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1. What about allergies... ? Many people have allergies and we are often asked if Sphynx are hypoallergenic. Majorities of people with allergies are able to live with a Sphynx. Approximately 90% of our kittens are placed in homes where allergies are an issue (I myself have been an asthma suffer and have found that the Sphynx do not bother me like haired cats.) No one has wanted to return a cat yet due to allergies and we think that is saying something. Each person is different and we cannot guarantee it will be the same for all. It will depend on the individual and the severity of their allergies and whether their environment is kept clean. Also keep in mind the some reactions take a period of time to occur. 2. What type of temperament do Sphynx have...? The Sphynx are such an incredible breed of cat and they are very intelligent. Socialization as a kitten makes them very friendly and people loving. They are very dog like in the fact that they will follow you around your house and want to be in on everything that is going on. They usually get along very well with other breeds of cats and dogs as long as the other animal in the house is willing to accept them and you are the new owner have made the proper introduction. They also get along well with all ages of children who have been taught to respect and appreciate animals. Many Sphynx people train their cats to be leash trained and they love to ride in the care and be included in your vacation plans. They have an easygoing personality and love attention and lots of times demand that you play with them and pet them. 3. Do Sphynx need special circumstances to keep from getting cold... ? Generally if you are comfortable in your home then a Sphynx is usually comfortable. If you are cold and are needing a blanket then so will your cat. Another sign that they are possibly cold is if they are seeking out a computer monitor, top of a TV or are under the covers of a bed. Many Sphynx owners keep a (pet) heating blanket or pads, wrapped with a blanket turned on low so that their Sphynx can find a warm spot if needed. There are also nice pet beds that are produced now and your Sphynx will love that too. 4. Do I need to give my Sphynx a bath...? The answer to this question is yes. They need to be bather regularly because they do not have hair to adsorb the natural oils in their skin. By the time you get your Sphynx kitten they should be acclimated to the bathing process at an early age. It is a simple process and many of them will enjoy the arm water and will join you in the tub rather you have asked them or not. 5. How do you bathe a Sphynx ... ? The ways to bathe a Sphynx are many including sponging them off in the kitchen sink, or wiping them down with a damp washcloth. They can also be soaped up in the bathtub. The latter has been found by many to be the best way. Run enough warm water in the tub that it just touches the bottom of the cat's stomach when they are standing. By using this amount of water the cat isn't able to move around as easily as they would in more shallow water. Always run the water into the tub before you put the cat into the tub to avoid scaring it. If you do not have one of those anti-slip mats in your tub please put a towel in the bottom of the tub so that the surface is less slippery to stand on. Place the cat in the tub and pour water over it's back from a cup. Keep one hand on your cat and begin to lather the cat all over staying away from eyes and mouth. Wipe the cat's face with a damp washcloth making sure to clean the wrinkles on its head and around the mouth area. Once you feel you have thoroughly cleaned the cats’ body all over, pour more water over it to rinse. Make sure that you get all of the soup off from under the cat's neck and armpits or the residue that is left will cause the cat to itch. Give special attention to the armpits and between the toes. Don't lather post the front of the kitten's ear to keep soup from getting in it. Talk to your cat in a soothing manner with soft tones. When you are done washing and rinsing the cat wrap it up in a nice dry towel. They love warm towels that are just out of the dryer too. While still wrapped in the towel it is a good time to clean the ears, clip the nails and clean the claw sheaths. Once you are done with this process sit and have some love time! You will both enjoy this special time. 6. How often should you bathe a Sphynx ... ? It is very hard to get you a set time with this question. Some Sphynx produce more oil than others and it will depend on your cat as to how often you will need to bathe it. Some produce little to no oil and can go several weeks to months without a bath. As a rule many suggest a month bath as a starting point and you can change the schedule as you get to know your cat better. 7. Aren't all cats frightened of water... ?By the time you get your Sphynx kitten a reputable breeder will already of been giving the kittens baths at an early age so they are accustomed to a bath before they come into your home. Many actually seem to like the water and will even sit on the edge of the tub when their owners are bathing. They will even play in the water that is left in the shower when you are done. If you r kitten is timid at bath time you should be reassuring but also make it clear that he must have his bath. When you are done give him a reward for putting up with bath time. It is a necessary part of Sphynx grooming. 8. How do you trim the nails of a Sphynx ... ? The pet stores have nail trimmers made especially for animals or you can use human nail clippers. Make sure the slippers are sharp, as a dull one will splinter the mail instead of making a nice clean cut. If you are going to use human nail clippers you have to make sure not to accidentally cute the pay pad when you cut the nail. Clippers made for a baby are smaller and lots of times have a bigger handle on them making them easier to handle. If the claws are light colored you can see a "pink" area of the nail. You clip up to the pink area but not into it. If you cut into the pink area it will cause pain to the cat and possible bleeding. A human has the same response! If the claws are dark enough that you can't see this pink area, it is best to only clip off the sharp tips at first and with experience you will know how far up you can cut without hurting the Sphynx. In this case less is better. 9. My Sphynx has dark gunk at the base of it's claws should I remove it ... ? My Sphynx has dark gunk at the base of it's claws should I remove it? The black or dark gunk might remind some of a type of wax. It is a combination of natural oils produced in the skin and it can cause dirt to get caught between the toes when walking around. You extend the cat's claws and wipe the dirt away with a "Baby Wipe" purchased at Costco, Target or Wal-Mart. The brand you buy needs to have lanolin in it. For some reason the lanolin removes the waxy gunk much easier than anything else. Do I need to clean the inside of the ears of my Sphynx ... ? Yes you do. Put several drops of ear cleaner into the cat's ears and massage the base to work it down thorough. You might want to put a piece of cotton on the ear so the cleaner doesn't get all over everything when the cat shakes its head. Take the cotton or cloth you are using and wipe out as much wax as you can get with it. Use cotton swabs to get what you can't reach with the cloth. Be very careful when inserting the cotton swab into the cat's ear, and keep it at a vertical angle. Only wipe what you can see, do not try to make blind sweeps or jabs into crevices to avoid damaging the ear. Be careful just like you would with a human ear. 10. What should you feed a Sphynx...? Your Sphynx cat deserves a high quality diet made for felines. A nutritionally complete diet will add to the quality of live for your Sphynx and also to the health. The cats have a high demand because of their metabolism. A high quality food also required less baths as frequently. They get wet food at least once a day. We also feed them kitten chow their entire life to make sure they get what they need.Some foods can be too rich and can cause unpleasant smells *-), gas, and runny stools. 11. What is the lifespan of a Sphynx...? Many of the Spynx live into their late teens and twenties. There can be unfortunate early deaths just as with humans. They also don't suffer from any special health problems. 12. What is the average size of Sphynx cats...? Generally adult females weigh 6-8 pounds while males are 8-10 pounds, however this can vary to some extent either way. 13. What causes some Sphynx to grow fuzz...? What causes some Sphynx to grow fuzz? You need to remember that no cat is truly hairless. Hormone changes may sometimes cause your sphynx to grow a small amount of fuzz time to time as it matures. The genetic background of your cat will guide come much fuzz that cat will get. Early spay/neater will lessen the changes of this happening. It may come and go with the changing seasons or remain intact. There is no way to know that for sure. In time you will know how your cat will be. What type of temperament do Sphynx have...? The Sphynx are such an incredible breed of cat and they are very intelligent. Socialization as a kitten makes them very friendly and people loving. They are very dog like in the fact that they will follow you around your house and want to be in on everything that is going on. They usually get along very well with other breeds of cats and dogs as long as the other animal in the house is willing to accept them and you are the new owner have made the proper introduction. They also get along well with all ages of children who have been taught to respect and appreciate animals. Many Sphynx people train their cats to be leash trained and they love to ride in the care and be included in your vacation plans. They have an easygoing personality and love attention and lots of times demand that you play with them and pet them.
HCM INFORMATION Presentation on HCM done by Dr. Kathryn Meurs Click here to See Presentation
FIP Information
Please remember we are
not Vets. We are sharing our
research about FIP with you. Please
contact your personal professional for more information.
We want to bring awareness about this to the pet community.
What is FIP? FIP is short for
Feline Infectious Peritonities.
This is a disease caused by a “corona virus” infection.
Many strains of the Corona virus are able to infect cats but most do not
produce serious disease. The
strains of Corona virus that produce FIP are distinguished by their ability to
invade and grow in certain white blood cells.
Once the cells are infected
they transport the virus throughout the cat’s body, which causes an intense
inflammatory reaction in the tissues where these virus infected cells are
located. The interaction between
the cat’s own body and immune system and the virus that is responsible for the
disease.
How
does a cat get FIP? A cat gets
infected with the FIP virus when exposed to the shed virus in an infected cats
saliva and their feces. Many cats
become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus either by direct contact with
an infected cat or by contact with virus contaminated surfaces such as clothing,
bedding, toy or food and water dishes.
How can you stop FIP from
spreading? Most household
detergents and disinfectants can rendered the virus inactive although without
using these chemicals some authorities believe that the virus can survive for a
number of weeks in the environment.
A recommended solution for killing the FIP virus on surfaces is one part
household bleach in thirty-two part of water.
This equals 4 ounces of bleach per gallon of water.
Are FIP and FELV caused
by the same viruses? They are
caused by different viruses. It is
possible though for a cat to be infected with both FIP and FELV, but the
diseases are totally separate. It
can get confusing with the different illnesses such as FIP, FIV and FELV and to
add to the confusion the symptoms are similar or even the same.
It used to be that many would just think that a cat had FIP
and not go further with a diagnosis.
It was kind of a catch-all diagonosis.
Sometimes it has been found that FIP will tag along with another illness
and vice versa.
What are the symptoms of FIP? First
of all you need to understand that there is no way to tell for certain when a
cat has been initially exposed to FIP,
although some cats do have symptoms of a mild upper respiratory disease
such as sneezing, watery eyes, and watery nasal discharge.
Other cats may exhibit a rather unusual bacterial infections such as a
very severe ear infections, which is now thought to be a result of the cat’s
immune system being under stress.
Extremely excessive shedding may also be an indication of the very beginning of
FIP but this can look like many other illnesses with a cat.
Some cats even experience a mild intestinal disease:
most cats that do undergo the primary infected described above recover
completely, although some of them may become carriers of the virus.
Only a small percentage of cats exposed to the FIP virus will develop the
disease and for that that do develop it it may be weeks, months or years after
their primary exposure. There is no
way that a shelter or cattery would know that this has happened in most cases.
Kittens with FIP.
The onset of signs of FIP maybe sudden or the signs may appear gradually
and increase in severity over a period of weeks.
Often times the symptoms that are not clearly associated with FIP by them
selves such as a decrease in appetite on occasion, rough hair coat or lots of
shedding with a coated cat, depression, fever and weight loss.
The Major forms of FIP
are effusive (wet) and the noneffusive is called dry and there can be
combinations of both. The sign most
characteristic of effusive FIP is the accumulation of fluid within the abdomen
and/or chest of the feline, which can accumulate to the point where it is very
difficult for the cat to breathe normally. A
Point about noneffusive (dry) to remember is that the onset is usually slower
with minimal fluid accumulation although fever, depression, anemia and the
weight loss are almost always present.
FIP can be very difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can also be
indicative of
kidney failure (increased water consumption and urination), liver failure
(jaundice), pancreatic disease (vomiting, diarrhea, diabetes), neurological
disease (loss of balance, behavioral changes, paralysis, seizures), enteritis
(vomiting, diarrhea), and eye disease (inflammation, blindness) may be seen in
various combinations. FIP is a
disease that frustrates veterinarians, breeders, shelters and owners alike, as
both feel so helpless when faced with it.
What is the likelihood of my cat getting FIP in its lifetime? Young cats which by definition in this article we will say
they are less than two years old, older or senior cats (over ten years old),
cats in poor physical condition and cats undergoing concurrent infections or
stress are more susceptible to FIP.
Generally this is a relatively uncommon disease in general in the cat
population, probably affecting less than one percent of the cats that are
brought into a veterinarian’s office for treatment.
In multiple cat environments such as shelters and catteries or homes with
more than 4 cats the disease rate can be much higher affecting up to 10 percent
of the susceptible population over a period of months. It is very important to remembers and realize that the
presence of FIP is not about someone being a poor animal caregiver or a bad
breeder and the list goes on. The
old fashioned and non deserved stigma of FIP just gets in the way of what should
be our common goal of discovering more about what exactly FIP is and why some
kittens and cats come down with it while others (including their littermates) do
not and most importantly how can we as cat lovers prevent it.
Are there laboratory tests that can detect the FIP virus? The answer to this is yes there are. But a positive test result from the tests only means that the
cat has had prior exposure to a corona virus and not necessarily one that causes
FIP. When a cat is exposed to a
corona virus it will develop antibodies against that virus. If the test is negative it means that cat has
not been exposed to a corona virus.
Therefore if a sick cat presents with symptoms of FIP yet has zero corona virus
titers, that cat can not have FIP.
There have been cases reported where the titer count did not represent that true
condition of the cat and a necropsy confirmed FIP yet the cat had a very low
titer count.
The titer that is reported is the highest serum dilution that still produced a
positive reaction. Low titers
indicate a small amount of corona virus antibodies in the serum, while high
titers indicate greater amounts of antibodies.
A health cat with a high titer is not necessarily more likely to develop
FIP or be a carrier of an FIP causing corona virus that a cat with a low titer.
It is also not necessarily protected against future FIP virus infection.
The testing that counts the titer can be most useful in the case of a
very sick cat (one who is isolated from other cats) exhibiting the classic
symptoms of FIP, and where FIP is definitely suspected.
In a case like this repeating the titer count in about 10 days may be
indicated. A substantial rise in
the titer count would virtually prove the cat had FIP as there is no other
explanation for this change and increase in the cat’s titer count.
The development of two
tests that can detect parts of the virus itself can diagnose FIP more
accurately. The
immunoperoxidase test can diagnose FIP more accurately than traditional
histopathologic examination because it detents virus infected cells in the
tissue. A biopsy of affected tissue
is necessary for evaluation.
Another antigen test utilizes polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detent viral
genetic material in tissue or body fluid.
Although this test shows promise,
PCR is only capable of detecting corona viruses in general at this time
and not necessarily those that cause FIP.
Should I have my cat
tested for FIP? That decision will
be between you and your vet. There
are two primary situations where some have recommended testing for corona virus
antibody titers in a cat. The first
would be as a screening test to determine the presence or absence of antibodies
in a previously untested household and to detect potential virus carriers or
shedders when introducing new cats into households or catteries that are
currently negative for corona virus antibodies.
The second situation would be as an aid and nothing more than an aid as
mentioned above in the clinical diagnosis of a diseased cat that is exhibiting
signs strongly suggestive of FIP.
Can the result be
different from different laboratories? The answer to that question is yes that can be true as each
laboratory has their own antigens prepared and interprets the assay differently.
The FIP test can be difficult to interpret since it usually depends on a
subjective decision made by the person reading the test.
How can a cat be positively diagnosed with FIP?
The presumptive diagnosis of FIP can usually be made on the basis of
clinical signs, routine laboratory tests, and evaluation of abdominal or chest
fluid. In all cases, however a
Tissue Biopsy is the only way to absolutely conform a diagnosis of FIP.
It’s always extremely important to be working with a vet whom you trust
and feel very comfortable with….but with the potential FIP positive kitty it is
absolutely essential. Owners truly
suffer terribly with this disease right alongside of their beloved kitty and
knowing when and how to let go is not something any cat lover should try to go
through alone.
Is there a cure of FIP? It is considered a terminal disease with no cure at this
date. Once a positive diagnosis of
FIP has been made the basic aim of therapy is to provide supportive care and to
alleviate the self-destroying inflammatory response of the disease.
Some treatments will induce short-term remissions in a small percentage
of the cats and combinations of corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs and antibiotics
with maintenance of nutrient and fluid intake may be helpful in some cases.
There are numerous studies and research being done now for beneficial
medications for the future treatment of
FIP.
How do I protect my cats from getting FIP? Minimize exposure to infectious agents, keep cats as health as possible, keep current on vaccinations, provide good nutrition and adequate sanitation are the most helpful things that you can do to reduce the incidence of FIP within a group of cats. But even in the best of circumstances FIP can occur. If this does happen to you and that maybe why you are reading this we give to you our sincerest sympathy and it is for you and others like you that have prompted us to write this and add it to our site. Knowledge is power and we believe if we work together it will help in the hardest of times. You will no doubt join the ranks of other cat lovers who are dedicated to finding out as much as they can about FIP and to share their knowledge with others. We hope that research efforts continue and a cure will some day be found. We also are trying to reach out to others who have been devastated by this elusive yet deadly virus and share information and compassion.
What about a vaccination for FIP?
The vaccination was introduced in 1991 and it is a modified live temperature
sensitive vaccine licensed for intranasal vaccination of cats at 16 weeks of age
with boosters in 3 to 4 weeks then once yearly.
The problem is that once the cat is vaccinated with this vaccine its
serum will always have a positive corona virus antibody titer.
Various
studies have yielded different estimates of its efficacy.
The pet owner should discuss with their health provider whether or not
the Primucell FIP by Pfizer Animal Health vaccine should be given to you cats.
There is ongoing work to come up with a much better vaccine.
My cat has FIP and I am wondering what happens now?
Once the clinical signs appear cats with effusive (wet) form of FIP will
live a few days to a few weeks although in rare cases some adult cats have
linger for six to eight months.
Cats with the dry form of FIP usually fie within a few weeks however some of
those cats have lived for up to a year or more.
There are always so many variables to be considered such as age and the
overall health of your cat and the quality and timeframe of the medical care
that has been provided and that can be provided in the future for the animal.
The best you can
do is to provide good nursing care to your cats, feed highly nutritious diet,
and work with your veterinarian to make your cat as comfortable as possible,
which may involve the prescription of medications to reduce some of the
symptoms. FIP has been documented
in many species other than those of the cat family and it is not known to be a
health risk for humans. The FIP
virus for cats is similar to the canine corona virus, which causes enteritis in
dogs.
We would like to suggest
at this time that you try to learn more about FIP and look for some people to
offer support. Here are some
suggestions we have for you of different resources.
Where can I go to learn more about this disease, and for support?? There are some WONDERFUL website resources for FIP. Learning as much as you can about this illness, and connecting with other people who understand exactly what you are going through, will be invaluable sources of support for you. Here are our favorite website recommendations:
Dr. Diane D. Addie's FIP and Corona virus Website;
The Winn Feline Foundation FIP Updates;
Cornell University FIP Brochure;
Yahoo
Groups - FIP Support Group.
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Sphynx Health Guide
Sphynx Health Care Guide
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