The Sphynx is one of the rare breeds of cat, which is noted for the lack of fur on its coat. The current strain of Sphynx cats were first started in Toronto in 1966. The hairless kitten was named Prune. This kitten was backcrossed to mate with its mother and bear another hairless kitten. An entire litter was born in this process, which was the primogenitor of the Sphynx breed. The initial genetic pool faced a few problems but the current Canadian Sphynx breed doesn’t suffer from the same.

Those who have absolutely no idea about Sphynx cats may get shocked at their first vision of this breed. A Sphynx has a body which is almost hairless, a pixie like expression on its face, and ears which look bigger because of the lack of visible fur. A person either loves a Sphynx or hates it at the first sight.

The body of the Sphynx breed is of medium length with a hard and well built chest and the head shaped like a wedge. The chest is muscular, broad and barrel shaped. There is a slight arch on its back and the abdomen is full and round, ending in a long whip like tail.

Even though the body of a Sphynx is perceived to be generally hairless, there is actually a very fine coating of hair throughout its body. The fur is downy, similar to a peach fuzz. The texture of the skin is very much like that of Chamois leather. The skin is often covered with vellus hair. Since Sphynx cats do not have a thick pelt, they look for warm areas to sleep in. A Sphynx loves to cuddle and is known to sleep under the same covers as its owners. Since fur is absent on its skin, a Sphynx’s skin is warm and soft to touch. However, the lack of pelt can be a problem.

Even though the average sphinx is a healthy breed, kittens are susceptible to respiratory infections due to the absence of thick hair. Moreover, due to the lack of noticeable fur, many people consider the Sphynx to be hypoallergenic cat, even though this is not true. Dander from saliva and urine can also cause serious allergies in these cats.

The eyebrows and whiskers of a Sphynx are dubious. They may be born with or without them. The suede like coat of the Sphynx is available in all the standard cat colors such as chocolate, lilac, blue and tortoiseshell. The skin is of the same color as the fur and has the normal patterns of cat marking present on it.

A female Sphynx weighs around seven to nine pounds whereas a male averages between eight to ten pounds. Sphynx cats are very popular for their intelligent and extrovert nature while at the same time, they are very gentle and child friendly too. However, since these cats belong to a rare breed, be prepared to wait for the kitten you order for a considerable amount of time.