Despite his bald body, a Sphynx requires at least as much grooming as cats with fur and maybe even more. Their skin must be kept moisturized with a gentle, scent-free lotion or oil, and they need baths so as not to leave greasy spots on your furniture and clothing. Use a gentle baby shampoo or moisturizing shampoo and rinse thoroughly, especially between the folds of the wrinkles. If you begin bathing your Sphynx kitten while he is young, he will learn to accept and sometimes even enjoy baths. Baby wipes will help to keep him clean between baths.
Nails need to be trimmed weekly and paws cleaned, especially between the toes. Sphynx are known for tracking (stepping in their own feces) and it will become trapped in between their toes and in the nail. Use a moist cloth, or even a baby wipe, to spread the toes, and expose the nail. clean away the surface of any debris.
Wipe the corners of the eyes daily with a soft, damp cloth to remove any discharge. Use a separate area of the cloth for each eye so you don’t run the risk of spreading any infection. Check the ears weekly. If they look dirty, wipe them out with a cotton ball or soft damp cloth moistened with an ear cleaning solution. Avoid using cotton swabs, which can damage the interior of the ear.
Keep the litter box spotlessly clean. Like all cats, Sphynx are very particular about bathroom hygiene.
Although the Sphynx feels warm to the touch, he doesn’t have a fur coat to keep him warm. If you’re cold, he probably is too. Buy him a nice sweater or two to help him retain heat. Also ensure to keep spare fleece blankets laid throughout the house. This way if you baby is cold, they can snuggle up and burrow on their own.
It’s a good idea to keep a Sphynx as an indoor-only cat to protect him from diseases spread by other cats, attacks by dogs or coyotes, and the other dangers that face cats who go outdoors, such as being hit by a car. Sphynx who go outdoors also run the risk of being stolen by someone who would like to have such an unusual cat without paying for it. If your Sphynx has an outdoor enclosure where he can sunbathe, be sure to apply cat-safe sunscreen to his skin to prevent sunburn.