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About to own my first sphynx!

Andrea Cochran

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Sep 6, 2014
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Hello everyone! My name is Andrea and I am 34 years old. I live in the middle of no where in South Georgia on a plot of land owned by my mother-in-law. I am very happily married and I have an 18 year old step son and a 7 year old son between my husband and I. There are 3 houses on our property, my husband, myself and our 7 year old live in one house My mother-in-law, father-in-law and step son live in another house, and way on the far side of the property is my mother-in-law's sister's house.

My step son has mild autism, along with several other issues that go along with it and can not handle living with a loud, hyper active 7 year old so that is why he lives with my mother and father-in-law. Plus he's lived with them since he was 5 years old.

We currently have 1 cat, a neutered male tuxedo named Figaro who is about 10 years old. A 9 year old Alaskan Malamute female named Aleusha and a male lutino cockatiel who is just under a year old and his name is Tiki.

We do not yet have a sphynx in our house hold but if things go according to plan then we will be bringing our new sphynx kitten home at the end of October when he turns 16 weeks old.

About 11 years ago, when I was working as a veterinary technician in south Florida, we had to board our cats with a pet rescue for a few weeks when my ex husband and I first split up until we could get ourselves situated. When we went to drop our cats off at her house, before I could get all the way through the door a sphynx jumped onto my shoulders and started nuzzling and licking my cheek. It was the first time that I had ever met a sphynx and I was instantly in love. After we got our cats set up in their room, I spent the next half an hour sitting on her couch with at least 3 sphynx cats all over me and I was loving all over them and blowing raspberries on their tummies and they just loved it! I had never met cats with such amazing and friendly personalities and ever since then my deepest dream has been to one day own my own sphynx.

I never thought I would ever be able to afford one because they are so expensive and we never have that much money all at once. But a few weeks ago a girl on a game I play offered to pay me a large amount of money for a rare game item I own and I accepted her offer. The first thing that came to mind was taking my son on a trip to Disney World. I don't know how the realization of having enough money to get a sphynx popped into my head but it did and that is when I began looking for a breeder. I still haven't been paid for my game item though and the girl can't start sending me payments for at least another week or two, but said she will definitely have me fully paid off by October so I am crossing my fingers! She has bought several other rare game items off some of my good friends for similar prices and they have confirmed with me that she is legit and will give me what she promised for my game item.

I have a friend on facebook who owns a sphynx and she told me that when looking for a breeder that I need to make sure I locate one that regularly scans their sphynxes for a heart condition called HCM, and that if a breeder says I can have a kitten before they are 12 weeks old that that is a red flag and not to go with that breeder because sphynx kittens are prone to getting upper respiratory infections as kittens more so then other kittens because of the lack of whiskers and eyelashes to help keep contaminants out of their face.

So I located a breeder a few hours North of us who scans her adult cats once a year for HCM and is CFA registered. She has also told me that because I have never owned a sphynx that she would like to wait until the kitten is 16 weeks until she lets me bring him home.

I know it was a huge risk, but I had to take this risk in order to ensure that I could get the kitten I had my heart set on. I borrowed some money from a friend to give the breeder the $250 non-refundable deposit to reserve my kitten, even though I've not received any payment from this girl yet.

What is life if you aren't willing to take a leap of faith in order to reach your dreams? Right?

Anyhow, I have been in touch with the breeder through facebook, emails and text messages and she has sent me some new photos of our reserved baby. My husband wants to name him "Seti". He was born on July 19th.

This is him with his mommy. :)

seti_and_his_mom_pee_wee_by_nineyninetales-d7xxy9s.png


And here he is looking adorable. He is in need of a bath in this picture, but the breeder was sick in bed with pneumonia for a while and he may have missed a bath or two because of it, but she is better now. :)

seti___sphynx_kitten_by_nineyninetales-d7xxxot.png


Anyhow! If anyone has an wonderful advice for me I would absolutely LOVE to hear from you! I am trying to soak in as much knowledge as I can before I get my first Sphynx so that I know he can have the best possible life with us!
 

Hairless Blessing

Gold Lairian
Notable Member
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Nov 9, 2010
Messages
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Welcome to sphynxlair, good to have you. Handsome little gentleman
he is. You have come to the best place possible to learn. Plus this is a wonderful bunch of people on here. The @admin is great and has created something no one
else has been able to. "The Sphynxlair" A good place to start is
http://sphynxlair.com/community/forums/sphynx-cat-help-center.53/
Use the search feature at the top and type in what you won't to look for.
Or just ask. People will chime in.
 

Yoda mom

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Apr 23, 2012
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Welcome! Keep us updated on soooo cute Seti !
The forms are great! We learn from each other every day! Jump right in!
 

Andrea Cochran

Lairian
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
101
Points
51
Thank you for all of your lovely welcomes! And for reading my entire story! LOL!

I am tickled pink because I found out that a pet store in the next town over sells the Royal Canin for kittens and cats. So I won't have to change his food and upset his belly! The breeder feeds her sphynxes Royal Canin.
 

Embracing-Joyx4

V.I.P Lairian
V.I.P Lairian
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Feb 21, 2013
Messages
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Welcome he's so adorable!!
This is a great place to
Get info... One good piece of advise is to have L-Lysine on hand sprinkle a bit on his wet food to build up his immunities. Also don't over bathe it just makes them produce more oil.
Use non scented baby wipes in
Between bath times. The ear cleaning solution is also good for cleaning that icky black tar that builds up around their nails.
Try to get him use to grooming early but wait until he settles in for a month.

Good luck
Keep us posted

Tina
 

Sphynx Asylum Dad

Senior Lairian
Senior Lairian
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Jun 28, 2014
Messages
458
Points
203
Andrea, congrats on your new friend- it will be one of the best choices you've ever made. Just one thing, you aren't about to own your first Sphynx, you are about to have your first Sphynx owner lol. They grab your heart, and don't let go!!
 

Andrea Cochran

Lairian
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
101
Points
51
What is L-Lysine? I have heard a lot of sphynx owners taking about it but never got the chance to ask what it is.

I hope he is able to come home with me! If this girl bails on buying my game item then no Sphynx kitten for me.
 

andreanar

Gold Lairian
Notable Member
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Jul 15, 2012
Messages
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Welcome! Your little man is just a doll. Don't wanna be a nervous nellie, but I would start setting money aside just in case the deal with the game girl falls thru.
 

Andrea Cochran

Lairian
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
101
Points
51
I don't have that kind of money to put aside. The way that I see it is that I took all the chances I could to get myself a sphynx but if it is not meant to happen then it is not meant to happen and there is nothing we can do about it.
 

Robyn Church

Lairian
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
46
Points
29
Yup, you don't own a sphynx, they own you. :D

We just became our little girls Hoooomans a few days ago.

She is training us well too.

Your widdle buddy is very cute.

Robyn
 

Andrea Cochran

Lairian
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
101
Points
51
@ Catzzzmeow thank you for the link to the L-lysine. What forms can I buy it is at walmart and how much should I give him? Is it safe to give to kittens? If all goes well and this girl pays me for my game item then he will be 4 months (16 weeks) old when I bring him home at the end of October.
 

Catzzzmeow

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I ordered the ordered form on Amazon. We give it daily to 3 Sphynx and a Bengal. Yes it is safe for kittens the directions are on the tub :)

Patti
 

Catzzzmeow

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I never get tired of sharing the excitement of new babies with members. We got our first Sphynx 11 years ago and there are times it feels like yesterday. Believe it or not your love will only get stronger...they are a true gift and no doubt you will cherish yours.

Patti
 
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