A Sphynx Kitten’s First Year at the Vet: Vaccines, Desexing and Heart Checks

A Sphynx kitten’s first year is when the foundations of lifelong health are laid: the vaccination course, parasite prevention, desexing, microchipping, and the first relationship with a vet who will know your cat for the next fifteen years or so. This guide walks through what usually happens during that year, what is specific to Sphynx, and the questions worth asking. Your own vet will tailor the plan to your kitten and your area, so treat this as a map rather than a prescription.

Before the first appointment

Register with a vet before your kitten comes home, and book a check-up within the first week or so. Ideally choose a clinic that is comfortable with hairless breeds and has access to a veterinary cardiologist for heart scanning if it is ever needed. Bring with you:

• The kitten’s written health record from the breeder: vaccinations given (with dates and product names), worming and flea treatments, and any desexing or microchip details.
• The parents’ health testing summary, if you have it.
• Your contract, in case it includes any health guarantee conditions about vet checks.

Our kittens go home with this paperwork, and we would rather you ask than guess.

The first check-up

At the first visit, the vet will usually examine the kitten from nose to tail: eyes, ears, mouth, heart and lungs, abdomen, skin, weight and body condition. For a Sphynx, it is worth asking the vet to note:

• The heart. Ask whether they hear a murmur. A murmur in a kitten is not always significant, but in a breed associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), it is worth knowing about and following up as advised.
• Skin and ears. Establishing what normal looks like for your kitten makes later changes easier to spot.
• Weight. Sphynx are often heavier than they look, and tracking growth is useful.

Vaccinations

Kittens receive a course of vaccinations, because the protection passed on from their mother fades over the first months of life. Vets generally follow guidelines from bodies such as the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), adjusted to each kitten’s risk.

• Core vaccines, recommended for all cats including indoor cats, protect against feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus — usually combined in one vaccine. These are given as a series every few weeks until the kitten is around 16 weeks of age or older, followed by a booster later.
• Rabies vaccination is recommended, and in many US states and localities it is legally required for cats. Your vet will know the rules where you live.
• Non-core vaccines, such as feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), depend on lifestyle. FeLV vaccination is commonly recommended for kittens. Ask your vet.

Because our kittens never leave before twelve weeks, they will usually have started their vaccinations before they go home. The exact status of each kitten is confirmed in writing, and your vet will plan the remaining doses.

Parasite prevention

Even indoor cats can pick up intestinal worms, and fleas can arrive on people or other pets. Kittens are usually wormed regularly early in life, then put on an ongoing prevention plan. Bare skin shows flea bites and allergic reactions quickly, so talk to your vet about a product suitable for a Sphynx’s size and age. Never use dog flea products on cats; some are highly toxic to them.

Desexing

Pet kittens from Wrinklebottom are sold on a desexing contract, as is standard for responsible breeders. Desexing prevents unwanted litters, and helps prevent behaviours such as spraying, calling and roaming. Timing depends on your vet’s advice and the kitten’s age and health; some kittens are already desexed before they go home, and if not, your contract and vet will guide timing. As with any anaesthetic in a Sphynx, keep them warm before and after, and ask your vet about any pre-anaesthetic checks.

Microchipping

A microchip is the most reliable way of reuniting a lost cat with its owner, even for a strictly indoor cat. It is a quick procedure, often done at desexing. Make sure the chip is registered in your name with up-to-date contact details.

Heart health and HCM

HCM is the most important inherited heart disease in the Sphynx. Responsible breeders scan breeding cats by echocardiogram, and our cats are HCM scanned. HCM can develop at any age, so your own cat’s heart health is worth discussing at every check-up. Your vet may suggest an echocardiogram if they hear a murmur or an abnormal rhythm, or as screening at some point in adulthood. Our HCM and lifespan guide explains more, and DNA testing in Sphynx explains why DNA tests do not replace a scan.

Dental checks

Kittens change from baby to adult teeth during the first year. Ask your vet to check the adult teeth have come through properly, and start getting your kitten used to having its mouth handled. See our Sphynx dental care guide.

The first-year visit timeline, roughly

• Within the first week home: check-up, review of records, plan for remaining vaccinations and parasite control.
• Every few weeks until around 16 weeks or older: remaining kitten vaccinations, plus weight and health checks.
• Around the time your vet advises: desexing (if not already done) and microchip.
• Around 6 months to a year: booster as advised, a dental check and a general review.
• Every year after that: a wellness check, including heart, teeth, skin and weight.

Pet insurance

Pet insurance is worth considering before your kitten comes home, since pre-existing conditions are usually excluded. Read policy wording carefully, particularly for hereditary or breed-associated conditions such as heart disease. Our cost guide includes ongoing veterinary costs in the budget.

When to call the vet between visits

Call your vet promptly if your kitten stops eating, has diarrhoea or vomiting that continues, is lethargic, has difficulty breathing, seems cold or weak, or anything else just seems wrong. Kittens can go downhill quickly, and it is always better to call.

From our house to yours

Health is our number one priority. Every Wrinklebottom kitten goes home with its health records, from FeLV and FIV negative, HCM scanned parents DNA tested for 40+ genetic predispositions, and with a breeder who stays available for questions. See available kittens, or join First Look. For the practical side, our new kitten checklist lists what to have ready.

Meet the cats behind the advice

Everything here comes out of running a household of Sphynx and Donskoy cats — meet the queens, studs and kittens, or send us an enquiry if you have a question we have not answered.

Frequently asked questions

When should I take my new Sphynx kitten to the vet?

Within about the first week of bringing it home. Bring the breeder's written health record so your vet can review vaccinations and parasite treatments and plan the remaining doses.

Do indoor Sphynx cats need vaccinations?

Yes. Core vaccines against panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus are recommended for all cats, including indoor cats, and rabies vaccination is legally required in many US states. Your vet will advise on non-core vaccines such as FeLV.

Should my Sphynx have a heart scan?

Ask your vet to listen for a murmur at each check-up. They may recommend an echocardiogram if they hear a murmur or abnormal rhythm, or as screening in adulthood, because Sphynx are associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).