Unfortunately, there are very many prejudices about Sphynx, I get a number of comments and messages every month that are about prejudices. In many cases it´s about ignorance and it just makes me happy that people ask me instead of believing what some people write on various forums. But there are also people with both ignorance and prejudice, who spread rumors that are completely wrong. I hope this blog post will spread facts to people who are receptive to it. Therefore, I list the most common prejudices I hear below.

1. It´s not normal for a cat to be naked.

You might think so, but to think that you should ban the breed makes me angry. Who decides what´s normal? It will be a very dangerous way to go if someone is going to decide who will be allowed to have children or not. We can compare with humans, shouldn't some people be allowed to have children because they are not considered "normal" by some? Is it normal for a dog to live indoors when it is actually bred from a wolf? We can compare to anything, but I intend to stay there. For me, differences are not something that is abnormal, most often differences are what separate an individual from the crowd.

2. Sphynx has more diseases than "normal" cats.

Sphynx has no specific diseases and problems that can be pointed to the breed. HCM which is a heart disease can affect all cat breeds (but some people think that Sphynx is more affected than others). HCM is a hereditary heart disease and if you buy a Sphynx, a serious breeder has always HCM-scanned the parents and you should request to see these papers. I also advocate buying a Sphynx with pedigree so you can see HCM paper for a number of generations.

3. Sphynx always freeze.

No, they do not. If you have a normal indoor temperature and don´t let the cat go outdoors in the middle of a swedish winter, they will not freeze. Sphynx compensates for their nudity by having a higher body temperature compared to other cats. Therefore, Sphynx has a high metabolism to keep the body warm and usually eats significantly more than cats with fur.

4. You need to use moisturizer on a Sphynx.

No, you don´t have to. If you have to use moisturizer on your Sphynx, it usually has some skin disease, which can affect all cats. The advantage with a Sphynx is that you see it immediately and can medicate. Cats are experts at hiding when they are in pain, which means that a cat with fur can go with skin problems for several months before it is discovered.