New owner, lots of questions.

[Myia09]

First off, Hi! My name is Myia. I have wanted a Sphynx since I was literally 1 year old. My mom tells me I asked for a "naked" kitty for whatever holiday it was for years.
When I was about 17, I started looking into buying one, and to my surpise the 1500 price tag didn't sway me on getting my dream kitty.
I started saving, but I have to be honest, it went to other things (Hello college and new apartment furniture) and I figured when I settled down with my boyfriend we would eventually get one.
Well, as luck would have it, I was buying a show rabbit (As I show and eventually breed) and my breeder has a almost 1 year old female that she was looking to sale because she is infertile and can't breed.
She was only asking $200, and I couldn't refuse.
I have done my fair share of research (As I work for Arizona SPCA and a rabbit rescue and I know how aggravating people are who don't do research) but I am left confused on some things.

First, she is not spayed but will be within a month (By either her or I)
She has Corona Virus, but tested negative for FIP.
She is very small..almost kitten like. I would put her body type in the 6 month range.

My main concern is diet. I am curious on the "raw" diet, and would like information on the BEST food for her. I have not owned a cat or dog in quite some time, but I have always fed Royal Canine. I was dissapointed to see they did not have a Sphynx brand. If someone can lay down the food law for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Second, what shampoo is safe? She currently uses Panteene Pro V but I want to make sure she gets a certified Sphynx friendly shampoo.

Third, she is animal friendly. She has been raised with rabbits and other animals, which is big for the zoo I have here. My concern is the litter, as my rabbits use pine pellets (All natural) and I know I can use this for the cat, but does anyone know of any other natural non toxic cat litter that may be more of an odor control? Pine pellets do great for pee, but since rabbit poo is usually solid and semi dry I haven't tested it out on wet poo.

For the Corona Virus, I do not and will not have any other cats. The girl who I am getting her from is worried she is "Lonely" and will need another Corona Virus positive cat. Now, I am home most of the time but if she still needs a companion I don't mind getting her one, only if she needs it hwoever. I was also told it is not contagious to my exotics (I have quite a farm over here) just wanted to check the information with you guys.

So far I bought toys, a scratching post, a warm cozy bed that has a cover and a dome litter box. I pick her up probably the 22-24th.

Thank you for all the help!

 

[Elisabet]

I don't know anything about the food, but I will comment on the shampoo though.
I use a fragrance free baby-shampoo for my Decibel.
Its gentle and doesn't dry out her skin.
I don't believe that a cat should smell of flowers.
I started out by buying an expensive shampoo for cats but when I saw that the content was pink and smelled strongly of perfume I couldn't get myself to use it.
My sphynx is my baby and I wont use a thing I wouldn't use on a child.

Otherwise congratulation on the baby.

 

[Mews2much]

Make sure the breeder scans for HCM.
I also would have her scanned.
There is Royal Canin Sphynx food but it is not in the USA yet.
The breeders of my sphynx use Royal Canin 33 for thier sphynx.
I use Burts Bee's when I bathe my sphynx.
I was use the baby shampoo but it did not work very well.
It does work well on somesphynx though.
Aveeno Oatmeal is good for baths also.
The Corona Viris can mutate to FIP sometimes but not always.
There are so many corona pos cats.

 

[Myia09]

I will buy both, the baby shampoo and burts bee. I agree, I don't want no fancy smelling shampoo, just something to make her clean and happy
Well I am happy I can still feed Royal, they are a great brand and I have never heard of any problems with them (Unlike Nutro and Blue Buffalo)

I will have her scanned with I take her for her checkup. The lady is not a breeder, I think someone who just fancied breeding, and I don't think she has had the cardio scan yet.

I know it can mutate to FIP, but my vet said its unlikley and that 95% of cats lead happy and healthy lives.

 

[Mews2much]

Your vet is right must do not get FIP.
Can you get her pedigree?
I can help you research her lines.

 

[ilovemysphynx]

Hi, Myai welcome! Glad you found us!
It sounds like you sure waited A long time for your first sphynx. I don't want to sound negative at all and I think it is great you are willing to adopt A sick cat. The only thing that worries me here is that having A Sphynx with Corona Virus is going to cost much more then the $200 adoption fee and probably much more then A healthy well breed Sphynx would cost.
There are always healthy retired breeders that come along, and A healthy sphynx that needs A good home. Besides this ending up costing alot of $$ it can also be A big heart ache. Best of luck, we will be with you no matter what you decide


Oh we use J&J baby shampoo and Science diet food ( love them both)

 

[PitRottMommy]

You've had alot of good information. My alarm bells are going off because you're already purchasing a sick kitten. Does this breeder HCM scan their breeders annually? Use the search bar and type in "HCM" and see just how many "discount kitties" are afflicted with this on this board alone. Personally, being a Veterinary Technician, my advice would be to steer clear of cats who are already predisposed to problems...especially when you're hearing "it's not FIP", when there's absolutely NO way to tell that unless you're saying a cat has NEVER come in contact with a corona virus (a very low percentage of the population, indeed). It sounds like you're getting a half-story. And many people who begin their trek with a sick kitty wind up paying through the nose for many, many, many other things that are wrong with the kitten. That's my two cents.

If you choose to keep this cat, I'd heavily advise doing research on HCM like it's going out of style. Many sphynx are positive for this affliction because irresponsible breeders are not scanning their cats annually. They're breeding their cats and letting nature take its course, but they're not actually being responsible about the health of their own breeders or the cats that they sell as offspring. Sadly, that's a very high number of irresponsible people. You must be an advocate for yourself (no one wants a cat "they've always wanted" who will live 9 months and die of something congenital) and for your pet.

Use the search button and search for Raw. A large percentage of us feed this diet and many threads have already been started. My recommendation is rabbit, which may not be your favorite protein considering your other choice animals. Rabbit is a lean meat, it's easy to acquire and it's also one of the best diets for cats with predisposition to GI problems (like many pure-bred cats are).

In addition, if you're under the impression that Royal Canin and Science Diet are top brand foods...consider googling "Food recalls, 2006 (and 2007)" and their brand name. Both of these foods were responsible for millions of pet deaths from early 2006 to late 2007 because of their attempts to "cheapen" food further by adding in foods tainted with melamine and other non-digestible products.

I, personally (even as a future Veterinarian) will never recommend these foods to anyone with a living animal if I can help it. I watched hundreds of beloved pets that belonged to long-standing clients die of kidney and liver problems because of RC and SD. The abuse in their own field of work is inexcusable and there should have been a harder reprimand than a slap on the wrist from the FDA. Other food companies have been shut down for lesser conflicts.

 

[sydkat7]

In addition, if you're under the impression that Royal Canin and Science Diet are top brand foods...consider googling "Food recalls, 2006 (and 2007)" and their brand name. Both of these foods were responsible for millions of pet deaths from early 2006 to late 2007 because of their attempts to "cheapen" food further by adding in foods tainted with melamine and other non-digestible products.

I, personally (even as a future Veterinarian) will never recommend these foods to anyone with a living animal if I can help it. I watched hundreds of beloved pets that belonged to long-standing clients die of kidney and liver problems because of RC and SD. The abuse in their own field of work is inexcusable and there should have been a harder reprimand than a slap on the wrist from the FDA. Other food companies have been shut down in lieu of such events.

Wow! I knew Royal Canin was suspect, but I never realized that Science Diet is a bad pet food as well. I started buying SD for my cats because my vet recommended it; as a matter of fact, a lot of vets recommend this brand and tout it as the premier food for cats and dogs. Well, I will do my research a bit more thoroughly next time and cross SD off my shopping list. In lieu of SD, which dry food brand would you recommend? I also feed my kitties Taste of the Wild and Halo, those are the only "natural" pet food brands my kitties seem to like (they disliked Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Nutro, and Natural Ultramix).

 

[abbyknitter]

I disagree with you guys! It will be a lot of work, but this kitty needs a home either way and it is best to go to someone loving and passionate about the breed.
I wont blame you if you chose another kitty really, but I wouldn't give up on her if she was sick....I would go for it personaly...but thats just my opinion.
I use baby shampoo too, works great on Abby Congrats

 

[admin]

Correct me if im wrong but there was one recall and it was a small portion of the Science Diet line made for SD by "Menu Foods" which was recalled because there was a very small trace of Melamine found in the wheat gluten ingredient (I did not google, just remember the incident). So my thoughts would be you should check your pantry and throw out Peter pan Peanut butter and Nestle toll house cookies because these products were recalled for Salmonella and E coli at one point. And no, I'm not giving up my Peter pan peanut butter or cookies for raw rabbit! LoL

 

[admin]

Correct me if im wrong but there was one recall and it was a small portion of the Science Diet line made for SD by "Menu Foods" which was recalled because there was a very small trace of Melamine found in the wheat gluten ingredient (I did not google, just remember the incident). So my thoughts would be you should check your pantry and throw out Peter pan Peanut butter and Nestle toll house cookies because these products were recalled for Salmonella and E coli at one point. And no, I'm not giving up my Peter pan peanut butter or cookies for raw rabbit! LoL

Hi, Myia welcome to Sphynxlair!! Good luck with your decision! :Laugh:

 

[BareOnAHotTinRoof]

If you go look at the ingredients in Ol' Roy or another store-brand food, and then compare it to Science Diet, you'll see that they are very similar. Tons of corn, wheat, gluten, by-products, fillers, preservatives, artificial colors, etc. My parents' dog was on SD Sensitive Skin and had started eating dirt. I went and looked at some foods my parents could afford and found that Purina One had decent ingredients, with actual meats being the first ingredients and no ground corn. It's also about 75% cheaper. $18 versus $60. The dog is no longer eating dirt and she smells better.

I fed SD canned to Baron once and he got green, smelly feces. Fun! LoL He can eat Friskies Selects of all things and his poo is fine. Normally he gets NV and NV canned, Evo canned(rarely), raw everything except pork, Sheba canned, Newmann's Own canned, and so on and so forth. No problems so far. He'll be 2 years old in April and is already 10lbs.

I also have seen alot of dogs and cats do poorly on SD and RC, as well as pass away from kidney failure from both of these foods. There are so many other foods out there that are better quality.

It's hard being an RVT and wanting to recommend better foods to your clients, but when your clinic sells SD, they're the ones paying you. I see so many dogs and cats come in that are greasy, smelly, have dry skin and dandruff, are red, raw, and itchy constantly. I wish I could tell the owners that if they just fed a better food than SD or Beneful or whatever junk they're feeding, their dog/cat would look and feel so much better. But... Veterinarians buy Hill's, owner's buy it because the vet says to, and guess what? The owner has to bring the dog in more often because they're itchy, red, vomiting, has diarrhea, gas, poor dental health, yeasty ears, overshedding, therefore the vet makes more money and the owner has to spend even more money on trying to cover up the problem(ie steroids, allergy shots, antibiotics, prescription shampoos/diets) instead of fixing it with a proper diet in the first place.

But anywho! It's hard not to rant.

If you want a good food, try Taste of the Wild, Felidae, Nature's Variety, Wellness Core, etc. You want a high quality, high protein diet, with a higher fat content(for instance NV has 50% protein and 22% fat in the chicken formula), LOW carb, no fillers, no grains, no by-products/preservatives/food colors. Taste of the Wild is very well priced and I've found it to be around $10 for the 5-6lb bag. NV is around $13-$15 for the 4.5lb bag of chicken and about a dollar or two higher for the rabbit.

Try and use a baby wash instead of a shampoo. It is less drying since it's made for the entire body, not just the head. Soap-free products are great too. I personally use Mane N Tail conditioner for the very last and it makes Baron incredibly soft. I use J&J baby wash for his face, and sometimes entire body if it's a quick bath.

 

[georgehairlesson]

First off, Hi! My name is Myia. I have wanted a Sphynx since I was literally 1 year old. My mom tells me I asked for a "naked" kitty for whatever holiday it was for years.
When I was about 17, I started looking into buying one, and to my surpise the 1500 price tag didn't sway me on getting my dream kitty.
I started saving, but I have to be honest, it went to other things (Hello college and new apartment furniture) and I figured when I settled down with my boyfriend we would eventually get one.
Well, as luck would have it, I was buying a show rabbit (As I show and eventually breed) and my breeder has a almost 1 year old female that she was looking to sale because she is infertile and can't breed.
She was only asking $200, and I couldn't refuse.
I have done my fair share of research (As I work for Arizona SPCA and a rabbit rescue and I know how aggravating people are who don't do research) but I am left confused on some things.

First, she is not spayed but will be within a month (By either her or I)
She has Corona Virus, but tested negative for FIP.
She is very small..almost kitten like. I would put her body type in the 6 month range.

My main concern is diet. I am curious on the "raw" diet, and would like information on the BEST food for her. I have not owned a cat or dog in quite some time, but I have always fed Royal Canine. I was dissapointed to see they did not have a Sphynx brand. If someone can lay down the food law for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Second, what shampoo is safe? She currently uses Panteene Pro V but I want to make sure she gets a certified Sphynx friendly shampoo.

Third, she is animal friendly. She has been raised with rabbits and other animals, which is big for the zoo I have here. My concern is the litter, as my rabbits use pine pellets (All natural) and I know I can use this for the cat, but does anyone know of any other natural non toxic cat litter that may be more of an odor control? Pine pellets do great for pee, but since rabbit poo is usually solid and semi dry I haven't tested it out on wet poo.

For the Corona Virus, I do not and will not have any other cats. The girl who I am getting her from is worried she is "Lonely" and will need another Corona Virus positive cat. Now, I am home most of the time but if she still needs a companion I don't mind getting her one, only if she needs it hwoever. I was also told it is not contagious to my exotics (I have quite a farm over here) just wanted to check the information with you guys.

So far I bought toys, a scratching post, a warm cozy bed that has a cover and a dome litter box. I pick her up probably the 22-24th.

Thank you for all the help!

How much does she weigh? I feed Merrick Before Grain and my kitty loves it!

 

[Myia09]

Well, this is all news to me. I was told (Not just by her, but by my vet) many cats have Corona Virus and all live happy healthy lives. She does have a test saying she is FIP negative.
I may mind you she is NOT a breeder. From what she told me, a lady found a pregnant sphynx outside, put out flyers, no one called, and then she gave away the babies. My rabbit breeder bought one as a kitten, and is now rehoming the cat to me.
I am aware that she may one day get FIP, its a mutation, but other than that there should be no problems.
I also don't want to buy a sick animal, but that is not what I am aware that I am getting into.


As for the food, its been about 13 years since I have personally owned a cat or dog (lol) so I am not aware..I used to be a vet tech as well and often percscribed the science diet we sold. Like I said, I am here to find the best food. I don't think I could do the raw diet if the meat was to be rabbit, but if it was in dry food I probably could.

 

[Marnasobsession]

Welcome Myia. I can't wait to c pics of your new baby.

 

[Maggies mommy]

hi & welcome i use dawn soap & j&j love them both i cant wait to c pics of her

 

[Myia09]

Confusion sorted! Turns out my boyfriend got the info incorrect.
Here is what she sent me:
"No my friend bought her from a "Breeder" SHe only had the mom and dad- So 2 Adults and the litter of kittens- She had the parents for sale- I was tempted to by mom, but decided on raising a kitten- My friend has a male she was going to let me breed her too- But I think now her Sphynx have tha same as Furr-
My old Sphynx ran away- Got out the door the day we had about 20 ppl here building the barn- So not having the money for another, my friend paid for her and I traded her $500 worth of Rabbits and cages- I saw the ad for her in the AZ Republic, She cam from the AZ/NM border (I think- Or else it was AZ/UT). So that is where she came from- (NO papers came with her- But my friend's cat didn't have any either-)
No Scan- Just the test for Herpes/Corona/FIP- Not sure if there was anything else she was tested for"

 

[Myia09]

Also, here is a photo of her from the current owner. She looks mean in this photo, lol, but she really is a sweetheart.
People keep asking me her "color" and I can't figure it out. Any help?

 

[PitRottMommy]

Correct me if im wrong but there was one recall and it was a small portion of the Science Diet line made for SD by "Menu Foods" which was recalled because there was a very small trace of Melamine found in the wheat gluten ingredient (I did not google, just remember the incident). So my thoughts would be you should check your pantry and throw out Peter pan Peanut butter and Nestle toll house cookies because these products were recalled for Salmonella and E coli at one point. And no, I'm not giving up my Peter pan peanut butter or cookies for raw rabbit! LoL

There was not one recall. There were many, many recalls. I quote 2006-7 because there were the most during that time. And SD hasn't been the only one labeled as producing a tainted food, nor were they the only company that has attempted to cheapen their foods by using foreign distributors. More importantly, this isn't the first time that SD or even RC has been scolded for something of this sort. I, personally, don't care if "it was a small portion of the Science Diet line"...if you KILL pets, you don't get MY business. Accidents don't happen on a large scale if you're doing quality control with your products. It took American being poorly affected for people to sit up and realize there might be a problem with their food. Fortunately, I was feeding Innova at this time. You'll notice that no expensive (read high quality) pet foods such as Innova, Evo, California Naturals, Orijin, Arcana or any raw distributors have ever had food recalls. There's a reason.

Let it be known that Melamine is NOT a bacteria. It's NOT something that is commonly found in foods. It's a plastic. I can't speak for everyone else, but I see little excuse for any company to tell me, "Gee, sorry, we put some plastic in your cat's food. We knew it was there, but we waited until we were caught to actually do something about it. BTW, if it killed your pet...we'll be happy to refund the amount you spent on treatment". I won't risk my pets like that.

While there may only have been a few foods that the Nation saw as recalled, Hills/Science Diet and many other companies released a list of foods for each to every veterinary office across the US. EVERY food on this list was listed as "potentially tained" from Hills/Science diet. This was their entire line. That was your rx diets all the way down to your kitten/puppy foods. The notice was sent to veterinary offices that if any pet was found to have kidney/liver issues and death that could be linked to feeding SD, to please contact the company and they would pay for the full reimbursement of diagnosis and treatment/euthanasia and disposal I reiterate just how many pets the clinic I was working at in 2006-2008 lost due to tainted food. It wasn't until they actually FOUND potential results that they released a shortened list.

Sidenote: A curious notation for me is that ANY pet found to be on SD who did develop kidney/liver problems or those that died...SD paid for. They did not ask which foods they were fed. If you only have 8 foods that are recalled, why pay for EVERYONE who is sick or dying?

Again, I only speak from experience. But my experience in 2006-2008 with so many pets and directly with the company (so many times, so many people could be reimbursed)...I won't ever feed it again. Nor will I recommend it. If nothing else, I do this for the pets that lost their lives...to food. Something that should be safe.

More on melamine toxicity here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine

 

[Elisabet]

Try and use a baby wash instead of a shampoo. It is less drying since it's made for the entire body, not just the head. Soap-free products are great too. I personally use Mane N Tail conditioner for the very last and it makes Baron incredibly soft. I use J&J baby wash for his face, and sometimes entire body if it's a quick bath.

When I said babyshampoo I actually meant babywash. I tried a shampoo and it did dry Decibels skin.

 

[Sam lewis]

Hi she looks sooo cute, not mean at all! I've tried many different foods but have stuck on Z/D Low allergen diet by Hills which Mo loves and it seems to agree with him well. Good luck!

 

[ilovemysphynx]

Myia, she sure looks like a cutie and it seems that you have done your research!
We look foward to hearing all about her!
Also I am sure you will find A food that works for you and your baby, with all being said about science diet, I can not find anything that says it killed millions of pets. I do know that nothing in the world we live is perfect, and if something works for you and your pets go for it.
I would speak to your coworkers at the SPCA, and your vet for there in put on the subject also.

 

[gizmo6370]

Also, here is a photo of her from the current owner. She looks mean in this photo, lol, but she really is a sweetheart.
People keep asking me her "color" and I can't figure it out. Any help?

Seems to me.....that she's a blue and white

 

[Elisabet]

I would also say blue and white.

She doesnt look mean to me...
She looks like she is in a playful mood. Actually she looks like a loving little terrorist.

So cute.

 

[kiennasmom]

Welcome Myia09! I think your new baby is VERY cute!!!! (I would agree, she looks blue to me, too)