Sphynx

The Sphynx is part clown, part cuddler. These cats greet visitors at the door, follow their people from room to room and burrow under the covers at night. They are curious, playful and crave company, so they do best in homes where someone is around for much of the day, or with another sociable pet.

Without fur to soak up natural skin oils, a Sphynx needs a gentle bath about once a week, plus regular ear cleaning and nail trims. They feel the cold and can sunburn, so keep them indoors and offer warm beds, heated pads or a snug sweater in winter.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the heart muscle, occurs in the breed, so responsible breeders screen their cats with heart scans. Skipping baths can lead to oily build-up and skin irritation.

The breed's story began in 1966, when a hairless kitten named Prune was born to a domestic cat in Toronto. Most of today's Sphynx cats descend from hairless cats found in Toronto and Minnesota in the 1970s. Their lack of fur comes from a natural genetic mutation.