HCM – Should I be concerned?

HCM, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is a confusing and frustrating disease to understand. Stated basically, it is a common heart disease found in cats of all breeds and backgrounds where the left ventricle becomes enlarged. Cats can appear healthy (asymptomatic) or they can show signs of the disease which require an echocardiogram to give an accurate…

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Grooming your Sphynx

Items you will need: Baby Shampoo Pet Ear cleaner Baby washcloth Warm Towel Q-tips   Most people are surprised that Sphynx cats actually have more grooming responsibility than cats with hair. They don’t have to be brushed obviously, but they do need weekly baths. Most Sphynx are used to being bathed so they tend to…

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Are Sphynx cats hypoallergenic?

That is one of the first questions I am asked when someone is looking for a Sphynx kitten and has known cat allergies. To answer that question, you must first understand the no breed of cat is completely non-allergenic or “cat allergy free”. Hypoallergenic means low allergen, and refers to cats that typically produce fewer allergens than “regular” cats. The protein (Fel D1) is the allergen in a cat’s saliva that causes problems for allergy sufferers. Once the cat licks its fur, the allergen is transferred to the fur of the cat, which is then shed all over your furniture, carpet, clothing etc and causes problems for people with cat allergies. Sphynx cats still have the protein present in their saliva, and do still lick themselves to groom, but without their hair shedding all over the house, they offer a hypoallergenic alternative that some cat lovers can live with.

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