Petersburg Sphynx: photo, character, description of the breed and reviews

The St. Petersburg Sphinx (or Petersbald) is a breed of cats bred in the Northern capital. Peterbaldy slender, with large ears and long paws. Character easy, friendly. Cats are sociable and love the company of humans and other animals.

History of the breed

The St. Petersburg Sphynx breed was bred by domestic felinologists and quite different from other types of hairless cats by its standards and approach to breeding. To date, the breed has been recognized by many felinological organizations. Feedback from the owners is entirely positive.

St. Petersburg Sphinx, whose photo won the hearts of many cat lovers, was introduced relatively recently. The first representatives of the breed appeared in St. Petersburg in 1994 as a result of mixing the blood of the Don Sphynx and oriental cat.

Two kittens were born four kittens, which became the founders of the new breed. Within four years, the standard of the new breed was recognized by one of the phenological organizations and received the abbreviation PBD.

At the moment, work on the breed is still being actively pursued. Breeders are trying to form an Oriental and Siamese type with an extended muzzle, large ears, slender body and long legs. In connection with the breeding work, the breeding of representatives of the Peterbald breed with Siamese cats or orientals is permitted.

Breed Standards

The St. Petersburg Sphinx has a strong and long body, a thin elongated neck, long paws and a tail. The head and muzzle are elongated, the cheekbones and forehead are flat. The profile is straight, the eyes are almond-shaped. Paws are slender, with long fingers. Skin is thin, with folds.

On the muzzle, near the ears, on the tips of the paws and tail, the remains of wool are possible. The mustache is always crimped.

The shortcomings are: a round or short head, small ears, fractures on the tail, undershot, eyelid twist, full fleshiness of the body, short body, tail, paws.

Color

The skin of bald cats is very sensitive, including sunlight. Under bright, direct rays, it can tan or burn. Skin is capable of pigmentation and can even sweat in the heat. Since the cat has no fur coat, the color can be determined by the color of the skin. But this shade will be rather a shadow of the color of the absent fur. That is why it is difficult to clearly define the color of a bald cat.

One of the most desirable color breeders is black. Peterbald of this color looks just amazing, but with completely bald cats and cats this color does not occur. They can boast only owners of wool such as flock or brush, that is, peterbaldy, which retained though short, but still wool.

In addition, there are colors that can combine several colors and shades. For this reason, the exact color is determined by the breeder after the birth of the kittens, when they still have wool. Kittens of the St. Petersburg Sphinx often appear in the light covered with fur.

Types of skin

Peterbalds are not necessarily completely devoid of wool. According to the type of skin, the species are divided into several types:

• Naked. These kittens are born without wool. Their skin feels hot, non-slip, a bit like soft plasticine. It is very pleasant to touch it.
• The naked. These are cats that were born with a fur coat, but completely lost it as they grew older.
• Sprayed. Animals that have an ultra-short, almost unnoticeable fur around the body. Because of this, the skin seems tender, smooth, like satin. It is pleasant to the touch, caresses fingers.
• Flock. At this type in the cat throughout the body are rare and short (up to 2 mm), but very soft hair.
• Velours. The term is not used by all felinologists and denotes a type resembling a flock, but with more frequent and longer fleeces.
• Brush. In this case, the hairs are long, curly. Hairs can be stiff and soft, frequent and sparse. They crumble and can be like a wire. In a joke, these cats are called "felt boots".
• Flock Point, Velor Point, Brush Point. In general, the cat is stripped on the body, but on the so-called points, that is, on the muzzle, paws and tail, has a fur of the appropriate type.
• Varietta, or straight-haired. It's a cat with ordinary straight hair. She herself did not inherit the bald gene, but can carry a group of genes that are responsible for the type of skin. Whiskers are straight.

You should know that the St. Petersburg Sphinx does not belong to hypoallergenic rocks. As a rule, the allergic reaction is not caused by the hair, but by the saliva and particles of the cat's skin. Accordingly, bald breeds cause the same reaction as others.

However, in some cases, the negative reaction is caused by hair. Then Peterbald will be an excellent pet. Before buying, consult your doctor. Be sure to spend several hours in the breeder's house to make sure of your well-being. In advance, arrange a return of the kitten within a few days if the family members have an allergy.

Character

How does the St.Petersburg Sphinx behave? The nature of cats is typical of sphinxes. They are obedient, friendly, strongly attached to the owner. They are easy to train, and, in general, they behave like dogs. But still, Peterbald are wayward and touchy. The hosts speak of cats as extremely smart, affectionate, temperamental and very talkative companions.

Nutrition, care

So, you decided to buy a representative of the St. Petersburg Sphynx breed? A cat or cat will bring you much joy. But nevertheless it is necessary to know about the peculiarities of caring for peterbald. Since representatives of this breed do not have wool, which should regulate body temperature, they easily freeze. In addition, the animal can easily get burned on a hot heater or battery.

Sphynxes sweat, which means they need to be wiped off with a soft cloth and regularly bathed in warm water with animal shampoo.

Since heat exchanges are accelerated in petbolds, care and nourishment have their own nuances. They need to be worn if the apartment is cold. Also of great importance is nutrition. Sphinx in the cold season should eat more than other cats. In general, the diet does not require correction, a ready-made dry food of premium class or a balanced natural food. If the house is warm, then reinforced food is not needed.

Kittens

Births in sphinxes are easy. Cats are caring mothers, and, interestingly, cats also participate in the rearing of offspring. They watch the cubs, lick them, play. The kittens move to a new house usually at the age of three months.

The St. Petersburg Sphinx is a relatively new breed, however it is rapidly gaining popularity and receives recognition from felinological organizations. The goal of breeding is not only the creation of attractive external qualities, but also the preservation of the wonderful intellect and character of the peterbald.