynx are like potato chips. There's no way on this beautiful green earth that you could simply have just one...
I wont go into the who, what, where, when and why's of acquiring my next 4 sphynx, Simply because each story is long and even though this is a blog I don't feel like boring you to death. But what I will tell you is that I currently have 2 sphynx cats. Louis and Ragnarok (a.k.a. Lou & Rok). Lestat tragically passed away about 4 years ago and I haven't been able to replace the hole he left in my heart since. I want to get into what life is like with these little bald stud muffins. There is a great deal of knowledge I wish I would have known that research online simply WONT tell you...
First lets talk personalities... I have only experienced male sphynx cats so I can not tell you if females are the same. All 5 of my boys were and are EXTREME cuddle bugs. There is no better place for them to be (in their opinion) then...
1.in your lap
2.on your shoulder
3.laying on any part of your body they can physically manage to touch.
No. Joke. You will think "OMG! My cat loves me SOOOO much!"...🙄...the truth is they just want your warmth. ALL OF IT... ALL. THE. TIME. Which is totally cool with me. I enjoyed feeling loved on by my little naked 4 legged kids. Especially once both my 2 legged children were finally in school. But it's not just when you're sitting on the couch or laying in bed... it's when you're least expecting it...
Imagine...you're in your kitchen preparing dinner for your loving family. Minding your own business stirring some delicious spaghetti sauce. When all of a sudden, and out of no where, a 10lb blob lands on your shoulder sinking their razor sharp claws into your flesh (probably to the bone). As you try to keep your composure and not scream bloody murder, they innocently meow into your ear as if to say "whatcha doin?".
Or how about that nice relaxing mom bath you sometimes get to enjoy? Those are fun, and for some moms few and far between...
But again, imagine...you just laid back in a nice skin scorching bath, the fragrance of your bath bomb filling the air, when all of a sudden one of your kids burst into the bathroom for some random reason (because motherhood... Am I right?) They get what they need, do what they have to do, or ask you the one hundred and ten million questions that they could have asked dad whose sitting on the couch... when they turn to leave and only barely close the door behind them...you shout for them to close the door all the way but its too late, their selective hearing has already been set back to tv or video games. But you ignore it anyway and lay back and just close your eyes to count backwards from 10. Only to be startled by a heavy weight on your chest (and it's not stress) its the cat and he's just getting comfortable on your exposed chest to enjoy the sauna you created for HIM... yep. This. Is. My. Life...
You will no longer have to worry about EVER going to the bathroom alone, because the cat will stand guard for you from inside your pants that are around your ankles. Although sometimes they need higher ground if the dogs are around and will settle for your back as you go. But if you manage to actually get to the bathroom before your cat does and get the door shut, he will surely announce how offended he is the ENTIRE time, and incase you lost your hearing in these brief few moments, he will be pawing at you from under the door. Then at bedtime they will most likely steal your pillow and force you to sleep in the most uncomfortable of positions. They will paw at your face (not always with clean paws🤢)in the middle of the night because they had to wake up to use the bathroom and now they need back under the covers and you will unconsciously oblige (depending on the state of their paws).
They will always let you know when they are hungry, which is probably more often then a new born baby. They will sound the alarm if you aren't in bed promptly at 9pm (or whatever time you go to bed on the weekdays). Finally, all home visitors will be properly inspected by your sphynx. First with leg rubs, lots of questions, followed by jumping into their laps and insisting on multiple butt pats or tummy rubs. If the visitor is approved, they will stand half on the back of your couch half on your guest looking out the window with their butthole right in your visitors face. They have now been properly welcomed by the cat. Oh and they will never NOT accept new people into the house. So expect to give a proper warning to your friends and family on what they are about to walk into.
In conclusion owning a sphynx is basically like having another toddler running around your house screaming all day. But they are super cute when they sleep and you can't help but absolutely adore every wrinkle and fold on their little faces while they lay there so innocently...
In my next post we will discuss their care including grooming, feeding, and their 101 basic needs. So I hope you drop by again soon. You can also subscribe so you can be notified when I post a new blog!
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