Sphynx Cat Breed History

Hairless Sphynx Cats - A Brief History of the Hairless Sphynx

Upon seeing a hairless Sphynx cat for the first time, many people ask, where did they come from? Contrary to the film Austin Powers, it is not an unforeseen result of the unfreezing process!

Hairlessness in Sphynx cats is actually a natural occurrence that has appeared as a spontaneous mutation several times over the last one hundred years. According to one web site on the topic, "there are reports of this [hairless Sphynx  cat] mutation occurring in France, Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Australia, Canada, USA, Mexico, Morocco, Russia and Hawaii. The breed evolved from the recurrent breeding of cats with this genetic mutation, the Sphynx breed's origins are actually Canadian, from a black and white mixed-breed cat named Elizabeth who produced hairless kittens. After many years of trial and error there are now five major international breeder groups (ISBFA, NASAR, PSA, SARA, SCC) that recognize the Sphynx cat as a breed.