About The Breed

Crystal Whiskers

About The Breed

Canadian Sphynx breed standard

Canadian Sphinx – Canadian Sphinx – Shorthair and Somali Cats – FIFe category III

EMS code: SPH

  • Origin
Canada, USA, Netherlands
  • Character
Friendly, sociable, extremely loving.
  • Activity
Hyperactive, loves to learn, play and explore all corners.
  • Size
Medium, males clearly larger than females.
  • Weight
Females (3-4 kg) & Males (4-7 kg).
  • Torso
Muscular, smooth; neck of medium length, rounded and well muscled; the neck arch connects the shoulders to the base of the skull, the nape is powerful especially in males; body medium to long; a wide and rounded chest may be slightly cylindrical; The belly is rounded as after a solid meal.
  • Head Shape
Medium-sized, modified wedge with rounded contours, slightly longer than wide; skull slightly rounded with a flat forehead and protruding cheekbones; profile – small alloy; strong, rounded muzzle with a pronounced beard.
  • Ears
Large, wide at the base and open; set straight – not too low and not too high, and not on the top of the head; the inside of the ears completely hairless; a small amount of hair allowed on the outer edges and back surface; gently rounded ends.
  • Eyes

Large, lemon-shaped, slightly bulging and oblique towards the outer edge of the ear; the distance between the eyes should be slightly greater than the length of the eye itself; The colour should harmonize with the colour of the body, blue eyes are the most desirable, but all eye colours are allowed.

  • Nose
Ice blue; delicate alloy in profile; The tip is emphasised by a slight curve downwards.
  • Tail
Flexible, tapering towards the tip, resembling a whip; length proportional to the body; Permissible lion pompon at the end of the tail.
  • Limbs
Length proportional to the body, with a moderately strong skeletal structure and strong musculature; hind legs slightly longer than the front ones; front paws widely spaced; feet of medium size, oval with long slender toes; paw pads thicker than in other breeds, which makes the cat look as if it walks on “airbags”; fingers very long, slender, protruding.
  • Coat
When stroking some cats, some skin resistance may be felt; the cat appears hairless, but it is covered with a very delicate fluff; the skin of kittens is very wrinkled; permissible residual hairs on the nose, the outer side of the auricles and tail; Adult cats should keep as many wrinkles as possible, especially on the head, but wrinkles should not interfere with the cat’s normal functioning. Eyebrows and vibrissae may be completely absent.
  • Colour
All colours accepted, including white.
  • Lifespan
14 years on average.
Small amount of the fur is allowed on the external part of the ear, paws and tail, male can gave some fur on scrotum area.

Advantages & Disadvantages

  • Disadvantages
  • Not suitable as outdoor cat
  • Need human care to survive
  • Loudly vocalises
  • Need attention, dose not tolerate loneliness
  • Need much more care than a typical cat
  • Sensitive to temperature
  • Advantages
  • Very sociable, loving do tolerate well other breeds
  • Very intelligent
  • Tolerates travel well
  • Very active, love to play
  • Warm and velvet skin

History

The name of the breed “Canadian sphinx” has nothing to do with Egypt or the Egyptian cat. The earliest sources on hairless cats date back 100 years. These types of cats were described in Frances Simpson’s book “The Book of the Cat” – they were called there Mexican hairless. In the first half of the twentieth century, reports of bald cats came from many countries: Australia, New Mexico, Morocco, France, as well as from the USA.However, the first hairless kitten that inspired the creation of the Sphynx breed was discovered in 1966 in Toronto, Canada. It was born in the litter of ordinary short-haired cats as a result of a spontaneous genetic mutation – the presence of a recessive gene that inhibits the natural development of the coat. The bald boy was named Prune, and a breeding program began. The statement that the Canadian sphinx is bald is not entirely true. In fact, its skin is covered with delicate down to the touch reminiscent of the texture of suede or peach peel. ~ Bibliography of article written by Dr. James Throne of Senspelo Sphynx Bressler, L. The Sphynx: The Best Cat in the Whole World. TICA Trend. 19:2-9. 12/98-1/99. Hendy-Ibbs, P.M. Hairless cats in Great Britain. J. Hered. 75:506-507. 1984. Letard, E. Hairless Siamese Cats. J. Hered. 29:173-175. 1935. Mellen, I.M. The Origin Of The Mexican Hairless Cat. J. Hered. 30:435-436. 1939. The Canadian hairless or Sphinx. J. Hered. 64:47-48. 1973. The Rex Mutants of the Domestic Cat. Genetica. 42:466-468. 1991. Sternberger, H. A “Cat-Dog” From North Carolina. J. Hered. 28:115-116. 1937. “Nonesuch” Has A Birthday–And Kittens. J. Hered. 28:310. 1937.

About

At Crystal Whiskers, we exclusively breed Canadian Sphynx cats. This amazing breed is promoted at international and national cat shows.

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