On this page, you'll find information about products & services used by us
From food, treats, toys, cat litter, grooming & health the pet supplies world is a big marketplace with sales for pet products at the highest they’ve ever been. Businesses know that we love our pets & so provide abundant products they want us to buy. This means there’s a lot of competition among manufacturers for their share of that market.While the choices out there are vast, not everything is suitable for use in the provision of care of the Sphynx cat /Sphynx kitten. I want to provide my ‘nakids’ with the happiest, most healthy life I can & so I spend a great deal of my time researching products & reading reviews so that when I buy something there’s a good chance I’ve made (I hope) an educated choice. Some products I pass by entirely, others I try & simply will never buy again, the best I enthuse over & want to let other Sphynx parents know about them too so our cats can benefit from this care.
Adult Food
A Sphynx cat should always be fed with a superior and high-quality cat food which will cater to their naturally high metabolism.
- A cat (of any breed) should never be left to go without food for long periods. - unless this is on veterinary advice.
The Sphynx cat has a naturally high metabolism so compared to other cats means they requires slightly more calorie per day than other breeds - even after neutering.
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Orijen
Orijen is a dry food that is based entirely on a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) whole prey diet. It is formulated with 85% high-quality raw & freeze dried poultry & fish including organ, muscle meat & bone. This food does not require any freezer space which is a massive benefit to me since I do not have in abundance. Being dry Orijen does not go rotten left down as fresh raw does nor does it attract flies. It can be used an a microchip or automatic feeder taking a lot of the ‘hassle’ away from a fresh raw feeding regime.
I stick with Original Cat (used to be Cat & Kitten) with active cats who don’t need to be concerned with weight issues (unless they are a cat who is terribly greedy) however there is a version of Orijen called Fit & Trim which I also buy & which has been very helpful to cats who are spayed & so easily gain weight. This food is still 85% meat/poultry/fish but has fewer calories meaning it’s easier to reduce or manage weight without cats feeling like they are hungry.
There are other Orijen flavour varieties but I have not tried them however I do include packs of Orijen Kitten within my kitten packs for my new kitten families so that if they choose to use a dry food for their kitten/cat after they have taken them home they have a suitable, very high quality starting point.
Kittens Food
Kittens must always remain on a kitten food for their first full 12 months of life before moving on to adult food formulations.
When it’s time to wean kittens to solids, they may already have had their noses in the mother cats food bowl & nibbled on the Orijen kibble. They can wean wholesale on to Orijen and this can be made moist with having been soaked in water to help make a mushy pulp. However, I like to wean kittens on to a wet BARF and choose Natures Menu. The one I use is 70% chicken & 30% broth & is packed with all of the nutrients a young kitten needs. Rather than being raw it is steamed in its sealed tin making it sterile & taking any possible risk of suffering from upset tummies.
Royal Canin
When I got my first Sphynx she was 19 weeks old & being fed with Royal Canin - Kitten (dry).
Royal Canin also recognised that different breeds might have slightly different nutritional requirements & in recent years created a range of tailored breed specific foods which included a Royal Canin Sphynx specific one within this collection.
I use Royal Canin’s BabyCat which is a kitten milk replacer supplement/hand-rearing my newly born kittens. I find it is very easy to get a hold of, mixes easily & suits them well.
Hills
I have used this brand & switched to it when I found that Noodle's breath smelled so badly while fed on RC Kitten. Having discussed the suitability with their in house nutritionalist I decided to make a slow transition onto Hills Science Plan - Kitten (dry). There was improvement so kept her on this until she was just over a year old.
Food in Pregnancy
A cat’s pregnancy is short. Just 63-65 days from first mating. During those days several kittens will be developing inside her. Her body provides the sustenance for their development and so needs high quality, nutrient dense food which will ensure her eggs, the embryos, the as yet unborn kittens & she will stay physically well throughout the entirety of her pregnancy.
It’s just important to keep her well nourished while she is lactating in order to nurse her kittens until she can wean them. And it’s equally as important to continue nourishing her well after weaning & kittens have gone to new homes allowing her body to recover weight & condition. Because kitten formulated foods are rich in calories & packed full of important nutrients it makes an ideal diet for breeding cats during these weeks.
For Noodle during her first pregnancy I chose Hills Kitten since this food had suited her so well during her first year of life. She remained in excellent condition.
Just like with the Orijen dry food. for weaning this can be soaked in water or milk formula to make it soft for very young kittens but having observed their mother they will also try it dry eating from her bowl.
When it came time to transition Noodle from Kitten food at just over a year I wanted one that would cater to her tendency to suffer from bad breath. However, I then noted with the first adult food she had that she also had a tendency to have a sensitive digestive tract. This was evidenced by the occasional presence of blood and mucus on her stools. The vet advised that I use a diet for a sensitive stomach so since she did well with the Hills Kitten I chose Hills Prescription Diet Food for her, which really helped.
Natural Instincts (frozen) RAW FOOD
When Noodle's first kitten was old enough to wean having read so much about its benefits I began introducing the kitten directly to a frozen raw food formulation for weaning kittens. She took to this immediately & was soon well established, no longer needing her mother's milk. I’d noticed that nosey mum, Noodle was showing interest in this food too so I also began to introduce her very slowly to the raw weaning food (see food transitioning).
Then, shortly after this Prunella joined us just about the time Noodle's first kitten was ready to go. As Pru had also been weaned onto raw by her breeder it made sense to continue feeding a raw diet.
Home Produced Raw Food
Since raw was what I was trying to get established with, having researched it so fully I decided to begin to make my own investing in a grinder for meat and bone and lots of boxes for freezing batches of processed raw meat, offal and bone (I lived then in a bigger home with lots of freezer availability!)
Transitioning back to dry food
Noodle, who of course I already knew to be sensitive, did not do so well as I’d hoped on the raw and began to become frequently sick. Consulting with the vet we tried various methods to help her, including her being anaesthetised to have her throat and stomach examined to check for any hidden problems.
Eventually I made the decision to come away from raw once more and returned her to the dry food she did so well on, this time opting for the adult food now being made specifically by Royal Canin for the Sphynx breed.
Noodle's Second Pregnancy July- August - September 2018
When it was time to breed Noodle again, I transitioned her from the Sphynx formulation to a nutrient packed mix of Royal Canin Kitten & Royal Canin Mother & Baby. Both products are sold as suitable for gestation as well kittens. What I had noted all this time is that Noodle did not seem to suffer the same bad breath she used to do when I first got her & she was fed the RC kitten.
As I was feeding cat dry to Noodle & it is always down for free feeding, Prune also began to eat the RC kitten & mother and baby mix too!
Natural Instincts (frozen) RAW FOOD
When Noodle's first kitten was old enough to wean having read so much about its benefits I began introducing the kitten directly to a frozen raw food formulation for weaning kittens. She took to this immediately & was soon well established, no longer needing her mother's milk. I’d noticed that nosey mum, Noodle was showing interest in this food too so I also began to introduce her very slowly to the raw weaning food (see food transitioning).
Then, shortly after this Prunella joined us just about the time Noodle's first kitten was ready to go. As Pru had also been weaned onto raw by her breeder it made sense to continue feeding a raw diet.
Home Produced Raw Food
Since raw was what I was trying to get established with, having researched it so fully I decided to begin to make my own investing in a grinder for meat and bone and lots of boxes for freezing batches of processed raw meat, offal and bone (I lived then in a bigger home with lots of freezer availability!)
Transitioning back to dry food
Noodle, who of course I already knew to be sensitive, did not do so well as I’d hoped on the raw and began to become frequently sick. Consulting with the vet we tried various methods to help her, including her being anaesthetised to have her throat and stomach examined to check for any hidden problems.
Eventually I made the decision to come away from raw once more and returned her to the dry food she did so well on, this time opting for the adult food now being made specifically by Royal Canin for the Sphynx breed.
Noodle's Second Pregnancy July- August - September 2018
When it was time to breed Noodle again, I transitioned her from the Sphynx formulation to a nutrient packed mix of Royal Canin Kitten & Royal Canin Mother & Baby. Both products are sold as suitable for gestation as well kittens. What I had noted all this time is that Noodle did not seem to suffer the same bad breath she used to do when I first got her & she was fed the RC kitten.
As I was feeding cat dry to Noodle & it is always down for free feeding, Prune also began to eat the RC kitten & mother and baby mix too!
Cat Treats
Oh, the temptation to indulge your beloved pet, especially when you see how much love they are prepared to give to you just to get that scrumptious treat! Yummy!
This is of course just Cupboard Love.
This is of course just Cupboard Love.
The fact is that treats should be just that, a treat that they enjoyed occasionally. The calorific value of the treat must be taken into account & therefore either their food ration reduced to account for it or more physical exercise is needed to counteract the effect of these additional calories. Always remember, food is nutrient rich, treats tend to be more calorie dense with less nutrient value,
No Titbits!
Safeguarding your pets health also means them not being fed titbits or left overs from your plate. Again, this is not a nutrient rich food for them, and is empty in terms of goodness and is simply lazy calories. It also encourages unwanted behaviour such as pestering you when you are eating, or worse still, stealing from your plate as you are trying to fend them off and eat! Be ‘cruel’ to be kind!
Treats can also be used for training (see below).
Greedy-cats
Some cats appear to have some sort of feline Prader-Willi syndrome with no internal switch that tells them that they are full. For these cats, there are satiety foods, Orijen Fit & Trim, RC Satiety are two examples. Another idea to help these cats is to try a toy especially designed to make the cat work for its food. The are useful to keep your Sphynx (or other cats) amused and challenged. A slow feeder device is also helpful. If you do not have toddlers around to worry about, you can put glass marbles into the food bowl which means they have to work around hem to eat. Evolutionally speaking cats are designed to eat little amounts after having hunted for it since more often than not their prey gets away. They use energy before they get to eat. Anything you can do do help your cat work for their food and exercise will help to prevent over indulgence thus preventing unhealthy weight gain.
Certain toys used with foods/treats can be used to satisfy the cat’s superior intelligence. We like this one - Trixie Brain Mover Strategy Game however once it’s learned, it is no longer challenging & then holds no value simply becoming a way for your cat to have unnecessary calories
Just as with us, we have tastes we love & some we loathe. This appears to be the same with cat treats too. Favourite treats are:
- LickyLicks on LickyMat Soother - (Pru will not have the yoghurt one)
- Cheese (Prune in particular- even dairylea)
- Cod - no batter (Noodle)
- Dreamies - All kinds
- Moist sticks - Any make of these as popular with Noodle though Prune turned her nose up & walked away - right up until she had babies that is. I guess she was so greedy for extra calories she got over her reluctance. She is always remained svelte & dainty & slower at eating (until being spayed) whereas Noodle will gobble a treat without even biting sometimes. . I buy sticks that have a meat content of at least with a 95%.
- Chicken Hearts - those on raw diets love these!
- Whitebait (also part of the raw food treat range) are loved!
Training
Treats can come into their own as a tool for training working simply because your pet likes them so much and so will do anything to receive them!
A Sphynx cat can be also be clicker trained in the same way that a dog can. It does however take dedication & enormous patience - but it can be seriously rewarding.
I can ask my cats for a kiss - and will be given one too when I have favourite treats in my hand - Noodle would always check my hands first to make sure that the treat is at the ready. She was not giving her kisses away for nothing!
Interestingly she would tell me she wanted treats by giving me kisses. Not daft!
Interestingly she would tell me she wanted treats by giving me kisses. Not daft!
What’s happened since this is that each kitten/cat I’ve had since this time learns to kiss for treats from the older adult.
I've was trying for a High 5 from Noodle but she did not cotton on. She found a kiss worked & that was enough for her.
I've then purchased a hotel desk type bell attempting to teach them to tap to ring the bell for a treat. I might have lived to regret that had I persevered.
One final word to the wise on treats - Keep them shut securely away. Your cat will know exactly where they are & become & expert burglar given the chance.
Care Products
Our Sphynx cats take baths. But not the indulgent bubble-bath or bath fizzers kind (unless they’ve been designed specifically for them). Their skin does not always take kindly to some pet shampoos either so my advice is to use a baby shampoo like Child’s Farm unscented, or Johnson’s no more tears.
Product manufacturer websites are always the best places to gain the fullest, most honest product-specific details if you are keen to experiment as they will often supply downloadable/printable data/safety sheets which list the full ingredients, & give proper usage instructions with advice of any possible contraindications.
The products mentioned here are those I use or have to care for Noodle and Prune. In most cases, products listed here are not the only product of their type available. A different make or other product may be the best option for your pet.
What is important is not to over-bathe your pet. Bathing strips the skin of the oils which make everything get that unsightly brown stain but it also signals it to produce more. It’s easy to get into a cycle of too often meaning you need to do it again too soon. Some people have told me that don’t bath their Sphynx at all, others might use only wipes. As with our own skin or hair, everyone is individual & it’s the same with the cats. One cat might well be oilier or more black head (stud tail or acne) prone than another.
I choose to bathe my ladies usually every 2 or 3 weeks. They are not the kind of Sphynx of my dreams who love bathing like you see online on YouTube, oh no! Mine are tolerant of the process at best. Needs must, nails need cleaning & clipping & ears need cleaning. It’s happening even if they’d rather it didn’t.
Ears
Bath
- Johnson's Baby Bath
- Hibiscrub
- Virbac Sebocalm Shampoo
- Virbac Sebolotic Shampoo. This product is not for long-term use.
Misc
- Clothing - I have shopped on Etsy mainly and have quite a wardrobe of clothing by now including UV protective fabric onesies with matching hats for both girls!
- Harness - The best ones I’ve found are from Butterfly Cat Jackets on Etsy and Mynewood Cat Jackets
- Viovet Termaworm (*not to be given when pregnant or lactating) I have this on a 3 monthly subscription
- Panacur Paste for Cats
- Panacur Liquid
- Styptic Powder - Hyperdrug Styptic Powder
- Heat mat - Pet Nap Pet Heat Pads - A heat mat is one of the best purchases I have made particularly since Noodle became sexually mature and I discovered heat helped to soothe her. I purchased a flexible one to begin with, however, this was replaced later on with the solid one. She loves it! I purchased a second one since Prune and Noodle don't always like to share!
- Pet Beds - all kinds. We have caves, igloos, tents, snuggle sacks and more. Some store bought and some are handmade coming from Etsy and eBay sellers. A cardboard box also works well and they provide great play places when a delivery has been made. Buy washable wherever possible.
- Pet Blankets - We have all kinds, plush, fluffy and fleece but for kitten birthing, I use Vetbed which is a product that is very widely used by vets because it has some unique qualities including that it can be washed at 90 degrees centigrade (and even jet washed apparently). There are several kinds to vet bed to choose from.
- Litter Trays - When I began experimenting. I tried a top entry type (ModKat) expensive, but my cats showed an immediate preference for,these, probably as it’s deeply filled & therefore much more natural to them to dog & bury their waste. I use all litter tray types with kitten litters so that they have no difficulties when moving to their new families, but even they will choose these boxes completely abandoning the others once they are agile & strong enough to get into & out of them. I’ve tried front entry, lidded is always best, & I tried an automated one (PetSafe) but did not find it did what it was apparently able to. I had one where you turn the handle & it tumbled emptying waste into a draw that you pulled out. This particular model needed to be used with a clay litter to work properly, however, this litter type is too heavy for me to manage and is also not biodegradable. I also found it quite difficult to turn it & to pull the draw which was not as effective as it might have been.
- Litter locker brilliant for easy and safe disposal of litter waste. Needs refill cartridges though so quite expensive when you have multiple cats. I now buy biodegradable dog poop bags & scoop into these, tie the top & dispose of it.
- The Cat Litters I choose to use are either Sanicat or Ever Clean. Both I buy in the strong clumping varieties & it works very well. While expensive they easily outlast other cheaper ones which for me offer false economy. The litter is compostable, its efficacy wins & its environmental credentials fit with my life values.
- Cazami Cat Exercise Wheel - 2018. Big, but so worth it. Every cat I’ve had - including kittens - adores using this. During heat cycles the cats seem to find it is extremely useful to run off their hormonal angst & frustration. It’s interesting how each cat seems to have different running styles.
- SlinX - Made in the USA by an Etsy seller Simply Sphynx. 2018. Wanted this for so long. Prune loves to climb inside, however, I am disappointed because after wanting it for so long I now find it very difficult to wear. This is because the straps are just not long enough for a lady of my stature to do up. A great shame.
Services
Veterinary Cardiology
Veterinary Cardiovascular Society website to find a Cardiologist
Pregnancy Diagnosis Ultrasound Scanning (Cats & Dogs) in your own home
http://www.findascanner.co.uk/ to find one in your local area
The Naked Sphynx Cat Hampshire Girls’ Wish List
CatGenie Self Flushing and Cleaning Litter Box - the nearest thing to self-maintaining litter trays you can get.
Pedigroom Pet Bath to save mums back during bathtimes!
