Expose the Uniqueness of Sphynx Cats, IPB University Expert: A Friendly Cat with No Fur
Prof Ronny R Noor, Professor of IPB University explains the uniqueness of Sphynx cats that have very thin fur that even looks like hairless. “One of my favourite cat breeds every time I do judging at the Cat Show is the Sphynx cat which has a uniqueness that stands out from other cats, because the cat’s fur is very thin throughout its body, so it looks like hairless,” said Prof Ronny.
According to Prof Ronny, in every Cat Show both in Indonesia and also in the world the number of Sphynx cats participating in the contest is less when compared to other cat breeds. In the cat world, Sphynx cats are ranked as the eighth most popular cat breed in the world.
“Many of us mistakenly think that this cat comes from Egypt because it associates the name of this cat with the kingdom of Ancient Egypt and the giant statue of Sphynx that guards the pyramids,” said this IPB University Ecological Genetics expert.
He explained, Sphynx cats became known in the world at the birth of a cat named Prune in Toronto Canada in 1966. The birth of this hairless Prune is the forerunner of the formation of the Sphynx cat breed which has the most prominent characteristic of being hairless.
“In terms of genetic science, this hairless trait is controlled by recessive genes. In 1971 the World Cat Breeders Association revoked the breed status of this cat because of various problems in terms of fertility and health,” he said.
“From my experience as a Cat Show judge, Sphynx cats are very friendly and shy and are very happy to be close to us. The life expectancy of this cat can reach 10 to 15 years, so it is much favoured by cat lovers,” said Prof Ronny.
He explained that the Sphynx cat’s stature is usually slender with a slightly distended stomach with very thin fur. One of the other characteristics is that most Sphynx cats do not have whiskers but physically Sphynx cats have large ears with striking lemon-shaped eyes and have thick soles.
“If you look more carefully, although not hairy, Sphynx cats actually have colours and colour patterns like ordinary cats, but appear more faint. The most common colours of Sphynx cats are white, pink, black and some have tabby patterns and a combination of several colours,” said Prof Ronny.
He continued, for cat lovers Sphynx cats love attention and are very happy if held and petted. This type of cat is known as a smart and curious cat. Besides that, Sphynx cats are categorised as loyal and loving cats.
“Given that this type of cat is hairless, the maintenance of this cat requires special attention to be kept warm and should be avoided from games, movements and rough touches so that the skin is not scratched,” said Prof Ronny. (*/Lp) (IAAS/RUM)
