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Sphynx Happy

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I do not like confrontation and I usually avoid it. But I have been a constant voice on this thread because I would hate for someone to read this thread and think that it is ok to have a kitten come home earlier then 12 weeks.

Don't get me wrong, if there was someway I could have the tiny kitten @ 6 weeks and still have it be at the developmental age of a 12 week old kitten then I would do it. Kittens at that age are so adorably cute. But I put my desires aside for what's best for the kitten. I know that I can not have my cake and eat it too.
 

Fester

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In interest of sharing concrete info:
Here's a study ( found via Wikipedia) that says at 8 weeks, kittens eyes are not full developed, although they are close to being so -- the Wikipedian who cited the article apparently didn't read it, as they claimed the article said the kittens eyes were fully developed at 10 weeks--- nowhere in the article was 10weeks mentioned, just 4 1/2, 6 1/2, 8 weeks, and adult.link

here's an article quoting a vet (Betsy Arnold DVM saying 12 weeks is a good minimum: link

//disclaimer -- I looked for articles that looked sensible and had either peer review, or cited a real authority, so as not to commit the fallacy of appeal to false authority -- I could have a selection bias, but I did look for articles that addressed the concerns expressed about the 8 weeks time (behavior, mostly). I found no articles that claimed a kitten would be just as well behaved and socialized at 8 weeks as they would later.

I'm not here to 'win, an argument', instead, I want quality info for us all, so here's what I've found.
 

Sphynx Happy

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Fester I am quoting the article from the link you posted.


How Young is Too Young?
How old should a kitten be when it goes to a new home?

by Barbara C. French
First printed in CATS Magazine, February 2000. Reprinted with permission.

Dorie Wilkins* (*name changed to protect identity) had only been breeding Ragdolls for almost two years, and had produced her second litter. She was approached by a nice young couple who wanted a kitten, but they objected to her policy of selling kittens at twelve weeks of age. They were concerned the kitten would not bond with them. They pointed to newspaper ads advertising kittens 'ready to go' at six or eight weeks. "I let them talk me into it," sighs Wilkins. "I sold kittens at twelve weeks because that's what everyone else seemed to be doing. I didn't really know why." She relented and let one of the kittens go to its new home at seven weeks of age.

The kitten was returned at ten weeks, weighing less than it had when it had gone to its new home three weeks before. The owners complained that the kitten had the sniffles and chronic diarrhea and wasn't using the litterbox. It hadn't settled in with their resident cat, and the kitten spent much of its time hiding under the couch. "They said they'd never get a purebred cat again, because obviously they're not healthy," Wilkins relates. With veterinary care and a lot of TLC, the kitten was back on its paws in a few weeks. Wilkins waited until this kitten was almost six months old before placing it again.

The kitten's problems had nothing to do with its heritage.

"Kittens should leave their homes at a minimum age of twelve weeks," says Dr. Betsy Arnold, DVM, a veteran Siamese breeder and veterinarian with an all-feline practice in Rochester, New York called Caring for Cats. "In my practice I have seen kittens coming in at six and seven weeks who weight twelve, maybe fourteen ounces. These are infants. They needed to stay with their mothers."

Twelve weeks may seem old to people accustomed to seeing newspaper ads advertising kittens who are "ready to go" at six or eight weeks of age. Most of us who have had cats have acquired kittens that young. They are cute at that age, and most people enjoy having such young kittens to watch them grow. However, we may permanently harm kittens by separating them from their mothers so early. There are crucial mental, emotional, and developmental milestones that a kitten experiences between six and twelve weeks of age. Separating the kitten from mother, siblings, and familiar surroundings at that age can cause undue anxiety and stress at the least, and serious medical problems or even death in the very worst cases.

ISSUES: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OF EARLY SEPARATION

Problems with immunity and health

"One of my main concerns with early separation is that kittens' immune systems are really developing between eight and twelve weeks of age," says Dr. Arnold. "The immunity from their mother is wearing off, and the immunity from vaccination is just starting to take over. During this time, they are more susceptible to illness, such as upper-respiratory problems and diarrhea." Kittens generally receive vaccinations against panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calici viruses (commonly called the "distemper combination" shot) at six, nine, and twelve weeks of age. However, immunity from vaccination does not happen immediately; shots can take up to ten days to be effective. Up until this time, kittens receive some measure of immunity through antibodies from their mother's milk, but this is also the age where they are beginning to wean. Their immune system "kicks over" from immunity from mother's milk to immunity from vaccination. During this time, their immune system is busy with this task, leaving the kitten less able to fight off other illnesses. "The stress of going to a new home and being exposed to different germs can make the kitten more susceptible to illness during this time," adds Dr. Arnold.

At six or seven weeks, a kitten has only received his or her first shot series; the new owner must remember to give the second boosters. Sometimes they forget, and this can have disastrous results. Himalayan and Persian breeder Barbara Redalia of Tuleburg Cattery recalls, " Once a pet purchaser bought a kitten from us, neglected to give it the second vaccination, and when their son became allergic, returned the cat to us. Unfortunately the cat had contracted rhinotracheitis at their home and exposed a pregnant cat to this virus at our house. This cat, whose own immunity to rhinotracheitis was apparently waning, became extremely ill, miscarried her litter, and was eventually euthanized."

"I have spoken to many new pet owners who have purchased their kittens at eight weeks of age, which is the minimum legal age in Florida," says Susan Geren, who breeds Persians and Himalayans under the cattery name Pyewacket. "The overwhelming majority of them had health problems with their new babies, probably caused by the stress of being separated from their siblings and mother at such an early age. I have explained to them my reasons for not placing my kittens early and suggested that in the future they use this as a gauge to ascertain which breeders are more interested in the income provided by kitten sales than they are in placing healthy, well adjusted kittens. It is most definitely more expensive to keep kittens until they are four to five months old."

Some studies have shown that vaccination at six weeks might be too early. "I once lost a 10-month-old cat to panleukopenia (feline distemper)," recounts Mary Tyson of Thaison Siamese. "After long discussions between the vaccine manufacturer and my vet, Pittman Moore's research head concluded that it was not a bad batch of vaccine. Cornell [Feline Health Center], which had done the post mortem analysis (and also analyzed blood samples taken while the cat was still alive), concluded in conjunction with Pittman Moore that some cats do not develop lasting immunity from vaccines administered earlier than 16 weeks of age, and this cat had had his last shots at 12 weeks. Thereafter I maintained a policy of not letting kittens leave home until they had had their shots at 16 weeks old." "The most important reason I place kittens at 12 weeks of age (or older) is because kittens can be extremely fragile, and putting them in a new home and environment puts additional stress on them, upping the chances of getting sick," says Burmese breeder Jaina Wendtland. "When this happens the kitten buyer blames the seller, and rightly so in many cases."

When a kitten is ready to leave may also vary from cat to cat, or from breed to breed. Some cats are simply not big enough to go on their own until they are a bit older. Devon Rex breeder Carole Goodwin notes that cats of her breed are small and need a full twelve weeks to mature and socialize. Amanda Bright, who breeds Russian Blues under the cattery names of Kyina and Talisker, notes that her breed tends to be slender and she feels the cats need more body mass to handle vaccinations. She feels it is wiser to vaccinate them a bit later so that the cats can better handle problems if they occur.

From a health standpoint, it is best to allow the kitten to receive its entire first shot series, including boosters, while at home in familiar surroundings. First shots are not enough to confer immunity, and the kitten needs time for its immune system to change over completely from one system (mother's milk) to another (vaccination). They should also be of a sufficient size and physical maturity before they are ready.

Problems with eating and eliminating

"Weaning isn't an event; it's a process," says Dr. Arnold. "They don't just start eating food one day. They eat a little food, nurse, eat a little, nurse, and so on. Eventually they eat more than they nurse, and then stop nursing altogether. This doesn't happen by six or eight weeks of age."

Left to their own devices, mothers will eventually stop allowing kittens to nurse. With most cats this occurs naturally anywhere from eight to twelve weeks. However, this process is very important, as it teaches the kitten to learn to deal positively with frustration and denial. As the mother starts refusing to allow the kitten to nurse, which the kitten very much wants to do, she teaches the kitten how to cope with that frustration. Kittens who do not learn this lesson may develop behavioral problems.

Weaning is not simply a matter of getting a kitten to eat solid food. It's an important time when the kitten begins to assert its independence from its mother. This needs to be a gradual process. "For the most part, my babies still nurse at 9 and 10 weeks, and sometime beyond," says Rosi Carroll of Bengals by RoJon. "I have never had a customer call me up after picking up one of my kittens, complaining about the kitten meowing for its mother. They settle right in to their new environment."

It's also common for too-young kittens to eat poorly and have litterbox problems. Many kittens at age six to eight weeks aren't consistently using the litterbox. I have found that my own kittens can take up to ten weeks to have litterbox habits down pat. And diarrhea can accompany the changes in diet and stress that come with a new home. Diarrhea can be life-threatening to a small kitten; severe dehydration and rapid weight loss is a serious problem when one has so little body mass to start.

Problems with socialization and behavior

People often express a desire to have a younger kitten because they are afraid the kitten will not bond with them once older. This is simply not true. As Ann Segrest of Kiriki Korats says, "The older kittens bond with their new humans just fine. Cats do not have, nor do they need to establish their place in the "pack" like dogs must do. This is the myth that must be dispelled so that kittens will have the opportunity to learn from their mothers and be as healthy and stress-free as possible when they go to their new homes."

It is true that kittens who are separated at a young age from their mothers will often bond to a person as a surrogate mother. This may seem cute, but it's unhealthy. Such kittens will often suck on blankets, clothing, buttons, even earlobes or on themselves. They may become dependent upon humans to the point that they become fearful or neurotic when left alone. Many hide or run at the sight of unknown people. Most commonly, however, cats who are deprived of proper socialization don't learn how to be with other cats. This makes them especially inappropriate as house pets in a multicat household.

The kitten socialization phase starts at about four weeks of age and can continue until up to fourteen weeks old. Kittens learn to explore their world through this period, under the comforting guidance of their mother. Between nine and fourteen weeks old, they learn from their mother and siblings how to interact with other cats. They learn how to recognize and interpret cat body language. Quite literally, a cat who misses out on this important social step may not learn how to "talk" to other cats.

It's also during this time when the kitten needs to be exposed to variety of people in a positive way so that it doesn't become afraid of different types of people. Improper early socialization is why some cats seem to be afraid of men, or of people with glasses, or other odd quirks.

Manx breeder Marj Baker was faced with having to raise three kittens whose mother had become unable to care for them when they were three weeks old. "[These kittens] were biters - well, actually just nibblers; they wanted to chew on my fingers -- and wanted my full attention all the time. The also loved my hair to chew on and any item of clothing that was mine got licked and chewed. They seemed very mouth oriented and were very unhappy if left alone by themselves. Most Manx are happy to entertain themselves most of the time but not these three. They also were harder to [train to use a litterbox], finding the floor a convenient place to squat. I guess I was not a very good mom cat."

Deborah Feldham of Glendoveer's Abyssinians had a similar story. "In one instance I took in two orphaned kittens that I had to syringe feed because they were so young," she says. "They were not easy kittens to work with. They were jealous and insecure, often showing their insecurities by going to the bathroom in inappropriate places and scratching or hissing at strangers. I believe that if these kittens had been born in a more secure environment and raised with their mother [to an older age], they would have been better prepared, emotionally, to fit into their new homes. Kittens learn from mothers, littermates and their surroundings."

Kittens need the time with their mothers and siblings to learn important life lessons - lessons that will make them happy, healthy, confident kittens. "I have seen kittens taken from their mother too young become cloth chewers and neurotic," says June Abbott Colwell of Velpaws Siamese. "[Kittens] not only need to be with their mothers, but also with their siblings. They learn proper acceptable play behavior from both mother and siblings. Kittens taken away too young are not as tolerant or as sure of themselves as older kittens."

THE KITTEN AT TWELVE WEEKS

At twelve weeks of age, most kittens are weaned or nearly fully so, have had adequate socialization with mother and siblings, have received their full series of kitten shots, and have gotten through the critical immune system "kick-over" period. Properly handled and socialized by people, these kittens have learned to explore their world and will meet it with a happy, outgoing confidence that will carry them throughout their lifetime. This may vary from cat to cat, or breed to breed.

The important thing to remember is this: it should be the kitten's current and future well-being that drives the decision of age to place, not finances or a simple desire to have a younger kitten for whatever reason. Kittenhood is a fleeting time. You will have a kitten only for a short time, but the cat may be with you for many years to come. You may find it personally disappointing to allow a kitten an extra month or two with its mother when you had hoped to have it earlier, but it will make a world of difference to the mental, emotional, and physical health to the kitten throughout its entire life. If you are searching for a pet through a shelter, you may not have an option. If you are getting a kitten through an acquaintence or through a breeder, insist on at least twelve weeks for the kitten's health. You will have a healthier, happier, and better socialized feline friend because of it.
 

Sphynx Happy

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THANK YOU!! I was about to post the same thing. Really the rudeness is so unnecessary! :Frown: And for an attack to go onto each individual post. It is sad that people have to resort to such behaviors. It means nothing. That is the reason for the forum. Opinions and sharing. If you can't share kindly and accept different opinions then the forum isn't the place for you. I'm sure people trust and value the opinions of REPUTABLE BREEDERS!! and there seem to be more breeders clued up on the breed than VETS. So lets just trust who we want and calm down.

I agree with Dani. Can we all please remain civil? Snarky comments proves nothing in this debate.
 

NakedNorasMom

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My 2cents worth. I feel much safer for my baby and my investment that she is staying with the breeder for over 16 weeks. I know she is being well cared for and that any issues that come up will be handled by people with more experience than me! Plus the litter training, weening, toe tackling messiness of it all will have been taken care of! If I wanted to raise something from day 1 I would have kids! Lol
 

havingalook

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The sarcasm is quite something and really does not help get a mature point across.

I can 100% guarantee there are higher educated people on here and who breed Sphynx or have owned Sphynx for years. Sadly I cannot link to breeders websites who are vets themselves or who's spouses are vets as breeder links are not allowed.

I am glad you are happy with your 4 month old sphynx, but writing off the experience of people who have DECADES of experience vs 2 months and a little research is ridiculous.

I'm going to back out of this thread now, as sadly a discussion on what is healthier for our babies, has turned into sarcasm and not wanting to miss the cutesy infant stage.

I would hope that anyone buying a kitten will actually research what it takes to be a good breeder vs a bad breeder and see the warning signs.
 

susi794

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Ok, I just got back from being gone all day...and I am really disappointed. We haven't had a post on the Lair that got nasty for a LONG time. Everyone has an opinion and is free to express it...but what you are NOT free to do is post nasty, mean spirited things. Calling people stupid and uneducated and attacking their viewpoints is not welcome here and I, for one, am not going to tolerate it. If you think a kitten is ready to go home at 9 weeks and decide to do it against the opinions of experienced sphynx breeders, I guess that is your right. But I am not stupid, neither am I uneducated.
I had a friend and member that hasn't been on this site for quite awhile PM me to tell me she knew why she had decided to take a breather from the Lair now-- because of this thread. I want to let her know that we haven't had an incident like this for EVER and I am surprised that it has happened now. This is normally an extremely friendly and tolerant place. I am going to respectfully ask that this argument end right now. We agree to disagree. PERIOD! Or I will close this thread. The Lair is a place where we can express different opinions without the fear of being called stupid. So let it stop now or please find another platform for this battle--but not the Lair.
 

JessDale

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It's okay. No need to close the thread. I'm just going to delete my account and info. I hardly ever get on or post here, so having an account is quite pointless. Just for the record, I never pointed out anyone particularly. Everything I said was a general statement.
 

susi794

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There is no need to delete your account. We still want you as a member. I hope you stay. Sometimes stuff just gets out of control and I think that's what happened here. Please reconsider--you are part of the family and like all families--sometimes we fight over silly stuff. I would love to just put it all behind us.
Hoping you'll stay with us and post when you want to,
Susi and the gang
 

ElvirasMum

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im just gonna go ahead and say this. domestic cats are usually taken from their moms at 6 weeks. i really dont think it makes a different how special the cat is. This whole 12 week business i dont really think is that important. You guys can say its "crucial" and whatever but i disagree. If its true then the world is full of messed up cats because almost every cat in every household was NOT kept with its mom until 12 weeks. And the world isnt full of messed up retarded cats. If you take the precautions of spaying/neutering and vaccinations on your own time then go ahead. Thats really what is important. Hes gonna have to leave his mom at some point. And what else does he have to learn. The cat has been with the other cats, he knows how to act. Another week or 2 with them isnt going to help anything. I would like to see everyones diploma from their states vet school who claims that taking them earlier is harming them. and all the research you guys have done. yeah, thats what i thought. Jess speaks from experience, and im sure propenents of the 12 week rule speak from experience as well, but i think that problems with cats that are taken before 12 weeks were going to be problems regardless of whether or not he stayed a week or 2 longer. If you wait until 12, 14, or 16 weeks the cat is already pretty much mature, he will most likely have more trouble adapting than if he had started young. Thats my 2 cents. you guys can flame me all you want but i have to agree with jess. I think its a bunch of crap that everyone reads and that everyone believes just because they saw it on a website.

Um. This is one of the most insulting things I've ever had the displeasure to read in my entire life.
I don't believe in the 12 week rule because I read it on some website. For you to say that is to insult me and you'll want to tread very carefully there. I don't take being insulted very well at all.
I believe in the 12 week rule because of vaccine schedules and other pets being in the house hold. I believe a kitten has to be protected.
Ultimately it is up to the breeder when to release the kitten. But me? I'd be very cautious on getting a kitten too early from a breeder. Yeah, you might get the extra two weeks with the kitty at the beginning of its life but you might space on giving the kitty deworming paste or a vaccine and you might jack that kitty up for life. And then come on here complaining about how you got a sick, defective kitty.
 

Sphynx Happy

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It's okay. No need to close the thread. I'm just going to delete my account and info. I hardly ever get on or post here, so having an account is quite pointless. Just for the record, I never pointed out anyone particularly. Everything I said was a general statement.

JessDale the Lair is a place for all sphynx lovers. I just want you to know that just because I disagree with you does not mean I don't want you to stay. I hope you continue to remain an active member here. :Smile:
 

Fester

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I'm just going to delete my account and info.
Like the others, Just 'cause we disagree, that doesn't mean I want you to go away! Plus your Zeus is awesome, I don't want to miss out on pics!
Also, from your profile, it looks like your pursuing an advanced degree -- I feel you would have a lot to share with us.

I hope that despite this flair up, you will still feel welcome here, 'cause you are!
 

JessDale

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JessDale the Lair is a place for all sphynx lovers. I just want you to know that just because I disagree with you does not mean I don't want you to stay. I hope you continue to remain an active member here. :Smile:

I will definitely keep my account because there is a lot of helpful information on here. People can disagree, but only to an extent lol.
 

JessDale

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Like the others, Just 'cause we disagree, that doesn't mean I want you to go away! Plus your Zeus is awesome, I don't want to miss out on pics!
Also, from your profile, it looks like your pursuing an advanced degree -- I feel you would have a lot to share with us.

I hope that despite this flair up, you will still feel welcome here, 'cause you are!

I will definitely keep my account, but this thread went too far. I still haven't changed my mind on what I believe, just as everyone else here probably hasn't either.

I am almost finished with my degree but it doesn't make me any better than anyone else and when someone says things about an ego problem then it becomes offensive because that's far from who I am personally. I've never been told that my personality is anything of the sort. It rubbed me the wrong way.

This all will pass, but I hope this family makes a smart decision about their baby... Nothing that we said here matters at all.
 

PunkNdisorderly

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I am honestly so surprised how nasty this has all gotten. I don't think it's fair to insult people and imply theyre uneducated just because they don't agree or have sourced their information from somewhere else. My background in science is pretty strong and I have a lot of textbook knowledge but in no way does that make up for experience.

I'm my opinion I would rather be safe than sorry and wait until at least12 weeks. I fully understand the argument that leaving kittens with the breeders longer means a higher chance of then contracting diseases. I'm not a breeder (I'd like to be one day) but I would have assumed that "good" breeders shouldn't be breeding cats in an environment where they can contract diseases in the first place.

I also understand the argument that breeders are less likely to notice side effects from vaccinations but again! A good breeder knows their cats and shouldn't have so many kittens that they don't notice the changes.

I got my boy at 16 weeks and I had no problems with him whatsoever. He was completely toilet trained and always well behaved. He also bonded to us almost immediately. Cats at 10years old are still able to bond to new owners and I'm sure they're are tons of rescues here that prove that point. I fully respect the knowledge breeders have from experience and I respect the knowledge vets have from education but to really have an informed opinion you need the knowledge of both!
 

susi794

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Ok, everybody--let's call an end to this conversation please. There is no point in continuing it as it has become nothing more than an argument that has hurt people's feelings and that just isn't cool.
 

JacRN24

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I had no intention of a debate escalating to this extent, and I feel kind of bad that there are people truly upset by this thread. But I do have to say I enjoyed everyones experiences and input (which I need) and want to thank everyone!!
 

JessDale

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I am honestly so surprised how nasty this has all gotten. I don't think it's fair to insult people and imply theyre uneducated just because they don't agree or have sourced their information from somewhere else. My background in science is pretty strong and I have a lot of textbook knowledge but in no way does that make up for experience.

I'm my opinion I would rather be safe than sorry and wait until at least12 weeks. I fully understand the argument that leaving kittens with the breeders longer means a higher chance of then contracting diseases. I'm not a breeder (I'd like to be one day) but I would have assumed that "good" breeders shouldn't be breeding cats in an environment where they can contract diseases in the first place.

I also understand the argument that breeders are less likely to notice side effects from vaccinations but again! A good breeder knows their cats and shouldn't have so many kittens that they don't notice the changes.

I got my boy at 16 weeks and I had no problems with him whatsoever. He was completely toilet trained and always well behaved. He also bonded to us almost immediately. Cats at 10years old are still able to bond to new owners and I'm sure they're are tons of rescues here that prove that point. I fully respect the knowledge breeders have from experience and I respect the knowledge vets have from education but to really have an informed opinion you need the knowledge of both!

If you haven't noticed, this whole convo is over and has been for a couple of days. No need for new input now to cause new problems, but when you refer to people in a post you need to quote them directly instead of referring to them as "people." I never called anyone uneducated either.

Just for the record, my kitten, whom I got a little before 10 weeks old, is fully potty trained and has been since day 1. There's been no problems here so that's my "experience." ..

But let's move on and not comment on things that stir problems right back up.. that's definitely not the responsible thing to do... being since this thread hasn't hardly been touched since this past weekend..

toodaloo :ThumbsUp:
 

PunkNdisorderly

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If you haven't noticed, this whole convo is over and has been for a couple of days. No need for new input now to cause new problems, but when you refer to people in a post you need to quote them directly instead of referring to them as "people." I never called anyone uneducated either.

Just for the record, my kitten, whom I got a little before 10 weeks old, is fully potty trained and has been since day 1. There's been no problems here so that's my "experience." ..

But let's move on and not comment on things that stir problems right back up.. that's definitely not the responsible thing to do... being since this thread hasn't hardly been touched since this past weekend..

toodaloo :ThumbsUp:

Definitely didn't mean to imply that I was trying to start new problems and I wasn't referring to you so please don't feel like i was. The reason i said "people" is simply because i meant people.. people in general.. not just on this forum. Both opinions are valid and held by "people". That's why i didn't quote anyone. I was responding to the original question.. it was irrelevant what anyone in specific had said.

Also i'm glad you had a good experience but i honestly think you've taken what i said the wrong way :( I was simply responding to the person who originally asked for opinions and with all the crazy stuff that has gone on, i just felt like it was unfair to them. So that's all.. just sharing an opinion that might hopefully be of use and i thought that's what we do here.. not attack each other for responding to a question!!
 

admin

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Hello sphynxlair members!.... Woooo - It's getting hot in here!

Well, I'd like to share my thoughts and opinion a bit. I am not a vet, and I'm surely not an expert on the sphynx breed. We did breed for awhile, had a few litters but no longer do. We sent our kittens home at 12 weeks, never any sooner. We believe that is the right thing to do and will always stand by it. That is our opinion for what ever reasons we value.

That was our choice as breeders, we made that choice by interacting with many other experienced sphynx breeders, our vet and experience of what we had encountered on this site.

Here is what I can tell you. We have had this site for 3+ years or so and have seen many sphynx and owners come, go, stop by sometimes and say hello or just say hello and never return. But man o man we have seen lots of sphynx cats.

Coming close to the 5000 mark in fact - hooray! And along with all of those sphynx come stories, stories of health, skin disorders, poop issues and behavioral issues and the list goes on.

With that being said,

We have encountered 1000's of sphynx and their problems along with their upset sometimes devastated owners asking for help and opinions here on the site. Here is what I will tell you from personal experience of seeing quite a few sphynx here on Sphynxlair - most behavioral issues and health issues stemmed from kittens under the age of 12 weeks. It may be coincidence but we have 1000's of threads from sphynx owners that say so. I'm not sure how much weight that holds but it's what we have seen over the years. It's true fact.

So I do not lay claim to being an expert of any sort with the sphynx breed. I can truly say, If my time of hanging out at the Largest sphynx Cat Community in the World for 3+ years and reading thousands of threads about sick problematic kittens who happen to be under the 12 week age holds any weight towards my credibility then I hope this settles some opinions or decisions that have been mentioned in this thread.

I will close this thread, I think everyones opinions have been said and there is nothing else to add. Let's get back to the reason we are all here - to talk sphynx in a kind friendly manner.

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