Bald cats or sphinxes often amaze people who first saw them with their exotic appearance. Their body, not covered with wool, has an elevated temperature, and the delicate skin in the folds makes them look like aliens. So where did these amazing creatures come from, which are so appreciated today by lovers of unique domestic cats?
The history of the sphinxes
For the first time bald cats were mentioned in the historical annals of the Aztecs. More recent information about the sphinxes was found in Morocco, India and Paraguay. In the 60s of the 20th century, Canadian and French felinologists bred the first "naked" cats, which were named the "Canadian Sphynx". This was achieved thanks to a bald kitten born from an ordinary cat - later he was crossed with his mother, after which hairless kittens appeared in the new litter.
The number of sphinxes was gradually increased by crossing rare representatives of this breed.
Today, Canadian Sphynxes are not always completely naked - they may have residual hairs on the ears, muzzle and tip of the tail, but sphinxes do not have a mustache. Bald cats are quite muscular and sturdy, with large, widely spaced chests, slender legs and a strong neck. This breed lives for a long time - perhaps due to its friendly, affectionate and sociable nature, and, possibly, due to a genetic mutation that deprived the sphinxes of their usual cat hair.
Strong pigmentation of the skin makes it possible to clearly distinguish the color of hairless cats - the most common shades are white and piebald. Solid or tortoiseshell sphinxes are less common. A very rare occurrence is the mink sphinx, which, when slightly lightened, has stunning light blue eyes.
The nature of the sphinxes
A new unique breed "Don Sphynx" was approved in 1998 by Russian felinologists, who, with their help, crossed and bred new types of bald cats. The healthiest kittens were selected for breeding work, which became the founders of a new breed - "St. Petersburg Sphynx". This breed is distinguished by a more graceful and fragile physique, as well as a lack of rancor and aggressiveness towards its owner or other animals.
The Sphinxes accept a person as their own, treating him on an equal footing and easily learning various behavioral reactions.
Good-naturedness, peacefulness and devotion of bald cats absolutely do not resemble a feline character. Sphynxes are not afraid of dogs and may well defend themselves by punishing the offender with sharp and tenacious claws, which, however, are practically not used. The beauty and exoticism of sphinxes is highly valued by breeders and simply lovers of everything unusual.
