Unfortunately, even our home is dangers for Sphynx Cats. They could get injuries that could cost them their health and sometimes, even their life. The task of any loving owner is to protect the animal from potential risk factors and thereby prevent trouble.
Dangerous toys for Sphynxes
A touching classic picture – a kitten playing with colorful balls of thread – is familiar to everyone. However, playing with thread can confidently be called the most dangerous activity for Sphynx Cats of any age. Quite often, cats accidentally swallow the tip of the thread (this is also facilitated by the anatomical feature – the rigid horn papilla of cats tongue is directed back to the throat, which makes it difficult to “reverse” the thread if it has been swallowed), and the foreign body enters the digestive tract.
Due to its peristalsis, the small intestine as if “strung” on a thread, gathers into a ”fan” style. Especially dangerous are thin textile threads, fishing lines and Christmas tinsels called “rain”. Perforation (rupture) of the intestine may occur at the point of contact between the delicate intestinal wall and the thread, leading to peritonitis and sepsis.
Much less often, Sphynx cats can swallow various foreign bodies – paper clips, needles, small parts of toys, pieces of polyethylene, fish hooks, etc. All this can also lead to blockage (obstruction), intussusception (screwing) of the intestinal loop and its rupture.
Symptoms of bowel obstruction are nausea (urges), vomiting after eating, lack of stool, general depression, and soreness of the abdominal wall.
If you suspect that your Sphynx Cat has swallowed a foreign body, it is useless, and often EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to give any medications (even liquid paraffin), especially vomiting agents. Even with a slight suspicion of swallowing a foreign body, you should IMMEDIATELY contact a veterinary clinic, as procrastination and self-medication can cost the life of the animal; treatment is almost always only surgical. It is important to choose the right clinic with modern medical and diagnostic equipment for the diagnosis of “intestinal obstruction.” As a rule, a simple examination and an ordinary X-ray are not enough (metal objects and large bones are visible in any picture; however, threads, polyethylene, wooden and plastic objects are not radiopaque).
Poisonous plants for Spynx Cats
Many Sphynx cats (especially those that do not have the opportunity to leave the apartment) have a habit of chewing the leaves of domestic plants. Many ornamental houseplants are more or less toxic to cats or have an irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract. To minimize the possible risk of poisoning, it is necessary to provide the Sphynx Cat with an alternative source of green fiber – for example, special “grass for cats” or sprouted oats.
There is relatively little data on toxicology for specific plant species, but the following is a list of the most common, potentially dangerous indoor flowers.
- Swiss cheese plant (Monstera sp)
- Dumb Canes (Dieffenbachia sp)
- Common Ivy (Hedera sp)
- Aloe Vera (Aloe sp)
- Widow’s-thrill (Kalancoe sp)
- Rhododendron (Azalea sp)
- Yucca (Yucca sp)
- Primrose (Primula sp)
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen sp)
- Begonia (Begonia sp)
- Nerium Oleander (Nerium sp)
In addition, decorative flowers, especially the aster family and lily, can be toxic. Symptoms of toxicity can be vomiting, a general feeling of weakness, and neurological disorders.
Open windows are Dangerous for Sphynx cats
According to statistics, the most common cause of death in Sphynx Cats under 5 years of age is shock due to a polytrauma as a result of a fall from a high height.
Unfortunately, in the practice of any veterinarian, there are hundreds of cases of serious injuries and deaths of cats that have fallen out of the windows of tall buildings.
All tragedies have the same uncomplicated plot – a carelessly left opened window, the absence of protective nets and blind faith in the saying “cats fall on their paws” – alas, this is not always the case.
Even if the Sphynx Cat does not have external injuries at first glance, this does not exclude injuries to the soft tissues or internal organs (contusion of the lung, bladder, kidney), which can lead to serious long-term consequences.
The most common injuries when falling from a height are fractures of one or two forearms with a displacement, a fracture (crack) of the bone plate (when hitting their head), a fracture of the spine, pneumothorax (accumulation of air in the pleural cavity due to lung injury), or rupture of internal organs (spleen, urinary bubble). Without emergency intensive care, these conditions are life-threatening.
The chance of survival of fallen cats directly depends on the time they have spent without any help. The sooner the animal is detected and delivered to the veterinary clinic, the bigger the chance for a successful outcome.
It is necessary to carefully transfer the animal to a hard surface (board, box), control the body temperature (as a rule, it becomes very low in animals in a state of shock, so the Sphynx Cat needs to be warmed up with hot water bottles) and delivered to the clinic as quickly as possible.
Washing machine is Dangerous for Sphynx cat
Sphynx Cats sometimes climb into the centrifuge of the washing machine. In our practice, there have been cases when the owners have turned on the washing machine, along with the animal hidden in the linen, without noticing the cat. Alas, the chances of survival, even with an emergency stop of the machine, in this case, are small.
Medicine can be hazardous for Sphynx cats
Many drugs that are often used in medicine and purchased over-the-counter can be toxic to Sphynx Cats. For example, headache drugs and cold remedies containing paracetamol. Keep all medicine away from your Sphynx cat.
Chemicals are hazardous for Sphynx cat
Various household chemicals contain many toxic compounds that are bad for Sphynx Cats. As a rule, cats are very careful about unfamiliar substances and smells, so it is unlikely they will swallow any chemical of their own accord. The main way to get toxins of household chemicals into the cat’s body is through grooming (self-licking). Even a small amount of spilled laundry detergent or detergent, which the cat accidentally stepped on and then licked, can lead to serious poisoning.
Our shoes is Dangerous for Sphynx cats
If the animal is not vaccinated, shoes left in the hallway and even the hands of a beloved host can be dangerous as a factor in the transmission of infectious diseases. The belief that an indoor cat cannot get a viral infection is a dangerous misconception.
Viruses, especially the panleukopenia virus, are quite resistant in the external environment and can be transmitted without direct contact with the infected animal through particles of contaminated soil on shoes.
That is why vaccination is a mandatory preventive measure, even for Sphynx Cats that never leave the house.
Be attentive to your pets and careful with the smallest details when it comes to the life and health of your Sphynx Cats. Don’t get sick!