By Lauren Cavagnolo
Our furry best friends can come in all sizes, varieties and species, but what about the ones with no fur at all? For a few Sphynx cat owners in Tulsa, it is no problem at all. In fact, the lack of hair was a top draw for owners Seth Lee Jones and his girlfriend Rachel LaVonne, and Gretchen Criss and her 17-year-old son Finn.
With varying degrees of cat allergies in their families, a cat with no hair just makes sense.
LaVonne says despite growing up with cats, she is still allergic. “But she’s easy,” LaVonne says of Jones’ cat. “You don’t have to worry about sneezing in [the cat’s] face.”
Criss’ son Finn also wanted a cat despite being allergic.
“What I have found out is if you are allergic, you are actually allergic to the saliva and not necessarily the hair,” Criss explains. “However, the hair does bother Finn; we have a cat that does have hair.”
Dr. Paula Monroe of River Trail Animal Hospital says that while there is no “hypoallergenic cat,” there are several reasons a hairless cat might not elicit the same allergic reaction as a traditional cat.
“Since this breed of cat does not have a lot (if any) hair, there is less dander. Also, since
there is less hair to groom, there may be less saliva protein that people are exposed to as well,” Monroe says. “Another possibility there may be less reaction to Sphynx cats is since these cats need to be bathed frequently, the amount of saliva sourced antigen may be less, therefore, less reaction.”
Yes, you read that correctly. These cats need to be bathed, and frequently!
Jones bathes his cat Bea at least once a month. “Some of them do like it, but not her,” he says. “She is definitely a cat.
“You have to clean their ears about every two weeks; they don’t have hair to take up all that oil they produce. There are just some little maintenance things, cleanliness; they are a little higher maintenance than a normal cat.”
Criss said Tobias gives Finn responsibility. Since it is his cat, he is in charge of bathing him regularly.
According to Monroe, if hairless cats are not bathed regularly, their oily skin can lead to an overgrowth of yeast, especially in their ears and between their toes and pads of their feet.
In addition to regular baths, Sphynx and other hairless cats require protection from the sun if they go outside or even if they sunbathe frequently while inside, Monroe adds. Shirts or a protective application to their favorite window can also help protect their skin. Monroe recommends a quick-drying baby-safe sunscreen if necessary and tolerated by the cat.
Monroe says the Sphynx cat is also genetically predisposed to some heart problems— mitral valve dysplasia, a congenital malformation of the mitral heart valve, as well as a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thickened, resulting in
the inability of the heart to pump the blood normally, which can ultimately lead to heart failure. A form of muscular dystrophy has also been described in the Sphynx breed.
As for personality, Monroe says they are usually very friendly and outgoing.
“Our Sphynx cat has become Finn’s companion, therapy cat,” Criss says. As a teenager, Finn has experienced anxiety. “He sleeps with Finn, and he is a very affectionate cat. They have very funny personalities, almost dog traits. You can train them to fetch, train them to walk on a leash. You can dress them up. I belong to all kinds of Facebook
groups, and they have their cats dressed up.”
Tobias and Bea both have their own collection of sweaters available to them when they are cold.
“When you get the sweater out, she is visibly into it,” Jones says of Bea.
“I feel like she is more like a dog than a cat really,” LaVonne adds. “Since she doesn’t have hair, and she gets cold, she actually wants to cuddle. She is super sweet.”
Bea, who is 7-years-old and an only cat, also has her own blankets to burrow in and a favorite chair that she prefers to spend most of her time in. A cross between a
Sphynx and Bambino, Jones says she is friendly and docile.
As a kitten, Bea could fit in the palm of Jones’ hand. He carried her around in the pouch of his sweater. Now that she is bigger, she will climb on him and ride on his shoulder when he walks around the house.
Jones says when people come over to visit and see Bea for the first time, they usually react in one of two ways.
“I either get one of two reactions: ‘Ew, gross, is she slimy?’ or ‘Oh my god, she is so cute!’” Jones says. “It’s kind of a 50-50 split. Some people think she looks scary; other people think she looks cute.”
Tobias is a little more mischievous and active. At 4-years-old, he has three dog siblings and another cat to hang out with when he isn’t busy following Finn around or knocking the lamp off of the Gecko’s cage.
“He runs with the dogs just the same as the dogs run with the dogs,” Criss says. “And if one of them gets too close, he smacks them. We actually did the best we could to keep him inside and not let him out, but having a dog door, he follows the dogs out.”
Criss purchased Tobias from a breeder based out of Pensacola, Florida, after they were not able to find one in Oklahoma at the time.
“We found a breeder, and she keeps them in her house. The moms and the dads are in her house, and the kittens are in her house,” Criss says. “So, we basically purchased our Sphynx cat. I will also say that I have two rescue pups and a rescue kitty. I am all for rescue animals as well.”
Criss says she loves the breed and would definitely have more.
“They are just really good companions, good animals,” she says. “I think they are awesome! I would have two of them; I would have a house full of them. If anything ever happened to him, I would definitely have another one.”
Monroe advises researching the breed thoroughly before purchasing or adopting any cat.
“Just do your homework if you are considering one of these cats, (or any other cat for that matter),” Monroe says. “Having a cat is a long-term commitment that should not be taken lightly!”■
