Sphynx Safety Articles

We're very proud to offer this section to our readers. Safety is an important part of living and maintaining our Sphynx. Happy and healthy do not always have to do with food and shelter, but also how well we maintain health records as well.

If there's a topic of special interest to you please contact us through this website with your suggestions. We value your input.

The Editors

Protecting your loved one - A discussion on Sphynx safety

by Sharron True

It’s almost spring, and time to think about all those cat shows to attend, or perhaps a vacation to take. Traveling with our beloved pets often requires just a little extra planning. As well as a little extra room in the already over packed car!
When we are busy and on-the-go, it’s often so easy to forget some of those vital basic safety measures that are necessary to ensure the safety of our much-loved cats (and dogs).
On one particularly harrowing cat show road trip I be-came one nervous driver after stranded motorists after stranded motorist and many acci-dents as we slowly and carefully passed by. Around that time our topic turned to that What if? con-versation… What if we were in a car accident? What if we were both injured, and unconscious? What would happen to the cats? We decided then and there to come up with a feasible plan that could possibly save the lives of our dear pets.
When we got home, we compiled a medical record book. Ironically, this book bears a resemblance to a human medical record and has a lot of the same information that any medical chart would have. This Sphynx Medical Book is a standard three ring binder and we suggest that it contain the following:

• Identifying photos of your Sphynx including the name, physical description, date of birth, breeding cattery name and all your contact information.
  
• Any drug allergies, microchip numbers, and any other important information, such as placement of the cat if you can no longer care for them.
  
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Phone Number (1-888-426-4435) as well as your veterinarian’s phone number, numbers for the Emergency Vet in your area and their address and directions their office.
• Labeled Section tabs that serve as quick reference points for you and your vet can save vital time in case of emergencies.
  
  Within those Sections list:
  
  1. Records
  2. Shots
  3. Lab results
  4. Cardiac scan results
  5. Office visits
  6. Cat weight — providing the current weight of each cat (make it a habit to weigh your cat on each bath day). Doing this allows you or your vet to quickly see if one is losing weight so a cause can be found and, hopefully, corrected.
  
  
• Be sure to tell a family member of your trip details
• Be sure to tell family, friends and veterinarian about your Sphynx Medical Book including where it is located.
  

When you travel with your Sphynx always remember to place your pet in a secured pet carrier. Be sure to include a tag on each carrier with the owner’s name, phone number, vet’s number and any other information like microchip numbers and such. We all know that our Sphynx love to “free ride” in the car, but in case of an accident they are safer in a secured pet carrier. If your car comes to a quick stop the cat can be thrown into the hard surfaces of the car and severely injured or killed. There are reports of States having laws requiring animals to be restrained during vehicular travel, but most of this is probably refer-ring to dogs in the back of open bed trucks. Even so, an inquisitive kitty can get under your feet or impair your view so much so that it is considered distracting to the driver, or even unsafe driving.

Did you know, according to the Alabama State Troopers Office, all pets involved in a motor vehicle accident will automatically be transferred to the local Animal Control?
We certainly do not want that! So, to avoid this event you should consider microchipping or identification tattooing you Sphynx to ensure its safe return home. Pros and cons for both options include sarcomas at the microchip site and removal or damage to the skin that may render a tat-too unreadable. Either, however, is preferable to losing your pet and being unable to locate them! One wonders how many pets lost during Hurricane Katrina might have been happily returned to their owners had a permanent ID been in place.

Both of these solutions, including an AVID chip and reader, and a tattoo kit/ink are available for pur-chase through www.revivalanimal.com under “ID Systems” and can be done at home. Information and order options are available for the tattoo kit at www.tatoo-a-pet.com. Ask your veterinarian for more information.

Purchasing an “In Case of Fire or Emergency” sticker that is visible on the front home entrance is a good idea and can be purchased from PetSmart, PetCo, or from www.drsfostersmith.com and many other pet supply stores. You can even make your own with at -home computer graphic software. Other cat safety articles are available at www.cfa.org. Royal Canin also sponsors “Cat Eyes” reflective stickers you can place on your vehicle. If you are broken down on the side of the road, this very cute sticker lets other cat people know it’s safe to stop and help!
Safety for our pets is something we all strive for – whether travelling or at home. By adopting some (or all) of these suggestions it can help you feel more confident and reassured that your cat is more protected.