How to Breed a Sphynx Cat

A sphynx is a friendly cat whose unusual hairless appearance is guaranteed to draw comments. While breeding and selling these appealing feline seems like an ideal business for a cat lover, it is more a labor of love than a means of making money.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Pregnancy and Delivery

1. Buy the best female you can afford. Breed only high quality sphynxes, and be willing to pay the price. Look for a medium sized, muscular cat with prominent cheek bones, large ears and lemon-shaped eyes.

2. Choose a daddy. Using a stud for your first litter cuts the expense of breeding and allows you to choose a healthy mate for your cat. Examine a current health certificate for the stud before you introduce him to your cat.

3. Set up a nest in which your cat can deliver her babies. Use a cage so you can keep an eye on her. Gradually let her get used to spending time in her cage, including her feeding periods. As her due date draws closer, shut her in the cage every night.

4. Watch for signs of impending delivery. When she begins creating her own nest in laundry baskets and closets, the big day is drawing near.

5. Keep records of the births. Record the date and time of birth and their weight and whether they were born head first or breech.

Kitten Care

6. Take your kittens to the vet. They'll need their vaccinations on schedule to make sure they stay healthy.

7. Keep the kittens warm. These tiny babes don't have fur so they must be kept at least at room temperature, about 70 degrees.

8. Provide high quality food for the mother so she can produce lots of milk for her kittens.

9. Weigh and inspect the kittens every day and keep track of their progress. Watch them carefully to make sure they are thriving. Handling them daily also lets them get used to being with humans.

10. Screen potential buyers carefully. Ask lots of questions and have any purchaser sign a contract agreeing to return the kitten to you if he cannot continue to provide a good home for the feline.

Tips & Warnings

• Get to know your veterinarian. You will want to make sure your female is healthy before breeding her. Use a vet who will be available if there is a problem during the delivery.

[catryna49]

on 10/27/2009 I acquired a Sphinyx male when he was 2 1/2 months old. He was abandoned by his mother along with his 5 brothers and sisters. All suffered respiratory and sinus infections and this one had an abcessed cornea. Only two survived. The other surviving male is owned by my daughter. Both have been hand raised. The reason I'm contacting you is that my kitten,(Cy)now 6 months, still has problems with his sinuses which require my injecting saline in his sinuses several times a day and daily showering to loosen all of the mucous (which is green). This situation has been going on since he was one month old, before I took over his care. He was on two different antibiotics between the ages of 6 weeks to 4 months. The first one he broke out in a rash and then his skin peeled off afterward. The second on worked well as far as keeping the sinuse infectin from getting any worse. Please, I could use a...