Poll : At what age did you Sphynx pass away?

[Cinafina]

As some of you are aware, I lost my beautiful boy Butchie to HCM, 2 weeks ago today. To be honest, I can NOT actually believe it's only been 2 weeks - it feels like 2 months! Time really goes so very slowly when you're in pain every minute of every hour of every day....

I was a bit worried that starting this poll would be in bad taste, but the thing is I really love this breed, and I would love to get another naked baby! I'm just terrified of having to go through this HCM agony again, which I know a lot of members can sympathise with. I have just read so many posts about nakids passing away far too young, and I have this picture in my mind now that they rarely get to see a double digit birthday. And it seems HCM is the cause of this misery in a disproportionate amount of cases.

I hope this is an inaccurate picture, and that this poll will prove me wrong and provide some hope and reassurance! I've never done a poll before, so I don't know if you can give more than one answer if you've experienced more than one loss..? If you can't, please put more responses in the comments, along with the cause of death <3

To get an even more truthful picture I would also like to ask you to put the age(s) of your living babies in the comments! For all I know there could be loads of 12-15 year olds living happy healthy lives, and nothing would make me happier!!

A BIG thank you in advance to everyone that responds!

 

[Yoda mom]

@Cinafina , (((awh hugs)))))
I was so nervous to adopt again after my Yodagirl suffered multiple embolism from a whole year from age 1 to 2. she got her angel wings at barely 2 yrs old. My Yodaman adoptee nearly 10 from HCM too.

I had to remind myself from my experience in the this forum as well as my dog diabetic and epileptic group , sometimes members don't post if all is going well.

to share a positive(, and all paws crossed for continued thriving vibes for my 3 remaining adoptee sphynx ) .. all are seniors
All adoptees, and to be honest, only one was HCM scanned when I adopted her at age 2 as a retiree from a reputable breeder.

( ** brutally honest here, hopeful no judgement in group, I am sure I am not alone in this, life over the past decade changed forever in an instant. With hurricane damage, car major repairs, huge vet bills from my diabetic and epileptic pup and limited income , etc I had to choose, treat the obvious or scan to look for things) and still pay bills and put food on table and food bowls etc).

@Cinafina Ages of my living sphynx:

TobyLove (was told he had a ghost heart murmur at 11 mos old when I adopted him. Just turned 11
Claire Bare , HCM scanned retiree adoptee at age 2, Just turned 13
Batman (littermate brother of beloved Yodaman ) 13 1/2 years old

no vet visits for any issues except Tobylove years ago reversed sneezing from seasonal allergies one summer., never an issue again.
and Batman years ago had an open sore on foot pad, healed , never an issue again.

no skin or poo issues either.
they are all indoor only, and I personally do not over vaccinate (had a long chat with my vet)

(((((hugs)))).

 

[Cinafina]

@Cinafina , (((awh hugs)))))
I was so nervous to adopt again after my Yodagirl suffered multiple embolism from a whole year from age 1 to 2. she got her angel wings at barely 2 yrs old. My Yodaman adoptee nearly 10 from HCM too.

I had to remind myself from my experience in the this forum as well as my dog diabetic and epileptic group , sometimes members don't post if all is going well.

to share a positive(, and all paws crossed for continued thriving vibes for my 3 remaining adoptee sphynx ) .. all are seniors
All adoptees, and to be honest, only one was HCM scanned when I adopted her at age 2 as a retiree from a reputable breeder.

( ** brutally honest here, hopeful no judgement in group, I am sure I am not alone in this, life over the past decade changed forever in an instant. With hurricane damage, car major repairs, huge vet bills from my diabetic and epileptic pup and limited income , etc I had to choose, treat the obvious or scan to look for things) and still pay bills and put food on table and food bowls etc).

@Cinafina Ages of my living sphynx:

TobyLove (was told he had a ghost heart murmur at 11 mos old when I adopted him. Just turned 11
Claire Bare , HCM scanned retiree adoptee at age 2, Just turned 13
Batman (littermate brother of beloved Yodaman ) 13 1/2 years old

no vet visits for any issues except Tobylove years ago reversed sneezing from seasonal allergies one summer., never an issue again.
and Batman years ago had an open sore on foot pad, healed , never an issue again.

no skin or poo issues either.
they are all indoor only, and I personally do not over vaccinate (had a long chat with my vet)

(((((hugs)))).

Thank you!!! Your post alone has given me hope I hope people will respond...

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Babas 13
leeloo 9
Jouët 9
Azura 10

Unfortunately we have seen there lifespan go down a bit over the years…the average is now 8-14 years old. No matter how long we have them, it is never long enough. It is amazing the impact they have on our lives and hearts. I know you are still grieving big time and it is still raw.

I am happy you posted this topic…it certainly is not in bad taste…it is real and members, especially those new to the breed. It is certainly an investment of the wallet, but an even bigger investment of the heart.

 

[Toa and Ross]

I'm with you here. Hugs and more hugs.
My sweet Ross was 9 years old when he passed away. I lost Foxy at 8 months old but that was completly my fault.

Jade is becoming 10 in 2 days. And Toa is 9 years old. Both seem to be healthy!

I understand your doubt and your worries. For me the love of a sphynx and for a sphynx goes so deeply I just don't want to miss it. Even though if that means heartache after only 9 years.

Hope lots of members will post the age there sphynxes are or did become.

 

[Cinafina]

Babas 13
leeloo 9
Jouët 9
Azura 10

Unfortunately we have seen there lifespan go down a bit over the years…the average is now 8-14 years old. No matter how long we have them, it is never long enough. It is amazing the impact they have on our lives and hearts. I know you are still grieving big time and it is still raw.

I am happy you posted this topic…it certainly is not in bad taste…it is real and members, especially those new to the breed. It is certainly an investment of the wallet, but an even bigger investment of the heart.

Your response has also given me hope, so thank you! I know finding a trustworthy breeder that can provide proof of scans and even DNA tests makes a huge difference. If/when we get another naked baby I'll be sure to ask for that...

 

[Cinafina]

I'm with you here. Hugs and more hugs.
My sweet Ross was 9 years old when he passed away. I lost Foxy at 8 months old but that was completly my fault.

Jade is becoming 10 in 2 days. And Toa is 9 years old. Both seem to be healthy!

I understand your doubt and your worries. For me the love of a sphynx and for a sphynx goes so deeply I just don't want to miss it. Even though if that means heartache after only 9 years.

Hope lots of members will post the age there sphynxes are or did become.

Thank you so much for your response! (((BIG hugs for you too))) I hope Toa is adjusting okay to life without his brother, and you too of course.

 

[tuffysmommy]

Paka was a week shy of her 12th birthday when we let her go due to HCM. She was (we now realize) the product of a backyard breeder and the others in the litter did not survive. The vet who delivered her was instructed to euthanize her because she had a congenital eye defect observable at birth. Paka wound up in the vet’s bag and, never knowing her mother, was hand fed and miraculously survived.

During COVID Sheldon13 (I hope you are not upset I named you) implored others to have their kitties tested after her Ellie died. Paka was found to have HCM. We medicated her as we could. Bad time for being sick. We were remiss in not having her tested sooner.

My 4 year old who we adopted a year ago has been tested 6 ways from Sunday including genetic testing to be able to provide for her health more intelligently. She has even had a baseline echo. We know nothing about her lineage. My furries have not but they get complete checkups and bloodwork minimally every 6 months.

You can only do what you can do and after all I decided it was better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. Toni has salved our grief (furries included —and actually more so—they are exactly Paka’s age and they had grown up together with her and us. I couldn’t bear watching their grief continue). We waited a bit before we looked to adopt again but all are glad we did.

I think eventually you know if and when it’s time. I had really thought it would never be for us.

Hugs to all in your grief.

 

[RosieSphynxLove]

As some of you are aware, I lost my beautiful boy Butchie to HCM, 2 weeks ago today. To be honest, I can NOT actually believe it's only been 2 weeks - it feels like 2 months! Time really goes so very slowly when you're in pain every minute of every hour of every day....

I was a bit worried that starting this poll would be in bad taste, but the thing is I really love this breed, and I would love to get another naked baby! I'm just terrified of having to go through this HCM agony again, which I know a lot of members can sympathise with. I have just read so many posts about nakids passing away far too young, and I have this picture in my mind now that they rarely get to see a double digit birthday. And it seems HCM is the cause of this misery in a disproportionate amount of cases.

I hope this is an inaccurate picture, and that this poll will prove me wrong and provide some hope and reassurance! I've never done a poll before, so I don't know if you can give more than one answer if you've experienced more than one loss..? If you can't, please put more responses in the comments, along with the cause of death <3

To get an even more truthful picture I would also like to ask you to put the age(s) of your living babies in the comments! For all I know there could be loads of 12-15 year olds living happy healthy lives, and nothing would make me happier!!

A BIG thank you in advance to everyone that responds!

I lost my loving baby boy Bingo, a 4 years 3 month Sphynx to HCM as well. Within 3 hours, he was gone. From the time he felt sick out of a sudden to drive to vet and then drive to hospital. I miss him everyday! I lost him on April 9th.

He was a very healthy 12 lbs. cat, never a problem or a sign of anything. I was working from home during that past 2 years. Bingo was the first Sphynx at my (friends) vet clinic but now the she has so many Sphynx patients. She agreed to notify all her clients to have an annual ultrasound, to check the Sphynx hearts. A regular check up will not find any abnormalities.

Thank you for putting this out. I myself called the Sphynx breeder and asked her if she knew of any other case, and she said no. So thank you again.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

I lost my loving baby boy Bingo, a 4 years 3 month Sphynx to HCM as well. Within 3 hours, he was gone. From the time he felt sick out of a sudden to drive to vet and then drive to hospital. I miss him everyday! I lost him on April 9th.

He was a very healthy 12 lbs. cat, never a problem or a sign of anything. I was working from home during that past 2 years. Bingo was the first Sphynx at my (friends) vet clinic but now the she has so many Sphynx patients. She agreed to notify all her clients to have an annual ultrasound, to check the Sphynx hearts. A regular check up will not find any abnormalities.

Thank you for putting this out. I myself called the Sphynx breeder and asked her if she knew of any other case, and she said no. So thank you again.

Welcome to SL and thank you for sharing your Bingo’s story. Keep the best memories closest to your heart.

 

[tuffysmommy]

I lost my loving baby boy Bingo, a 4 years 3 month Sphynx to HCM as well. Within 3 hours, he was gone. From the time he felt sick out of a sudden to drive to vet and then drive to hospital. I miss him everyday! I lost him on April 9th.

He was a very healthy 12 lbs. cat, never a problem or a sign of anything. I was working from home during that past 2 years. Bingo was the first Sphynx at my (friends) vet clinic but now the she has so many Sphynx patients. She agreed to notify all her clients to have an annual ultrasound, to check the Sphynx hearts. A regular check up will not find any abnormalities.

Thank you for putting this out. I myself called the Sphynx breeder and asked her if she knew of any other case, and she said no. So thank you again.

Rosie…so glad you’ve gotten to where you are ready to welcome another Sphynx.

 

[tuffysmommy]

Cinafina, This is a really very important post. It is the elephant in the room about Sphynx ownership. It is also the opening to sharing the feelings of loss, spread across every age of cat ownership, more specifically Sphynx ownership. It is an avenue for sharing the decision to be open to love of a Sphynx again. I think you will find that many will thank you.

 

[Yoda mom]

@tuffysmommy , well said (((hugs)))

 

[nudebea]

Thank you for staring this post. The subject of loss should never be taboo for those who need to express their feelings .So many stories of heartbreak but also entwined with hope and optimism, people going on to open their hearts again .My beautiful boy Wilson was 9 years old when he passed last June form HCM.I still grieve very much for him , miss him so badly. His half sister Kiwi is now 10 years old and thankfully has no serious health issues . We have had her checked and so far no sign of HCM.They shared the same father but different moms. I love the breed and despite the pain of loss, would be open to adopting another however , Kiwi is definitely not a cats cat, and sadly I think it would end in tears

 

[Toa and Ross]

@RosieSphynxLove so very sorry for the loss of your Bingo. What a loving memorial you made for him. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Cheffanie]

@Cinafina
I am so sorry for your loss. I know how that feels, I lost my first nakey boy this past November. Just before Thanksgiving. He had turned 2 the June prior. I know what a wrenching loss it is for your baby to get their angel wings. I hope you can find peace that your baby was loved unconditionally, and loved you back. I was ignorant about HCM before this, and I really don’t know what happened to my boy Zedd, but I do suspect HCM. I just got a new baby Binx and made sure the breeder tested both mom and dad for HCM. I know nothing is guaranteed, but I’ve heard HCM has a genetic component and tried to eliminate as many factors as possible. I will probably save my money for heart exams every few years and definitely invested in pet insurance.

My heart goes out to you during this difficult time. For me, even with the risks, I couldn’t live life without a sphynx. They are my breed. I will try to be mindful and proactive as much as I can with this new baby, but accept the fact that I can’t control everything. But even with such a short life, my past baby gave me the kind of love that I’ve never experienced in my life. It is a love I keep with me forever and I am so grateful to have experienced it. Best wishes on your healing journey.

 

[Sheldon13]

Paka was a week shy of her 12th birthday when we let her go due to HCM. She was (we now realize) the product of a backyard breeder and the others in the litter did not survive. The vet who delivered her was instructed to euthanize her because she had a congenital eye defect observable at birth. Paka wound up in the vet’s bag and, never knowing her mother, was hand fed and miraculously survived.

During COVID Sheldon13 (I hope you are not upset I named you) implored others to have their kitties tested after her Ellie died. Paka was found to have HCM. We medicated her as we could. Bad time for being sick. We were remiss in not having her tested sooner.

My 4 year old who we adopted a year ago has been tested 6 ways from Sunday including genetic testing to be able to provide for her health more intelligently. She has even had a baseline echo. We know nothing about her lineage. My furries have not but they get complete checkups and bloodwork minimally every 6 months.

You can only do what you can do and after all I decided it was better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. Toni has salved our grief (furries included —and actually more so—they are exactly Paka’s age and they had grown up together with her and us. I couldn’t bear watching their grief continue). We waited a bit before we looked to adopt again but all are glad we did.

I think eventually you know if and when it’s time. I had really thought it would never be for us.

Hugs to all in your grief.

I don’t mind at all. Ellie died at 11 years old. Her cause of death was a bit special. HCM is failure of the left side of the heart. The vet was really surprised when she scanned her because she was expecting HCM, but it turned out Ellie actually had failure in the right side instead of left.


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[Annejo12]

I have to admit that I didn’t look at this thread until today. My Raphael turned 7 on April 22 and I was afraid to find out how long Sphynx kitties might live. Then I decided that it would be good to know.

What I know for sure:
Raphael is my first ever Sphynx kitty. I knew absolutely nothing about the breed when I decided to get one. I could only find one breeder in my Province when I started looking 8 years ago. What I know now, she was not a good breeder. When I picked up my kitty her stomach was bloated. I thought this was normal because I had never seen a Sphynx in person. I did not see another single cat in the house. My kitty was trying to eat a metal pop can tab she found on the floor. So I scooped her up, put her in my crate, amd drove the two hours to my City and went straight to the vet.

At the first visit my vet asked me all kinds of questions I couldn’t answer. No information was provided by my breeder. My kitty had a nasty mark on her leg so an x-ray was taken. Blood work was done and I found out she has a heart murmur.

I take her to the vet anytime I am concerned. She gets blood work done every year and every visit the vet monitors her heart. Her murmur has not changed from day 1.

I enjoy every single day I have with her. I feel lucky she has made it to age 7. I hope she will be here for many more years.

Unfortunately once my Raphael passes on I won’t be getting another. My husband’s allergies are too bad and I think I will choose him over a Sphynx LOL. But at the same time I know he has a special bond to Raphael and cuddles her even though he suffers from his allergies so maybe……

Here is a picture of my 7 year old baby only because I love seeing everyone’s pictures and sharing mine!

 

[Sheldon13]

I understand that. We have a past member who never got another one either. I do hope you could open your heart to another, but allergies might put a damper on that.


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[Cinafina]

Paka was a week shy of her 12th birthday when we let her go due to HCM. She was (we now realize) the product of a backyard breeder and the others in the litter did not survive. The vet who delivered her was instructed to euthanize her because she had a congenital eye defect observable at birth. Paka wound up in the vet’s bag and, never knowing her mother, was hand fed and miraculously survived.

During COVID Sheldon13 (I hope you are not upset I named you) implored others to have their kitties tested after her Ellie died. Paka was found to have HCM. We medicated her as we could. Bad time for being sick. We were remiss in not having her tested sooner.

My 4 year old who we adopted a year ago has been tested 6 ways from Sunday including genetic testing to be able to provide for her health more intelligently. She has even had a baseline echo. We know nothing about her lineage. My furries have not but they get complete checkups and bloodwork minimally every 6 months.

You can only do what you can do and after all I decided it was better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. Toni has salved our grief (furries included —and actually more so—they are exactly Paka’s age and they had grown up together with her and us. I couldn’t bear watching their grief continue). We waited a bit before we looked to adopt again but all are glad we did.

I think eventually you know if and when it’s time. I had really thought it would never be for us.

Hugs to all in your grief.

Thank you so much for your response @tuffysmommy I'm sorry to hear that you've also had to go through the agony of HCM, and I'm so sorry for the loss of your Paka. How long ago was it that she passed away?

I agree about the scanning... if I could go back in time I would have scanned Butchie. I know it's not a guarantee of a long life to know about the condition in advance, but it might have bought us a couple more years, or several even. I don't know why, but I didn't think it'd happen to me/him..! Usually I'm the kind of person that does think things will happen to me, and always prepare for the worst! Maybe part of me didn't want to find out...

I'm so glad you decided to welcome Toni in to your lives! I'm slowly getting over the guilty feeling that I'd be trying to replace Butchie - I know that's an impossibility, but it still takes time when you're processing your loss and the grief. If it wasn't for our other cat Vinnie being so lonely, I probably wouldn't be thinking about getting another for quite some time. Vinnie is a timid little guy, and while he loves us hoomans, he will always find us a little bit scary...
He can only really relate to and feel safe with another cat, and it breaks my heart a little bit every time I see him sat somewhere in the house, all alone!

 

[Cinafina]

I don’t mind at all. Ellie died at 11 years old. Her cause of death was a bit special. HCM is failure of the left side of the heart. The vet was really surprised when she scanned her because she was expecting HCM, but it turned out Ellie actually had failure in the right side instead of left.


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Thank you much for your post! I remember the heartbreak you went through with Ellie's health issues, and I know she could not have been better cared for!

I'm curious, if it's the right chamber is it called something else, or still HCM? Does it result in the same symptoms, ie bloodclots, saddle thrombus?

Could I just be a pain and ask you to add a vote to the poll?

 

[Sheldon13]

Arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and CHF is what she had. I lost her 4.5 months after diagnosis, but she had been symptomatic for a few months before that and we just didn’t have our answer until we were referred to the veterinary cardiologist.

I think my threads on her might be the only on the site for that condition. It’s not exactly common like left ventricular cardiomyopathy is.


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[Sheldon13]

Also, I’d be happy to add my vote. I did do a poll on this a few years ago that you might be interested in.

What was the age(s) of your Sphynx(s) when they passed?

By request, you will see a poll asking at what age your beautiful baby or babies passed away. We are wanting to see how long we are being blessed with their presences. (You can choose multiple responses). Please note the poll will not work on Tapatalk. If you are in Tapatalk you can click...

sphynxlair.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Toa and Ross]

Also, I’d be happy to add my vote. I did do a poll on this a few years ago that you might be interested in.

What was the age(s) of your Sphynx(s) when they passed?

By request, you will see a poll asking at what age your beautiful baby or babies passed away. We are wanting to see how long we are being blessed with their presences. (You can choose multiple responses). Please note the poll will not work on Tapatalk. If you are in Tapatalk you can click...

sphynxlair.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I knew there was a poll about it but couldn't find it anymore when @Cinafina asked! Thanks for posting the link

 

[tuffysmommy]

Hmmmm, much as there will always be a part of my heart permanently broken, I realize how totally blessed we were to have Paka as long as we did. When Toni is Paka’s age we I’ll be 83. Please God let us still be together here then.