Breed: Sphynx
Sphynx cats: the weekly bath and the oily skin
A hairless cat is not a low-maintenance cat. Everything a coat would do, you do instead: the oil, the warmth, the sun, the dirt in the folds. Our groomers see more Sphynx than people expect on Cape Ann.
The skin
What the skin is doing without a coat
Every cat's skin makes oil. On a coated cat it spreads along the hair and you never notice. On a Sphynx, which carries only a fine down, that oil has nowhere to go. It builds on the surface within days, gathers in the folds of the neck and legs, darkens the ear canals with a brown wax, and packs around the nail beds and between the toes. Bedding, sweaters and your pillow show it as a tan smudge.
A Sphynx also loses heat and picks up sun in ways a coated cat does not. Through the heating season, from November to March, the dry air of a Cape Ann house pulls moisture out of bare skin, so the winter question is as much about not over-washing as about washing. In summer, a windowsill sleeper can burn. The bath routine is where all of it gets managed.
- Oil builds on the surface and in the folds within days
- Brown wax in the ear canals, oil packed around the nail beds
- Dry heated air from November to March dries the skin
- Sun through a window in summer
At home
The weekly bath, step by step
Once a week is the number for most Sphynx, and the bath takes ten minutes once the cat is used to it. Use a sink of warm water, not hot, and a gentle cat shampoo with no perfume; skip human soap, and use a medicated product only if your vet has prescribed one. A Sphynx bathed since kittenhood usually stands for it. An adult new to the bath needs the same patience as any cat: short, warm, done.
Rinsing is the step people rush. Any shampoo left on the skin dries it, and the cat licks the rest. Rinse until the water runs clear and the skin feels squeaky, then dry the cat thoroughly in a warm room, because a wet hairless cat chills fast, and keep it out of drafts for an hour. Skip conditioners and oils; the skin makes its own.
- 01
Run two or three inches of warm water and put a towel on the bottom of the sink for grip
- 02
Wet the cat from the neck down with a cup, keeping the head dry
- 03
Work a small amount of gentle cat shampoo over the body and into the folds of the neck, legs and tail
- 04
Rinse with cups of clean warm water until the skin no longer feels slick
- 05
Wrap in a warm towel, dry thoroughly, and keep the cat in a warm room for an hour
- 06
Clip the nails and clean around each nail bed with a damp cloth while the cat is still wrapped
Between baths
Ears, nails, folds and bedding
The ears fill fastest. Once a week, wipe the outer ear and the visible part of the canal with a damp cotton pad; no swabs inside, and ask your vet before using any ear cleaner. The nails and nail beds pack with oil that turns dark, so wipe each toe and clip the nails on bath day. Run a damp cloth through the folds of the neck and armpits between baths if the cat feels tacky.
Change the bedding weekly or the cat gets the oil back overnight. In winter, a fleece bed near a radiator and a sweater the cat tolerates matter more than any product. Owners from Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea sometimes ask us to take the bath over entirely; monthly at the studio with weekly baths at home is the usual arrangement.
- Ears: a damp pad on the outer ear weekly, nothing inside the canal
- Nails and nail beds: wipe and clip on bath day
- Bedding changed weekly; warmth in the heating season
At the studio
The Full Bath at $95, and why the other three services do not fit
A Sphynx books the Full Bath at $95. Warm water, a gentle cat-safe shampoo, a thorough rinse, careful drying and a nail clip is exactly the weekly routine done by someone who does it all day, with the ears and the nail beds attended to. Most Sphynx owners use it monthly or before a trip, and some hand the whole job over. Nail clipping alone is $20 for the weeks in between.
The Full Service at $120 is the bath plus shaving and trims, and there is nothing to shave. Minimal Trims at $45 are trims without a bath, the opposite of what a Sphynx needs. The bath happens in the quiet cat room at Dogtown, 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, away from the dogs, warmed for a hairless cat, with cat behavior specialists who go at the cat's pace. Cats book without an evaluation, online, in the Dogtown app or by phone at 978 491-5922, and a cat that cannot be bathed safely is referred to your vet.
| Service | Price | Fit for a Sphynx |
|---|---|---|
| Full Bath | $95 | Yes: bath, rinse, dry, ears and nails, the weekly routine done properly |
| Nail clipping | $20 | Yes, on its own between baths |
| Full Service | $120 | No: it adds shaving and trims, and there is no coat |
| Minimal Trims | $45 | No: trims without a bath, the reverse of what the skin needs |
The vet
Skin that a bath does not fix
Bare skin shows everything, which is useful and alarming. Red patches, flaky or crusty areas, spots, a rash after a bath, dark greasy skin that returns within a day of washing, or ears that smell or that the cat scratches are all vet questions, not shampoo questions. So is a Sphynx that feels cold to the touch, loses weight, or stops eating.
Our groomers will describe what they see on the table and leave it there. If your vet has looked at the skin and given you a product or a schedule, bring the notes and we will follow them rather than our default routine. A Sphynx with a sunburn or a wound should not be bathed until the vet says so.
- Red, flaky, crusty or spotty skin
- Oil that returns within a day of a bath
- Ears that smell or that the cat scratches at
- A cat that feels cold, loses weight or stops eating
At Dogtown
Cat grooming for the hairless cat
The Full Bath and the nail clip, in a warm quiet room, for a cat with no coat between it and the world.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How often should a Sphynx be bathed?
Can a Sphynx be groomed at Dogtown like other cats?
What shampoo should I use on a Sphynx?
Does a Sphynx need a sweater in a Cape Ann winter?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Keep reading
Next step
The bath a coat would have done.
Book a Full Bath for your Sphynx online or by phone, monthly or before a trip. No evaluation, a warm quiet room, and a groomer who does the ears and nails too.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
