Sphynx Cat
Six years of raising hairless cats—what the internet didn't tell me, and why I'd do it all over again
I've been raising Sphynx cats for six years. In the winter of 2018, I brought home my first one from a breeder in Beijing—a gray-skinned male cat I named Mochi.
At the time, I knew nothing about hairless cats. I had only seen a few photos online and thought they looked like aliens. My girlfriend said they were ugly. My mother said raising this kind of cat was "paying money to suffer."
They were both partly right.
Meet Mochi →
The First Year
When Mochi first arrived home, I discovered some things that nobody online had told me.
Sphynx cats' skin produces oil. Not just a little—the kind where after you pet the cat, your fingers feel noticeably greasy. White bedsheets develop light brown stains after just two days of sleeping. My light-colored sofa was ruined within three months.
You have to bathe them weekly. I tried various frequencies—7 days is the limit. Beyond 7 days, oil accumulates in the skin folds, and black discharge builds up in the ears.
They're sensitive to cold. During Beijing winters, when there's no heating indoors, he would burrow into the blankets and refuse to come out. I later bought three heating pads and placed them in different spots around the house. Electricity bill went up by about 80 yuan per month.
About Food
The first year I fed imported cat food—I won't mention the specific brand. Mochi frequently had diarrhea. I switched brands four or five times, with mixed results.
In the summer of 2019, I started trying raw feeding. At first, I had no idea how to balance the proportions. I asked many questions in a Douban group. A user called "Cat Food Research Institute" sent me a spreadsheet with detailed calcium-phosphorus ratios and organ proportions. Using that spreadsheet, I went to the wet market myself to buy chicken breast, chicken hearts, and chicken liver, then came home to cut and portion them.
Every two weeks, I spend about three hours preparing food. I cleared out an entire shelf in my refrigerator just for cat food.
Mochi's diarrhea problem resolved within two weeks of switching to raw food. His skin oiliness also improved somewhat—baths could be extended to 9 days.
The Second Cat
In 2020, I got another one. A female with white skin and a few gray patches, named Luna.
Expenses doubled with two cats. Raw food ingredients cost about 600 yuan per month, cat litter 200 yuan, regular checkups and deworming average 150 yuan monthly. Heating pads went from 3 to 5.
Luna's personality is completely different from Mochi's. Mochi is very clingy—when I'm home, he's basically always beside me. Luna is more independent, preferring to stay on the highest level of the cat tree, watching out the window.
About Health
Sphynx cats have some genetic disease risks. I didn't know about these when I bought my cats.
In 2021, during Mochi's checkup, the vet discovered he had mild cardiac hypertrophy. HCM—this disease has a higher incidence rate in Sphynx cats compared to other breeds. The vet said medication wasn't needed for now, but cardiac ultrasounds should be done every six months.
Each cardiac ultrasound costs 800 yuan. Add registration fees and other tests, and each follow-up visit costs around 1,200 yuan.
I later joined several WeChat groups for Sphynx cat owners. People in the groups often share their cats' HCM situations. Some cats are diagnosed with serious heart problems at 3 years old; some cats reach 8 years old with no symptoms at all. The progression of this disease varies from cat to cat.
Daily Care
My current care routine:
Care Routine Schedule
Now
In 2024, Mochi is six years old, Luna is four. Both are in decent health. Mochi's heart condition hasn't noticeably progressed; at the most recent checkup, the vet said to just keep monitoring.
I've gotten used to this way of keeping cats. The weekly cleaning and care, the bi-weekly food preparation, the regular checkups. These things have become part of daily life.
Sometimes friends come over and see them. They say "these cats are so ugly" or "aren't they cold?" I've heard it too many times now.
Sphynx cats aren't for everyone. They require much more care than regular cats. Before getting one, think carefully about whether you're willing to invest this much time and money.
Sphynx cats aren't for everyone. They require much more care than regular cats. Before getting one, think carefully about whether you're willing to invest this much time and money.
I am.