NoFurPurr

Sphynx have a higher metabolism than furred cats so they will need more food. My adult cats generally get the equivalent of 1 large can of wet food/day with dry food to supplement. Growing kittens get “as much as they will eat” which means they get fed 2-4 times per day depending on their age. They eat the equivalent of 1 small can (or 2/3 large can) of food 2-3x/day.

Choose foods with minimal fillers to support gut health of your cat. They will need time to get used to any new foods so please plan to start with the food we are using (some will be sent home to get you started) and then slowly transition. There are lots of great resources explaining how to do a food transition.

Food Used at NoFurPurr:

Wet foods:

• Royal Canin Mother and Baby Cat
• Royal Canin Kitten Wet (Pate and chunks)
• Fussie Cat (chicken and fish options—in limited amounts too much fish is not good)
• Signature Select
• Merrick Limited Ingredient (3 flavors)

Dry Foods:

• Royal Canin Baby Cat and Kitten
• Fussie Cat (Guinea fowl/Turkey and Quail/Duck)
• Fromm Kitten
• Go Carnivore Grain Free Chicken, Turkey, Duck
• Origen Kitten
• Stella and Chewy: Dried Raw Cat food (all varieties)

Kitten/Cat Food Brand Suggestions:

Dry Food: Royal Canin Kitten Dry, Fussie Cat Dry, Wellness Core, American Journey, Solid Gold
Wet Food: Wellness Signature Select, Royal Canin Kitten (and then Adult), Weruva, Fussie Cat, BFF (by Weruva), Merrick Limited Ingredient
Raw Food: Stella and Chewy Dried Raw food varieties

There are a lot of food options so more about watching for fillers (potato starch, peas, lentils, etc) than sticking with specific brand. Do a bit of research and avoid companies with history of feed recall.

Kittens/Adults: 
Consider foods made with different protein sources: chicken, turkey, duck, beef, lamb, venison, variety of fish (keep limited due to potential for mercury build up in the fish)

**Be careful how you mix foods and if you transition between proteins do over a few days, switching foods too quickly can lead to stomach upset**

How to Transition Your Cat to a New Food | PetMD

3 Ways to Change Cat Food – wikiHow

Kittens at NoFurPurr are used to wet food 2x/day (and if they are particularly hungry another portion of wet food later evening). I would suggest keeping to the 3x/day for a few months.

General feeding times are 7-8AM, 5-6PM and 10-10:30 PM

They have some dry food out all day as kittens (as they get older, some cats need their food controlled so they don’t get too heavy).

Water should be fresh and out in more than one place. I have water near the food dish area and also in a couple other spots in the house.

All litter brands we use are unscented. Cat’s can be sensitive and sometimes allergic to the scents added to litters, so pay attention to any changes in respiration or if cat develops runny nose or eyes you may want to look at the litter you are using as a potential factor. Keep the litter clean to encourage the cat to keep using the litter box. Some cats can be fussy and will go outside the box if it is not kept clean enough. We scoop out litter boxes 1-2 x/day.

Litter options used at NoFurPurr

• Ever Clean Clay litter
• World’s Best Corn litter
• Pioneer Pet SmartCat Clumping Grass litter
• Small/fine pearl silica is an option as well (something similar to Pretty Litter for example, the large stuff is harder to clean and some cats don’t like b/c it can have sharp edges)

Litter Boxes

Having 2 is nice (and a must if you have more than one cat). There are a range of styles and brand options so you should be able to find something that works well for the space you have. Make sure the box is big enough the cat can fit and move around to dig and burry their waste.

Options to look at include:

• Clever cat top entry Litter box
• Catit Hooded Cat Pan (the shape helps keep litter from getting kicked out the back if you have an “active digger”)

Litter mats

There are many brand and size options of litter mats. They can be useful to reduce tracking from litter box.

We use a combination of the ones that can be “cleaned out” (i.e. iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper) and more “standard” litter mats. Consider using as long of a mat as you can fit in the space to help reduce tracking.

Bathing
Bathe cat as often as needed. Generally, I wash cats every 7-10 days. Some cats won’t need bath that often (may go 2-3 weeks between baths). It depends on how oily their skin is (when you find they leave a dirty print on your hand or clothes, they need a bath). Some Sphynx owners choose not to bathe their cats.

Soap suggestions:

• Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser
• Cerave Renewing SA Cleanser
• Hylyt Hypoallergenic Shampoo (can be hard to find these days)

Wet Wipes:

Use ones without harsh chemicals or strong scents

Consider more natural versions/sensitive skin options

Warm washcloth is great option and friendly to the environment

Ears

Clean their ears of surface wax with damp, warm washcloth or you can use a baby wipe. Use q-tip to clean the whorls of the ears-DO NOT go into ear canal with q-tip. Use ear cleanser liquid to clean the canal. Virbac Epi-Otic is a highly recommended brand from breeders I work with and my veterinary clinic.

Nails

Clean cat toenails, usually 1x/week. Can be done after bath using drying towel to wipe any brown dirt/oil off the toenail and clean the “toenail pocket” of the toe. Can also use a wetwipe to clean toes/toenails.

Trim cat toenails 1x/week. Trim to short without cutting the “quick” which is a vein in the toenail that will bleed quite a bit if you cut into it. You can use your eyes to see the vein so you want to trim as close to that as possible without cutting into it. If you do end up cutting into the quick you can apply pressure to help spot the bleeding or apply a bit of liquid iron (can be purchased at health food store, animal supply store, etc) to encourage clotting.

Keep a variety of scratcher options available to your cat. It will save on your furniture.

Aim for variety and include those that are “reachers” (cat reaches up to scratch) and those that are flat along the ground

Blankets/Hides

Having a hide space is helpful. There are variety of soft and more firm items that can be used to give you cat a space to snuggle in quiet and keep warm. I have both “hard side” and softer side options around the house.

Blankets: Sphynx cats need to have ways to regulate their body heat. Flannel blankets and fleece seem to be popular options. I have found that blankets with too much weave don’t last so long and can increase stuck toenails (i.e. chenille style, woven blankets). Having a bed with a removable heating pad are a nice option for some cats (just need to be mindful of the cord).

Other Links with Suggestion for how to care for your cat:

Introducing Your Kitten (citizenkat.com)

How to Bathe a Sphynx Cat (with Pictures) – wikiHow

Tumor Related to Vaccinations in Cats | PetMD