Do Sphynx Cats and Kittens Need to Wear Clothes?
Well, it depends on who you ask! The topic is often debated in sphynx groups and message boards, but there never seems to be a consensus and there is a very good reason for that. My theory is that we all live in different climates and different types of housing.
When we brought our first sphynx kitten home almost six years ago, my daughter and I researched this very topic and found the answer to be "NO", they do not. So we had planned on providing a heated bed and blankets for our new baby that came home in October. Things went fine initially. Our baby slept in his warm bed, played, and loved to snuggle in our sweatshirts. As we headed into November and December, we noticed that he still loved his bed, was snuggling MORE in our sweatshirts, and playing less. Despite the fact that my house was 72 to 75 degrees, our little buddy was too cold to be away from something warm. He became a slave to his bed and our sweatshirts.That was when we knew he needed a layer of warm protection and broke down to buy him a fleece (which will be another blog post on its own).
We live in Minnesota, where the temperatures are subzero for half the winter and we have limited sunlight. My house is from the 1980's, has high ceilings, wood floors and ceramic tile. Only two rooms have carpet. In the summer, we are fortunate to have ample sunlight stream into the windows and warm the surfaces, but in the winter, that doesn't happen, and despite having heated floors, my surfaces are COLD even with the house being 72-75 degrees. My daughter, on the other hand, lives in a smaller and newer town home that always feels warmer. Her two sphynx can dress a little differently than mine. See where I am going with this?
For me, when the discussion of whether a sphynx needs clothing arises, the opinion of someone who lives in Florida just might not apply to my situation and the same goes the other way! As owners, we each need to assess our own living environments. For example, as the weather turns to fall here in Minnesota, I am no longer barefoot and wearing shorts and tank tops and my sphynx are also pulling out their fall clothes. We are all dressing for comfort and the weather.
To further understand how different our situations can be, we have one Massachusetts client that NEVER wears clothes in the winter! They reside in an apartment that is air tight and extremely warm in the winter! In the summer, the apartment is the opposite and freezing cold from the air conditioning! Conditions are never the same from one house to another, and that is why it is so important to individually determine if your sphynx will need clothes.
Chances are that if your hands and feet are cold, your sphynx will be cold too and will appreciate a layer of protection, plus they will be extremely grateful when your cold hands aren't touching them when you pick them up! If your sphynx is continually jumping into their covers and spending the majority of their time in a bed, you might consider clothes.
Remember, it is never too late to have your sphynx wear clothes. Both our Pinky and Princess never wore clothes until they moved to Minnesota (ages 6 and 2). Fit, fabric, and comfort are everything. If you ever need help, please do not hesitate to contact us!