MEET BEANIE!

Our menagerie has expanded! Say hello to Beanie, our Sphynx kitten.

I didn't think I'd ever get to  be a cat owner again, as my boyfriend is very allergic to cats... but one day we started talking about hairless cats - maybe they wouldn't be so bad - which led to visiting Sphynx cats to see if he'd be okay - which led to reserving a tiny black and white kitten (because it is impossible to "just visit" kittens, without falling in love!).

So in December 2019, we paid a deposit to reserve our new Sphynx, who we would collect three months later when she was 16 weeks old. Back then, we had no idea what the next few months would hold and so alongside all the pandemic anxiety, I was also super stressed about whether we'd actually be allowed to go and get her! But we got her just in time, and it meant there was at least one upside of lockdown - we had loads of time to bond with our lovely new kitten.

It's coming up to a year (!) since we got her and she is just the perfect girl, I am utterly obsessed. I've never met a cat so friendly and brave - there is zero aloofness in this kitten! She's like a little cat-dog cross, she's super social, she loves people and other animals, she wants to be cuddled all of the time (they call Sphynx velcro lap cats and it is totally true!) and she is never phased by anything!

We have fully embraced insane Sphynx owner life, so we do treat Beanie like a mini dog. Last summer she hung out with us in the park on sunny days (she was the very best girl, saying hi to loads of surprised dogs and little kids), we went to the Highlands and even took her on holiday with us! She calmly slept through a 5 hour drive, walked on her lead on a big ramble through the forest, and even visited Urquhart Castle - much to the lols of the other tourists there.

Being hairless means she NEVER SHEDS, which is honestly a delight, and makes me wonder if I could ever go back to a moulting pet. No more endless lint rollers! 

I've always wanted a dog, but couldn't really justify it because of flat-living-life, but honestly I think Beanie perfectly fits my pet-loving heart - she's just amazing!

Owning a Sphynx is a little more high-maintenance than other cats. Firstly, she was pretty pricey - we had to save up for a long time, but it felt worth it as she was the only kind of cat that wouldn't trigger allergies (worth noting that there's no guarantee you won't react to a Sphynx if you are allergic to other cats, but it worked out for us). 

They aren't completely hairless - she's covered in a peachy fuzz which means she's super soft to touch, but she does need fairly regular baths as she gets a bit grimey! Luckily, because she's an angel, she is incredibly chill about bathtime, so it's actually pretty sweet when she gets her bubble bath. You also have to clean their ears pretty regularly (those big ol' ears get grimey too) - I just use cotton buds and coconut oil. 

Sphynx have a slightly higher body temperature than other cats (which is great in the winter, but in hot days it can feel like you have a sentient hot water bottle stalking you), but they do get cold easily which means on colder days she has to wear little jumpers to keep her cosy. 

We also feed Beanie a pretty varied diet of wet and dry cat food and raw meat - a high quality diet helps maintain the oils in her skin. 

Pints in the park with Beanie

I just could not recommend a Sphynx more, they are such brilliant creatures and she has brought so much love and joy to our lives!

If you'd like to see more of Beanie, I made her an instagram (of course I did), and you can follow along here: sphynxbeanie