Wind on small paws

November 27, 2006 6:34 PM

Wind on small paws: help me find a sphynx kitten!

I currently live in New Orleans and am looking for a sphynx kitten but cannot find a breeder in the area. Coloring isn't as important as 'quality' and breeders living conditions and a lil' lady would be preferred over a male. Travel is possible, but prefer something that can be done in a day by auto. Yup, this is to be a gift but 'by xmas' isnt imperative. ANY info on how to persue this is greatly appreciated (googling cat breeders just seems... odd)

posted by sil3ntstatic to pets & animals (9 comments total)

There aren't a lot of cat breeders in the NO area. There are, however, a lot of breeding cats. In shelters. Like the Louisiana SPCA. And they are f*cking cute. Seriously. Go for that route.
posted by radioamy at 6:47 PM on November 27, 2006

You could consider a kitten further away. Some breeders will ship, although it will cost you.
posted by luckypozzo at 7:05 PM on November 27, 2006

Ooh, these cats totally creep me out. Here's a list of Sphynx catteries and rescue organizations, but none of them seem too close to you.
posted by logic vs love at 7:10 PM on November 27, 2006

Keep in mind that a responsible breeder won't let you get a cat as a surprise present. Everyone in the household has to approve of the cat before the cat will leave the breeder.

That said, the best way to find a breeder for a particular breed is to swing by the nearest bookstore and get the Cats Annual magazine or equivalent. If you want to stay on the Web, then you probably want to start with the relevant breeder's association, but someone's swiped the International Sphynx Breeders and Fanciers Association's domain name. Failing that, the Breeders Referral List's sphynx page is probably a good bet. (And indeed, there are no LA breeders listed. My American geography isn't good enough to find "near New Orleans", but yours probably is.)

The odds of finding a Sphynx in a shelter are probably pretty low, but if you're considering an adult cat anyhow you might consider a rescued kitty.

Lastly, note that if you're considering a Sphynx because of allergies, they're no better than any furball: the allergens are in the cat's saliva, transmitted via skin cells that flake off normally, not in the fur.

I hope you find yourself and the intended recipient a skincat to love and decorate!

(Don't worry, those were kids' bath markers.)
posted by mendel at 7:13 PM on November 27, 2006

Yes, I am ALL about the SPCA but a gift is a gift and I would like to fulfill that request to the best of my abilities

what if Ralphie got a potato gun instead, huh?!!
posted by sil3ntstatic at 7:14 PM on November 27, 2006

Go to petfinder.com and search there; you can find rescued Sphynxes. Currently there is a baby girl Sphynx mix in Palmer, TX -- wow, what a cutie! But she is a mix so she has some hair. There are a few other Sphynxes on Petfinder but most are mixes.

If you get your kitty via a Petfinder search you are generally getting a cat from a no-kill shelter or foster home, so you are helping give a homeless kitty a permanent home. We got our Manx kitty Sherman through Petfinder.
posted by litlnemo at 7:50 PM on November 27, 2006

I've never heard of these cats before. They are oddly beauitiful and totally weird. I am not sure if I could find them cudly, though. (but I'd love to meet one) Good luck finding one!
posted by Goofyy at 11:56 PM on November 27, 2006

a cat is for life not just christmas
posted by baker dave at 2:54 AM on November 28, 2006

I used to breed, show and sell Tonkinese cats/kittens. Check the listings for different association's shows. So that you might have a chance of meeting a few Sphynx cats and breeders before officially beginning your search. The show organizer may or may not be receptive to telling you if any Sphynx are registered before an event. And if you'll be doing any travelling, this is a good way to broaden the scope, if you get lucky. Many of the kittens that get sold by breeders make it in that direction because they are not show quality (meeting very high breed physical or temperament standards), but many show quality kittens do get sold for pets, this affects the price for a lot of breeds.

About.com also offers a listing of Sphynx breeders. You could contact some directly and ask about their show schedule through the spring, they may be travelling with kittens down to your direction, or may know good breeders who plan to. If you do go to a show, plan to arrive on the first day a little before the show begins. Fanciers must register the number of animals they are bringing, (and don't bring extra) and must show animals to set up a cage/display. They will have round commitments sporadically, but may have someone on the "team" (usually family or friends) who stays with the cage if there are other cats in it. Altogether though, a pretty trusting group, and generally not necessary to keep a guard at the cages. This is a pretty tight knit community and many of the showers know one another, even if they have different breeds.

Twelve years ago I was primarily a CFA breeder. I would not recommend making a decision based soley on an ad, because the ads in those cat fancier magazines are expensive, and may include kitten mills, which is difficult to assess over the phone/through email. It is also very important to assess the temperament of a cat before you bring it home, which is why it is important to reputable breeders that as many members of a family as possible meet the cat before sale. I'm sure she's looked into the general personality traits of Sphynx cats, but there are not carved in stone rules about animal behavior.

If she changes her mind and decides she wants a Tonkinese, I could hook you up with my grandmother, but she won't ship from Virginia under any circumstances. She's also about 80 now and doesn't drive anymore, but still enjoys the cats.

Another tip you didn't ask for, we had all our kittens CFA registered and provided shot records at no extra cost.

I'll stop rambling here, if you have any questions feel free to email renee.phillips at gmail.com
posted by bilabial at 3:49 AM on November 28, 2006