Dasha the 6 year old Russian Sphynx

[blindowlblues]

Hi there, I’m a lifelong cat lover and have recently been blessed with the presence of a beautiful, amazing Sphynx in my household. I have dreamed of obtaining one of these glorious cats for a long time, but held off, as a lifetime spent in animal rescue has made me hesitant to buy from a breeder. I’ve nothing against anyone who has done so, of course! But for me personally I felt that a rescue Sphynx would be most ideal.

When I heard of a local person who no longer time for their 6 year old spayed female Sphynx and was seeking to rehome her, I was fortunate enough to connect with them, and fell in love with this sweet lady named Dasha. She was imported from Russia and was bred once, but had trouble delivering the kittens so had to have a c section then spayed. Now she is mine!

I am so thankful for her presence in my life. She is the sweetest cat I have ever met. She came to live with me and my retired mom on Sunday. I’ve been doing research and also got a crash course on Sphynx hygiene from a friend who is a certified master cat groomer. But there’s definitely a learning curve - and I found this site is looking like a great place for tips and a fun place to connect.

I’ve given her something of a sponge bath but not a full bath yet. Her prior owners were bathing monthly but it’s sounding like every other week may be more ideal. We’ve a vet appt on 14 May. Because she had a reported history of diarrhea, I’ve already gotten a stool sample in, which proved clear of parasites and disease. However it’s sounding like her diet wasn’t ideal and when I put down the corn based litter I was told she had been using, she immediately began eating it! So I wonder if ingestion of her litter could have caused digestive upset. She’s currently using a clay based litter and hasn’t had any issues with it, has also produced a normal looking stool.

Here is a pic of my lovely lady.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Welcome to SL. Congratulations….your life has officially changed forever once a Sphynx enters your home/heart. You really did come to the best/friendliest place to share your baby with us and learn along the way. You will see this community has a nice balance or newbies and experienced Sphynx members. thought you might want to,take. Look at this link regarding bathing.

Bathing your Sphynx Cat

Sphynx cats tend to show dirt and oil for the lack of fur, their skin produces the same oils as a fully furred cat (sebum), but the oil is not spread or hidden in the fur. Some sphynx cats will get dirtier more frequently than others. Keep in mind more frequent bathing can actually cause your...

sphynxlair.com

@blindowlblues

BTW way your baby girl is beautiful and I loved your intro.

 

[blindowlblues]

Welcome to SL. Congratulations….your life has officially changed forever once a Sphynx enters your home/heart. You really did come to the best/friendliest place to share your baby with us and learn along the way. You will see this community has a nice balance or newbies and experienced Sphynx members. thought you might want to,take. Look at this link regarding bathing.

Bathing your Sphynx Cat

Sphynx cats tend to show dirt and oil for the lack of fur, their skin produces the same oils as a fully furred cat (sebum), but the oil is not spread or hidden in the fur. Some sphynx cats will get dirtier more frequently than others. Keep in mind more frequent bathing can actually cause your...

sphynxlair.com

@blindowlblues

BTW way your baby girl is beautiful and I loved your intro.

Welcome to SL. Congratulations….your life has officially changed forever once a Sphynx enters your home/heart. You really did come to the best/friendliest place to share your baby with us and learn along the way. You will see this community has a nice balance or newbies and experienced Sphynx members. thought you might want to,take. Look at this link regarding bathing.

Bathing your Sphynx Cat

Sphynx cats tend to show dirt and oil for the lack of fur, their skin produces the same oils as a fully furred cat (sebum), but the oil is not spread or hidden in the fur. Some sphynx cats will get dirtier more frequently than others. Keep in mind more frequent bathing can actually cause your...

sphynxlair.com

@blindowlblues

BTW way your baby girl is beautiful and I loved your intro.

Welcome to SL. Congratulations….your life has officially changed forever once a Sphynx enters your home/heart. You really did come to the best/friendliest place to share your baby with us and learn along the way. You will see this community has a nice balance or newbies and experienced Sphynx members. thought you might want to,take. Look at this link regarding bathing.

Bathing your Sphynx Cat

Sphynx cats tend to show dirt and oil for the lack of fur, their skin produces the same oils as a fully furred cat (sebum), but the oil is not spread or hidden in the fur. Some sphynx cats will get dirtier more frequently than others. Keep in mind more frequent bathing can actually cause your...

sphynxlair.com

@blindowlblues

BTW way your baby girl is beautiful and I loved your intro.

Thank you so very much!! I shall review the bathing thread

 

[Cinafina]

Welcome to you and Dasha! She is absolutely stunning, and sounds like an amazing lady. Please don't be shy about posting pictures (loads of them)!

I find baths are too much of a focus, and bathing too frequently can upset the natural balance of the skin. A wipedown with a soft wet cloth, either daily or every other day, is much gentler on the delicate biome

 

[blindowlblues]

Welcome to you and Dasha! She is absolutely stunning, and sounds like an amazing lady. Please don't be shy about posting pictures (loads of them)!

I find baths are too much of a focus, and bathing too frequently can upset the natural balance of the skin. A wipedown with a soft wet cloth, either daily or every other day, is much gentler on the delicate biome

Thank you!! I’ve wanted to learn more before I bathe her as the skin on top her head looked a little dry. I didn’t want to cause more irritation so figured I’d study up here first.

She is SUPER playful too! Here are a couple pics where she’s rolling around having fun. She weighs over 13.5 lb and I think she’s a little portly for her frame size - but I do not free feed at my house so I think she will be able to lose any excess pudge.

At her old home she was getting kibble only, Kirkland brand from Costco. I feed a variety of healthier foods both wet and dry. Since discovering the wet food she hasn’t wanted any kibble. My mom reports she had a pretty runny stool mid morning so I may try something aimed at good digestion and cats with sensitive GI tracts. It sounds like this has been going on awhile and her prior owners thought it was worms. Having ruled that out, I’ll be sure to let my vet know she needs to be seen sooner than our 14 may appt if the runny stool gets worse or she has other symptoms.

 

[Yoda mom]

@blindowlblues , melt my heart! Happiest Dasha gotcha!! So glad you joined us. We are here for you! I am away from my computer , wanted to share the top right sphynx info center thread a great resource . A paws are many, never hesitate to ask questions. Hugs n head smooches, hope you are Ctive with Dasha in this fun. Friendly bunch. I have all adoptees. Bless your heart for openo g your heart and home to her

 

[blindowlblues]

Thank you for the kind welcome!! I am so in love with her. I knew she would be very special but never dreamed how wonderful indeed.

@blindowlblues , melt my heart! Happiest Dasha gotcha!! So glad you joined us. We are here for you! I am away from my computer , wanted to share the top right sphynx info center thread a great resource . A paws are many, never hesitate to ask questions. Hugs n head smooches, hope you are Ctive with Dasha in this fun. Friendly bunch. I have all adoptees. Bless your heart for openo g your heart and home to her

 

[Toa and Ross]

Congratulations with Dasha! What a beauty she is. And she looks so adorable. Sphynx are the best buddies you can wish for.
Oh and welcome to sphynxlair!

 

[Jacquiw7170]

Hi there, I’m a lifelong cat lover and have recently been blessed with the presence of a beautiful, amazing Sphynx in my household. I have dreamed of obtaining one of these glorious cats for a long time, but held off, as a lifetime spent in animal rescue has made me hesitant to buy from a breeder. I’ve nothing against anyone who has done so, of course! But for me personally I felt that a rescue Sphynx would be most ideal.

When I heard of a local person who no longer time for their 6 year old spayed female Sphynx and was seeking to rehome her, I was fortunate enough to connect with them, and fell in love with this sweet lady named Dasha. She was imported from Russia and was bred once, but had trouble delivering the kittens so had to have a c section then spayed. Now she is mine!

I am so thankful for her presence in my life. She is the sweetest cat I have ever met. She came to live with me and my retired mom on Sunday. I’ve been doing research and also got a crash course on Sphynx hygiene from a friend who is a certified master cat groomer. But there’s definitely a learning curve - and I found this site is looking like a great place for tips and a fun place to connect.

I’ve given her something of a sponge bath but not a full bath yet. Her prior owners were bathing monthly but it’s sounding like every other week may be more ideal. We’ve a vet appt on 14 May. Because she had a reported history of diarrhea, I’ve already gotten a stool sample in, which proved clear of parasites and disease. However it’s sounding like her diet wasn’t ideal and when I put down the corn based litter I was told she had been using, she immediately began eating it! So I wonder if ingestion of her litter could have caused digestive upset. She’s currently using a clay based litter and hasn’t had any issues with it, has also produced a normal looking stool.

Here is a pic of my lovely lady.

Awwww…. Congratulations. She looks like she is a Donskoy. I also have a Don.

 

[Yoda mom]

@blindowlblues , keep us updated often on sweet Dasha. when I adopted, it took a few weeks for new food to settle. did you do a slow transition of change of food? one I had to change right away and took a few weeks. hopeful you see improvement each day.

my tobylove likes a little about 1/2 teaspoon, 100% pure canned pumpkin (always check ingredients that is 100 pure pumpkin and no spices), good for digestive health for both loose stool or constipation. I know the cans are big, you can freeze in little covered icecube tray or bpa free silicone mold and put in freezer bag. some members use a little fortiflora mixed in food.

please share what food she is eating? mine could not handle Acana food or Orijen (all had loose stools).

I switched years ago to nutrisource cat and kitten food blue bag (touted for gut and heart health , no recalls, it is small triangle shape kibble). My bengal with IBD does great on it too.
my 3 sphynx also get a bowl of Hills Urinary Hairball dry, fiber in it read years ago good for stool.
several members feed Wellness with good results.

you will find what works best for your baby Dasha.
hugs n head smooches, hope you are active with lots of pics and tales!! she struck gold in your heart and home.

so glad you joined us! do not hesitate to ask questions. I swear they are cat , dog , monkey, baby all in one

a great thread on sphynxlife we all refer to (bathing tips, ear cleaning etc)

Sphynx Cat Help Center

Check in here for useful articles about the sphynx cat.

sphynxlair.com

 

[blindowlblues]

I was kind of hoping I could get some additional info about that here. I assume she has some sort of paper work at one time but the lady didn’t have it when I bought her. She said she had originally been imported from Russia so I assume Donskoy but then read some breeders in Russia do also breed the other variety. Still getting a handle on the differences! She does have a very light down and definitely some hair on her nose.

Awwww…. Congratulations. She looks like she is a Donskoy. I also have a Don.

 

[blindowlblues]

Re food:
She came with a GIANT bag of Kirkland kibble which was salmon flavored. Honestly I felt like it was a little stale as she was just one cat in the household and had been eating from this bag awhile. She ate a little of it at first but didn’t seem keen. Around the house I have a couple royal canin foods including GI, and Hp, both of which I offered but she didn’t want it. Tried fancy feast and she wasn’t too excited either. Mostly she seems to prefer wet food which she hadn’t been getting at all before!

So what I have on that front is a variety including Weruva and Rachel ray, which is what I feed my Siamese boy Mogwi (he’s being slowly introduced to Dasha). She’s liking all of it but because of the stool which is still trending soft, I trotted out the royal canin GI canned food.

I’ll try the pumpkin as I’ve got that around too! Thanks for the idea

@blindowlblues , keep us updated often on sweet Dasha. when I adopted, it took a few weeks for new food to settle. did you do a slow transition of change of food? one I had to change right away and took a few weeks. hopeful you see improvement each day.

my tobylove likes a little about 1/2 teaspoon, 100% pure canned pumpkin (always check ingredients that is 100 pure pumpkin and no spices), good for digestive health for both loose stool or constipation. I know the cans are big, you can freeze in little covered icecube tray or bpa free silicone mold and put in freezer bag. some members use a little fortiflora mixed in food.

please share what food she is eating? mine could not handle Acana food or Orijen (all had loose stools).

I switched years ago to nutrisource cat and kitten food blue bag (touted for gut and heart health , no recalls, it is small triangle shape kibble). My bengal with IBD does great on it too.
my 3 sphynx also get a bowl of Hills Urinary Hairball dry, fiber in it read years ago good for stool.
several members feed Wellness with good results.

you will find what works best for your baby Dasha.
hugs n head smooches, hope you are active with lots of pics and tales!! she struck gold in your heart and home.

so glad you joined us! do not hesitate to ask questions. I swear they are cat , dog , monkey, baby all in one

a great thread on sphynxlife we all refer to (bathing tips, ear cleaning etc)

Sphynx Cat Help Center

Check in here for useful articles about the sphynx cat.

sphynxlair.com

 

[Sheldon13]

Welcome! I second the pumpkin. It’s a nice remedy while the tummy adjusts. It sounds like you’re getting her all figured out very quickly! I think you’ll find that less frequent bathing is needed once her diet is sorted out.

I had my jaw fall open on reading she ate her litter. Bless her sweet heart!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Yoda mom]

@blindowlblues , keep us updated often on the food journey. love to see a pic of Mogwi, all paws are family. hope he introductions are going great!
hugs n head smooches to Dasha and Mogwi.

 

[kauna]

Hello and welcome! Congrats on your adoption of Dasha. She is beautiful. I agree pumpkin will help with stools, it could also be slight stress as new environment but since she has had it for a while may not be the case.

 

[blindowlblues]

Thank you!! Dasha is such a delight.

She does the funniest thing when passing stool. She digs and digs, then puts her little front feet up on the top of the litterbox wall (high box) and stands up to pass her stool.

Her former owner said she was thinking about giving her a de wormer, assuming it’s some sort of parasite causing the loose stool. I never give worming or flea meds without consulting a doc however, hence the stool sample already went to my vet. No giardia, coccidia, or parasites found on the standard analysis. Thankfully it’s not awfully runny and she doesn’t seem to have other digestive upset. If she keeps eating this GI food with a little Pumpkin maybe it’ll help - she liked the pumpkin this am!

Here’s another pic of Dasha in a new shirt we got from the Sphynx Swag store. And Mogwi looking suitably goofy- he is a very silly 2 year old boy and is still maturing. He’s very sweet and so interested in Dasha. Moving slowly with intros as I’ve always learned is best.

Hello and welcome! Congrats on your adoption of Dasha. She is beautiful. I agree pumpkin will help with stools, it could also be slight stress as new environment but since she has had it for a while may not be the case.

 

[blindowlblues]

I could not resist and I had to start an Instagram page for Dasha. Mainly because I keep filling up my phone taking pictures of her and I don’t want to delete any of them!! But if I post them to Instagram I can still view them and not have to fill up all my phone storage.

If anyone is on the Instagram and wants to see her there,

Dasha (@dasharussiansphynxcat) • Instagram photos and videos

2 Followers, 8 Following, 31 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Dasha (@dasharussiansphynxcat)

www.instagram.com

 

[Yoda mom]

@blindowlblues , thank you for keeping us updated! glad stool came back negative . Glad she likes the GI food and the pumpkin! my toby likes the pumpkin warmed a few seconds in the microwave (finger touch check for how warm).
love her new shirt! she is such a princess! definitely struck gold in your hearts and home (and wonderful she enjoyed her 1st spa day bath with you and was a good girl).
kudos to you for doing slow introductions! Mogwi is darling!
be sure to add you IG account to the link on this site I will tag you in.

hugs n head smooches To Dasha and Mogwi!

 

[nudebea]

Welcome to you beautiful Dasha and Mowgli. Sounds like you're going to be a great sphynx mom !