Sphynx Questions - Bad Habits

jamiekitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
92
Purraise
1
Hey,

it's been a long while but I finally got a sphynx! She just kinda fell into my lap in a strange occurence of events but she is perfect except for a few things I want your advice with.

1. She is sweet as pie when we are alone with her and she isn't mingling aka harassing the other cats but when she is out with the three other ones (all 9 yrs and spayed and neutered) she bothers them some bad. Chasing them up and down the hallway & bedrooms - I worry she will give them a complex and cause them to feel like they lost their spots in the 'cat kingdom' in this house... Am I being overly worried?


2. Here breeder suggested I feed her Origen cat food with some Iams hairball sprinkled in. But her poo varies from being firm to firm/loose then to loose. She has been tested for parasites and it came back negative but this stool habits has been happening for awhile. Also, she wipes her butt on my carpet afterwards which is horrific and messy... Is this a normal sphynx thing? What can I do to pervent this? I have tried catching after a #2 and wiping her bum BUT I can't always be there.

3. When she itches her neck with her back legs she scratches herself badly EVEN after I trim them. What can I do? I mean she looks like an axe murder tried to get her!
Soft paw her back legs?

I'll post some pics soon
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
If the breeder was feeding her that food and you are continuing, I don't understand why she could have loose stools. How long have you had her? Sometimes change of water will cause it if its within a week or two of coming in the new home.

As far as the nails/scratching - you might have to put the Soft Paws nail caps on. That is one really big problem with hairless cats - very little scratch, etc. shows up on the skin!
 

magnoliachat

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 16, 2002
Messages
254
Purraise
1
Location
Texas
None of that is normal Sphynx behavior. Before Peterbalds, I had Sphynx. If she is scratching her neck, she may need a bath. I found that using a mild shampoo and rubbing just a tiny bit of baby oil on them helped. I know it sounds messy, but it isn't. The oil is aborbed in the skin and, actually, helps them from attracting dirt. Peterbalds don't get near as oily and dirty as the Sphynx do, but that will help. Also, try some anti-itch sprays made for cats, if she continues.

As for the wiping of the butt, that is just a bad habit and probably is stemming from the loose stools. Baby wipes might help and are handy for "in between" baths, as well. If you bathe too much, it strips the oils from the skin. If you don't bathe them enough, they will leave a dark spot of dirt on your furniture.
 

magnoliachat

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 16, 2002
Messages
254
Purraise
1
Location
Texas
Oh, and the personality being dominant is just her. Most Spyhnx are not. I have found that cats have a great way of working it out on their own, though, as long as no one is injuring the other. After a few weeks, they will all know each other better. I don't intervene with my cats getting along, unless one is actually hurting another one.
 

cococat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
4,953
Purraise
12
Location
USA
Originally Posted by Jamiekitty

1. She is sweet as pie when we are alone with her and she isn't mingling aka harassing the other cats but when she is out with the three other ones (all 9 yrs and spayed and neutered) she bothers them some bad. Chasing them up and down the hallway & bedrooms - I worry she will give them a complex and cause them to feel like they lost their spots in the 'cat kingdom' in this house... Am I being overly worried?


2. Here breeder suggested I feed her Origen cat food with some Iams hairball sprinkled in. But her poo varies from being firm to firm/loose then to loose. She has been tested for parasites and it came back negative but this stool habits has been happening for awhile. Also, she wipes her butt on my carpet afterwards which is horrific and messy... Is this a normal sphynx thing? What can I do to pervent this? I have tried catching after a #2 and wiping her bum BUT I can't always be there.

3. When she itches her neck with her back legs she scratches herself badly EVEN after I trim them. What can I do? I mean she looks like an axe murder tried to get her!
Soft paw her back legs?

I'll post some pics soon
1. Sounds like she has a lot of energy. This breed does but it makes me wonder is she a kitten?
2. No way is this normal and does sound nasty. I feed mine Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. Not the best out there but it is the one that works the best for my particular Sphynx.
3. No, it isn't normal. Maybe she has allergies to the food you are feeding? When is the last time she had a bath, some Sphynx need a bath every single week, she might be one of those.
 

lele

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 8, 2008
Messages
146
Purraise
1
Location
denton texas
Ok I have four sphynx, here my take.

You might want to talk to your vet about tri-trichamonis foetus. It's a parasite that will cause loose stools but your cat will otherwise seem healthy it will NOT show up on a normal fecal exam a special study will have to be done to confirm. Otherwise some cats in general (not just this breed) can't tolerate certain ingrediants in their food i.e chicken or certain grains.

You don't specify the age of your cat but I am betting this is a kitten?? Most kittens will harass older pets in a new enviroment. They will have to work it out and your older cats will set bounderies with the new one, this is how they learn how to behave in your home. Sphynx in general do have a very playful attitude and love alot of attention. That is what is so fun about owning a sphynx.

The itchy skin is not normal for the breed. She may have a food allergy as mentioned above. You should also be bathing her once a week, be careful to clean the inside of her toes (you have to retract the claws and clean underneath that skin fold as well). Oil and dirt will build up on this breed, baths and weekly ear cleaning is a must as well as cleaning the eyes daily as they do not have eyelashes to keep the yuck in the air out. I also use non-scented baby wipes for a quick wipe down in between baths. As with any breed your cat may just have allergies. You should speak with your vet if it becomes a problem in case medication is necessary.

I think in general this breed is wonderful and the best part of all no pet hair. Good luck. If you have any specific questions you want to ask I'd be glad to speak with you just pm me.
 

christinep

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
2
Purraise
0
I have a Phynx as well and had the same problem ,i finally got the the soft smelly poo under control... Kinda. After trying a alergenic food which didn't work a try , I tried the gastro food from the vet a try this is all that I found is working .. Not a fan of keeping her on it but not sure what other choice I have... Worked for now .
 
Top