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What do you do with your Sphynx?

Shell_Baby

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Just a question....

What do you do with your Sphynx while you're at work? Do you let them roam free or do you confine them to a certain area of the house? I'm asking because we are looking to adopt a sphynx kitten from a rescue and he's only 8 wks. old(fingers crossed - there's more than one application for him). We work during the day, so he would have the company of our fur kitty(she's about 4) and that's it. I'm just worried that he'll get himself in trouble while we're at work. Just wondering what y'all do with your naked babies during the day? Thanks a bunch! :Laugh:
 

Ripley

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Sphyncter roams free, however my husband works from home most of the time and he's there. He says that he mostly sleeps (the cat, not my husband). He's about 10 months old, though so that may account for some inactivity. Also, it's pretty cold and he gets tangled up in clothes so I leave him naked. He's usually looking for a warm spot under a blanket. IMO you should treat him like any new kitten.
 

ypvsypvs

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They are free to go where they please.
Ground rules they know and obey. No being on tables and kitchen counters.

8 weeks is early by the way. Does he/she have a mom or is he already alone at a shelter or something?
If possible I would let him stay with his mother 4 weeks more. Kittens are not ready to leave their mother that early, here it is actually even illegal even for a farmer to give away a kitten before 12 weeks after studies showed many developing odd behaviour and psycological problems.
I suspect you might not have a choice though and if so make the transition as good as possible. They are often super dependant when that young.
 

Jennifer

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My 2 cats and dog have run of the house. Dog stays down stairs though. I believe they sleep all day. They do when I am off at home. I don't leave clothes on Kiwi either because sometimes he gets taggled in his clothes if they are not spandex. I leave plenty of blankets around for him to crawl in. Usually he is in his bed by the fireplace.. I have never had an issue with them.
 

Shell_Baby

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Thanks for the replies so far... :ThumbsUp: It's been so long since I've had a kitten, I'm a little rusty! :Wink:

I wish I had the choice to leave him with mom....he's already at a shelter in FL. There are several applications on him so far, so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet. He is just adorable so it's really hard not to! LOL
 

AmazonGoddess

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Both my cats (one Sphynx, one DMH) have free-roam of the house. Or maybe I should say "free-nap". Basically they move from one snooze-zone to another. :Smile:

I didn't have my Sphynx as a kitten, so I'm not sure about Sphynxy kitten behaviour. My furry boy I've had since he was 8 weeks old. I kept him and his brother in my spare room for the first week when I wasn't home ... Since then, they've pretty much owned any place we've lived in. :Smile:
 

Cathie

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When mine were a baby, they staied in their room, or my bedroom. Now that they are older, they have the run of the house. I have also, Kenneled (sp) kittens before in a big dog kennel. They had a litter box and toys, so they were happy. I mostly did it with my wild kittens, but I have done it with house born kittens as well.
 

Gizzymom

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Gizmo also has run of the house. He is older now, so it is no problem... But when I first got him at 15 weeks, he was always into trouble! I did not lock him up, but I spent many evenings after work, cleaning up what he had destroyed during the day. I learned real quick what I could and could not leave out!!!

I also do not leave clothes on him if I am going to be gone a long time. I am paranoid that he will get caught on something or in the clothes and get hurt. :Dizzy:
 

wright878

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We kept Abby in our bedroom for a couple of days to make sure she knew where her litter box was at. After that she had free roam of the house. We also never leave clothes on her while we are gone. She has a heating pad in the living room and an electric blanket on our bed. I think she sleeps all day so she can keep us up all night. There are posts on here how to kitten proof your house that you can look at, but a couple of quick ones, make sure toilet seats are down, if you have miniblinds make sure your kitten/cat can't get tangled in the cords, and if you have plants watch to make sure your kitten doesn't eat them. Abby got projectile diarrhea from eating a Christmas Cactus - I don't even try to keep houseplants, she will eat anything. Good luck and enjoy!
 

ilovemysphynx

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Ours roam free all day, well really I think they just lay under the covers on our bed. We have 2 kittens now and they where in their room until I felt they where comfy enough to roam free, just started this a few days ago and they are doing fine, they are scared of our dog so they stay upstairs until I get home and then I bring then down to the family room. I have gates all over so the dog can not get upstairs or in the family room, it is the only way I can keep her from eating the cat pop, but works well also for the little ones.
 

kaoticharmony

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and if you have plants watch to make sure your kitten doesn't eat them.

House plants? You mean those green things that leap out of their planters and commit suicide while I'm out??? The cats always say they had nothing to do with it. They look so innocent I have to believe them. I gave up on house plants years ago...lol! Wait!... I do have a piece of Air Fern in a glass ball with a display piece.
 

Gizzymom

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We kept Abby in our bedroom for a couple of days to make sure she knew where her litter box was at. After that she had free roam of the house. We also never leave clothes on her while we are gone. She has a heating pad in the living room and an electric blanket on our bed. I think she sleeps all day so she can keep us up all night. There are posts on here how to kitten proof your house that you can look at, but a couple of quick ones, make sure toilet seats are down, if you have miniblinds make sure your kitten/cat can't get tangled in the cords, and if you have plants watch to make sure your kitten doesn't eat them. Abby got projectile diarrhea from eating a Christmas Cactus - I don't even try to keep houseplants, she will eat anything. Good luck and enjoy!

I stopped with the house plants years ago... So when I bought my house, I put a small vase in the bathroom that had one silk gerber daisy in it... Gizzy ate it!:Angry:

So now no fake plants either!!
 

sphynxie

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I stay at home but we do have the house totally baby proofed when we go out with out her. I also will leave the animal planet channel on for her and she has her chihuahua to keep her company. Most important thing is safety:BigSmile:
 

Hairless Blessing

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I have always left Izmae out to roam free. She has been such a great baby. She mostly
sleeps eats and plays with her toys. No, as other's has mentioned I would not
leave clothes on your baby while you are gone, because of the danger of them getting hung
just make sure he can get under cover, blankets, throws, etc. Also house plants are dangerous
they could kill a sphynx. I would not leave a collar on him neighter, even the break away
it's just to riskey. Hope you get your baby.
 

bean406

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I stopped with the house plants years ago... So when I bought my house, I put a small vase in the bathroom that had one silk gerber daisy in it... Gizzy ate it!:Angry:

So now no fake plants either!!

Sorry bout your flower but this made me giggle...get rid of the real ones and buy a fake and still it's not safe...figures right?!
 

bean406

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Oh, and Lilo (3 1/2 months) is confined to the spare room while we're gone. That mostly started when she had diarrhea because I didn't want her having the run of the house when aren't there to do "damage control". She has her water, bed, and litter box in there and she seems to feel cozy cause she has a window to look out and her bed :BigSmile:. When she gets older and knows the ropes, the house will be hers to roam.
 

TotenEngel

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Both of us are home 70% of the time, but I would never dream of confining my cats, as several people have said, we just have a 'cat proof' house!!

I'm glad several other people mentioned not leaving clothes on... I always take Smeagols jumpers off at night or if we are out as I get paranoid he will get stuck, twisted etc etc I thought I was being a paranoid mother lol
 

Sheldon

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We have crated our kitten since we got him- at night too! He goes into the crate by himself when he needs a rest, too. Sometimes he is in the crate with my little poodles, sometimes alone. He is safe, secure, and happy- and he gets lots of much-needed sleep. I've had lots of cats and thought they were too independent to be crated, but Sheldon enjoys his. Of course it's lined with lots of soft warm blankies for him.
 

Morticia

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I leave all the doors open for Morticia because she might think I'm in there and she won't stop meowing.

I also leave the oil radiator with a timer that goes on every 2 hours to keep her warm.

I have night lights everywhere so she won't be in the dark (winter in London can be depressing).

Lots of blankets in her favorite spots and toys to play.

I recently instaled a window bird feeding station and she loves to stare and make chirpy sounds when the birds show up :LOL::LOL::LOL:

She is very well behaved and doesn't chew or scratch anything :ThumbsUp: so although I'm sad when I leave her and go to work, I know she will be ok and will love me when I get home :Wink:
 

kaoticharmony

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Shiva has no problems with clothes...he's worn them most of his 14 years. I make his clothes. They are all Polar Fleece. When it's time to put on a shirt he sticks his head and arms in the right holes. He has never had a problem with them and when he gets warm he takes them off and sleeps on them. His vet wants him in clothes 24/7 right now to keep him away from his stitches.

Neon and Venus are another matter... They can't wear collars and they get all tangled in their clothes. They have alot of blankets.
When they were babies Neon had a black shirt with sparkling letters that he loved and wore willingly. He never got stuck in it... he just out grew it. Since then I haven't found a shirt that worked. Venus ate the sparkles off hers then tried to tie herself up in it. Their generation just wants to be naked.

I like them having run of the house. They are smart enough to learn the rules and I rarely catch them breaking them. Venus LOVES running up and down the stairs. They have several toy boxes around the house. I find the toys in odd places sometimes. They don't really mess with my stuff too often... Although at Christmas one year Shiva claimed one of my gifts and kept taking it. When I finally opened it he stole it and said it was his. It was a little stuffy... a cat, of course. I figured if I let him have it he'd forget about it after awhile. Well it's been about 7 years and he still has it. A Sphynx NEVER forgets...lol!
 

MissMySphynxBoys

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My cats have free roam of the house. My house is generally kitten proof, but we all know they can get themselves into the darnest things. Once a kitten is old enough to show me he/she can find food, water, and the litter box and proves not to get himself in danger while I'm home, the gift of free roaming rights are awarded. Until then I confine them to a smaller, safe space.
 
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