Pearlhearts Sphynx Cattery Useful Kitten Information
Many people don’t realize how high of maintenance sphynx cats can be, and often times aren’t completely “prepared” with what may come. It’s very important to watch after your kitten’s hygiene, and make sure he/she is always groomed.
You may already know that sphynx need to be washed at least once a week, as they get very oily and dirty, but it mainly depends on your pet, as some get filthy more quickly than others, but if you want to be able to sleep with your kitten, and pet him/her, then he/she needs to be washed about 2 times a week in order to keep the skin clean, or else it will look grimy and feel like it too. I wash my sphynx in the sink, and use very warm water to wash and rinse them. I recommend “Johnson’s Baby Shampoo,” as it is very gentle on the skin, and doesn’t irritate it as much as other shampoos might. “Mane ‘n Tail Shampoo” is also very good, which you can buy at the pet section of any grocery store. This is enough to maintain the skin’s health, although some people do deal with dry skin. If your kitty does ever have dry skin, some coconut oil will help keep it moisturized, and it isn’t harmful either. if you take your sphynx out in the sun, you do not need to put on sunblock, but you do want to avoid direct sunlight. Put a cotton shirt on him/her. Sphynx can also sometimes be allergic to fleece. If you ever notice a rash appear on your kitten’s back or even face after contact with a blanket or sweater, that is a fleece allergy and you will want to find an alternative material. You’ll want to wash your kitty well with water after fleece contact to get rid of any small particles left behind on the skin.
Cleaning ears is very important, and should be done once a week, or else too much oil and dirt build-up will induce ear infections, and other problems. I use q-tips dipped in “Zymox Ear Cleanser” to easily wipe away all the dirt, which can be bought on Amazon. Just use the q- tips and clean out all of the visibly dirty areas, carefully. Water with soap works instead, too. After a bath is the perfect time for ear cleaning, as the inside of the ears are moist and easy to clean.
Clipping nails is also important to do, and trimming them once a week is about how often it should be done. I find that using plain scissors is the easiest and sturdiest method, as long as you don’t cut past the quick (the pinkest part, where the blood vessels are). You’ll also find that a lot of dirt builds up between the claws and cat pads, and you can use a towel to clean between each pad. If your pet scratches a lot, a great way to handle that is by getting nail caps! You can buy a pack of 100 or even 140 on Amazon- in various colors. They glue on and last for a couple of weeks. You’ll want a size small.
Sphynx are also prone to getting watery eyes, as they can catch colds very easily. An ointment I use to clear up any eye problems is “Terramycin” as well as “Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates,” which can also be bought on Amazon. It is not uncommon for them to have watery eyes, so those 2 are good remedies. If your kitten however has an eye infection that lasts for more than 3 days without any improvement from the two, then it is very important to see the vet because it is possible for some eye infections to be bad enough to cause blindness. Your vet will provide antibiotic eye drops to clear up any infection. If your kitty does ever catch a cold, a round of “Clavamox” or “Amoxicilin” will clear up any problems, such as a stuffy nose, which can be requested from your vet. From experience, I’ve found that “Clavamox” works better than “Amoxicilin”. But if you can get “Doxycycline,” even better. Also note that an oral antibiotic usually works better on sphynx than an antibiotic shot. To keep your pet warm to prevent colds, it is vital to have a heater in your kitten’s bed, and even turned on in the house. I keep the “Sunbeam 731-500 Heating Pad with UltraHeat Technology” in my cats’ beds on at all times to keep them warm, which can be bought on Amazon as the rest of the products I’ve recommended, and it doesn’t automatically turn off, like many heaters. You can also wrap it in a blanket to prevent direct heat from touching the kitten’s skin. I find that it is easiest to keep these heating pads in a cat cube; plus they love these kinds of beds! Keeping your kitten dressed to prevent any sicknesses is also important, especially during the wintertime. Many sweaters for kittens can be found on eBay or Amazon.
For food, I feed them “Purina ONE chicken flavor dry food,” which I too buy on Amazon. All my cats eat the kitten version. They get all the nutrients that they need from the kitten version. Something grain-free is also good, such as Science Hills diet. I’ve found that it helps a lot with sensitive skin and stomach, but when you have one cat versus many, you don’t have to find something that works for everyone.
Many breeders use raw food as the main source of diet, but after talking with different vets, I believe that it can be unhealthy and even harmful to the animal because of the disease-causing bacteria that may still be alive in the meat; plus I had diarrhea issues with my cats eating raw, so I’ve decided to steer away from it. I also give the kittens “Friskies Classic Pate” as a treat twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening, and they love it! “PureBites” freeze dried meats are also good as treats, and they can be bought on Amazon or Petco. You’re welcome to change the food to something else, but you will want to gradually change it, as to not disturb your kitty’s stomach.
When you first get your kitten, you may notice that he/she isn’t eating, and this may go on for about a couple of days, but this is very normal as the kitten adjusts to his/her new home. If your kitty ever has ongoing diarrhea, it is important to check for giardia, which is a parasite that can be found in cats, but can be cleared with some “Metronidazole” from the vet. If it is giardia, it will be important to clean out the litter box with bleach and change the litter every day. If your kitten sleeps in some kind of cat bed, then you will need to cover it with a towel of some sort, and change it every day so that the bacteria doesn’t spread. You will need to do this for about a week. If it is not giardia, then some probiotics will help the kitten/cat’s digestive system. I use “Purina Fortiflora Feline Nutritional Supplement Box” that you can order on Amazon, and sprinkle half the packet over the kitten/cat’s food once a day, for 7 days.
For litter, I use “Arm and Hammer Platinum Seal Clump,” which you can buy on Amazon as well. This litter works best for me, as it gives off less of an odor, and clumps very well. The litterbox that is covered and top entry is the best kind. There is less of a mess, and the cats love jumping in there. The “Litter-Robot” is amazing if you want to make an investment. You may also notice that your kitten doesn’t use the bathroom when first getting him/her, but this, just like not eating, is normal while the he/she adjusts, which can take a couple of days, as I mentioned earlier. When the kitten is ready, though, he/she will take care of all needed business!
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