Sphynx are a universal phenomenon. Though the majority of Sphynx still reside in North America and Europe, our little naked friends are popping up all over the world. In Sphynx Around the World we will take you inside some of the global communities that help put our beloved Sphynx on the map. In this issue, we travel from Toowoomba, to Perth Australia; then over to Kimberley, South Africa, and finally to Brazil in South America.

There are many interesting people throughout the world that own, and breed, Sphynx. The problem is that, in many cases, we can only get to know one another through email and websites. With this in mind, I randomly emailed breeders across the globe asking them to let us know what is going on in their regions, from their points of view. I hope you enjoy the first leg of a trip as we visit Sphynx catteries around the world.

AUSTRALIA. Sherin Henriksen lives in Toowoomba, on the east coast of Australia. Sherin is active in the fancy. Please enjoy the following from Sherin:

About 3 years ago, I went to a cat show in Toowoomba. Until then, I had heard of the cat fancy but was not too sure how cats were actually shown. Rod and I decided that we would like to show, but the question was, what breed? We were still looking into the breeds, when we became totally captivated by the Sphynx, due to its uniqueness. Dusty Rose came to me when she was 11 weeks old. She is a beautiful cream and white, who is now a Silver Double Grand Champion!

Queensland, Australia has not been easy to accept the Sphynx. Many people still have rude remarks to say (that make you want to throttle them) for example, how disgusting, ugly, a face only a mother could love, etc. When we first started showing, breeders of other breeds of cats commented that it seemed cruel people would even consider breeding hairless cats. Now things have changed, and most breeders are very supportive. Once they see beyond their pre-conceptions, they are usually in love with the breed.

We belong to the Queensland Independent Cat Council and have been the secretary of this cat council for more than a year. I prefer showing with my cat association but will show with other councils. There are 3 other cat councils in Queensland, who ac-cepted the Sphynx in 1999. In order to outcross the Sphynx here, breeders are required to apply for an experimental license. You have to be breeding for at least 3 years and need to be active in the cat fancy. All kittens from outcross programs need to be assessed by 3 qualified affiliate judges. This is different from other associations abroad, I believe. There are judges from all 4 cat councils that can judge at any show. In my observation, the QICC judges judge the Sphynx fairly enough. There are other judges from other councils who seem to detest the Sphynx though. These are all-breed judges who have been known to say things like, "Do I really have to touch that disgusting creature?‘ and," Cats are meant to have hair, a cat without hair is not a cat at all!‘ I have heard all these awful comments myself more than once from judges here in Australia. I hope that soon these ideas will fade, and they will learn to appreciate the Sphynx for the wonderful cat it is.

My favorite show is the one Rodney and I held together this year. I think it‘s a great show, and we had fantastic prizes. We had 167 entries this year. I do belong to the Hinterland All Breed Cat Club and we run a cat show every year at the Gold Coast. We look forward to having Elektra Hammond (a TICA judge) here in October of 2009.

The most embarrassing time for me was when Dusty Rose won Reserve Supreme overall in a 180 all-breed cat show, and at that moment, did a big stinky poo in her cage. The most exciting time was when we won our first Best Shorthair in Show.

Next we make a quick stop in Perth, located on the west coast of Australia, where Neil Bowd and Michael McAuliffe live.
We became interest in the breed as a result of Neil baby-sitting a Sphynx. He fell in love with their intelligence and personality. We found a local breeder, and adopted a black tabby Sphynx. After three years, we adopted a whole queen and haven't looked back since! All our kittens are micro-chipped, vaccinated, desexed and wormed prior to adoption. We also give our queens bovine thymus extract with magnesium and zinc which increases the kitten's immune system through the milk so they are less prone to infections during their first couple of weeks. During the first 36 hours we also give the kittens bovine colostrum to bump up their immune system.

Neil and Michael belong to Waratah National Cat Alliance, the only national cat registering body in Australia. ―Our association seems to judge Sphynx very fairly and, in our experience, the breed has been given the same opportunities as other breeds to win the highest awards such as best in show.

Together with Angela Irvine and Trevor Dawes, Neil and Michael created and edited a fabulous book called Sphynx: The Australian Experience (2006). Included in this edition is information about the history of the Australian Sphynx, the Sphynx diet, health, and maintenance, along with various suggestions and tips. It is a must have for any person intested in knowing more about the breed.

In Australia, the Sphynx is still relatively new, but is gaining in popularity. We do get the odd person saying Sphynx are ugly, but this is only a preconceived notion. Once they get to know the Sphynx, they fall in love with them.
SOUTH AFRICA. Suzette van den Berg lives just outside Kimberley in the middle of South Africa. We are fortunate to have a small farm away from the city rush.
Suzette‘s in-terest in the Sphynx started after seeing them on TV ten years ago. ―I bought my first Sphynx as a pet in 1999 and I im-ported my first breeding Sphynx in 2001.

Suzette is affiliated with SACC (South African Cat Council), who accepted the Sphynx in their organization in the late 1990s, and WCF (World Cat Federation).

My favourite show is our local club, Northern Cape/Free state Cat Club. I am one of the show managers of this show. We have a won-derful time with it, and the after party for all the exhibitors that evening allows us to enjoy a good laugh and get to-gether. I also enjoy the WODAC ......World of Dogs and Cats show that is held every year in Johannesburg. It is a very big exhibition of dogs, cats, reptiles, fish, birds and many more animals under one roof. There are also stalls that sell animal accessories of all sorts. The event is held over 3 days. I am privileged to have 2 of my own bred Sphynx win this very important show.

Our association judges the Sphynx fairly and the standard of points is similar to those of most associations worldwide. I do find that there is a prejudice with some of the individual judges, and I believe it may affect their ability to judge the Sphynx fairly. Sometimes it seems as if they do not have a clue to what they are doing, which is very frustrating. Some of the older judges appear to be physically repulsed by the Sphynx.
Suzette enjoys being able to keep in touch through the SBEN. Of it, Suzette says, ―It is the most wonderful Sphynx reading material that I have read so far... it is perfect just as it is.

Suzette does have some wonderful memories of times she has won in shows – like when one of her cats won Cat of the Year in 2007. She feels that it just ―does not get better than that!

BRAZIL. Now it is time to leave South Africa, and head to Barra da Tijuca, Brazil, an area around Rio de Janeiro, where we visit with Ana Luiza de Rezende Martins. Ana‘s children are her cats, and they all live together in her condominium in this beautiful town, surrounded by pet clinics and shopping malls. In addition to having all supplies readily at hand, they actually deliver her pet supplies right to her home.
Ana describes the Sphynx as ―full of tenderness … the skin seemed so delicate and sensitive to touch … they appeared so friendly and inquisitive.

After looking for some time, she was finally able to find a female kitten, which she named Luna. The day our Luna arrived I was delighted and I could not stop looking at her darling feet, and at her beautiful head. I was captivated just watching her eat, sleep ... I did not sleep during all that first night!

Of her breeding program, Ana humbly says, I did not create a great look -- nothing of the sort – but am responsible and professional and because of this, my breeding program has gained respect in the cat fancy.
Of her cats, Ana says, They are the greatest love of our lives!

Ana‘s cattery is registered with the two major associations (WCF and TICA) in Brazil so she could learn, and contribute her voice and vote. My experience of this breed is that they cannot bear to be alone, and love companionship of their humans and other cats. I compare the Sphynx to a child of one year -- full of energy, but at the same time needing our constant attention and pampering. Cats are magical and work miracles in the lives of people. In my country, few people know the Sphynx and it is considered rare. So, in order to have closer contact with others that breed Sphynx, I joined the Club of the Cat Gaucho, directly connected to TICA.

Ana loves to learn all she can about Sphynx, along with other breeds, and she does this through her affiliations with the cat associations. She feels that the newsletter is an excellent resource, but is a little difficult for her to read, as it has to be translated.

Watch for Sphynx Around the World in the next issue of the SBEN, where we will visit the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom!
If you would like to contribute to the next issues of Sphynx Around the World, please email me at judy@skinzin.com

Judy Webb-Gunby is a breeder living in the state of Georgia, USA

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