Hello from Toronto! I'm new!

[Kathie]

Hi all,
After lurking here for sometime I finally joined the Lair, and I just became the proud new mama to my 5 month old boy! He was well cared for, but the family's five year old son developed and allergy to him so they had to re-home. We connected and I bought and brought him home Saturday. His family called home Alan, and we are deciding if we keep the name or find something else.

I'd say he has settled in well. He is sweet and cuddly, and like I've read here, he likes to climb and be high. On the other hand, he also gets quite wild a couple or three times a day - I was told he is playful but I'd say this is a little more than playful (with other cats yes, but with kids and skin he can be a bit aggressive). I have two sons (4 & 7) who love him but his wild moments make them nervous. We do play with him a lot and the kids have a ball playing and chasing!

The cat is not yet fixed, so I have been contacting local vets for pricing, which surprisingly, varies greatly! I've been calling cat-only vets as well as general Vets and the price varies more than $200! Regardless, Neutering be next on my list and I know he will settle in between this and as he ages and gets used to us (and neutered!).

I'd be pleased to hear any hot tips (I have read a lot but always open to learn more) about general Sphynx info, care, etc as well as tips for working on the biting! And I would love to hear from anyone local too!

Cheers,
Kathie

 

[Liliths Dad]

Welcome to the Lair! I'd love to be able to give you advice on the biting, but our Lilith is a biter in spite of everything we've tried, and we've tried it all. It's not as bad as it was when she was a kitten, but it still sucks when she gets a hold of a finger or a toe. Our Lucifer isn't much of a biter, but earlier tonight he tested his little teeth out on my toe, needless to say, it was...unpleasant. On the positive side of things, they generally don't break the skin so that's a plus.

 

[admin]

Hello @Kathie and welcome to Sphynxlair! So glad you found us! Here is a good post for you - How to stop my Sphynx kitten from biting!. Neutering is a great decision, don't wait too long, spraying in the house can become a serious problem.

 

[Kathie]

Thank you! I'm hoping between the ✂️ (Neutering) and acting like his mama by hissing and saying "NO!" (Thanks for the link Admin!) it will help. I'm finding today he is listening more when I do that. I'm more worried about the kids as my eldest is getting a bit scared of him due to the unpredictablity of when he starts to play. I know it's also part of being a kitten...and keep reminding the kids that he'll settle down with age.

I'm working from home today and likely tomorrow to keep him socialized and an eye on him. He's helping me write a presentation! Lol.

Thanks again for the tips ! So happy to finally have a Sphynx (in fact I almost can't believe it! )

 

[Kathie]

Hello @Kathie Here is a good post for you - How to stop my Sphynx kitten from biting!. Neutering is a great decision, don't wait too long, spraying in the house can become a serious problem.

Thank you! I did read that and found it helpful. Hoping I can get him into the vet this weekend for a pre-op health check and blood work. I'm calling various vets - trying to decide if I make the long drive to the cat-only vet in downtown Toronto, or keep it local and easy. I'm leaning towards going to the cat-only vet as they likely have more experience with the breed. Any feedback would be welcome in terms of opinion on the matter. Since he's my first Sphynx I'm thinking it may not be a bad idea.

Cheers
Kathie

 

[Toa and Ross]

Welcome to sphynxlair for you and Alan @Kathie. Alan is very handsome and cute!

Can the biting be caused by teething? Since your boy is 5 months old it's possible he's teething. If so you could try to give him toys he can firmly bite on.

Natasja