Hairlessness in cats is a trait that has been documented for almost two centuries and mentions of hairless felines can be tracked back as far as the Victorian Era! But to get a clear picture of how these historical cats shaped the Sphynx breed that we know and adore today, we first need to take a look at the other breeds of hairless cats that exist today and make a distinction between the random mutations that cause hairlessness in cats.

In Sphynx cats, the mutation in the KRT71 gene that causes their hairlessness is recessive, so not all cats born with the gene are hairless and some may only be carriers of the gene and can pass it on to their children. The gene mutation itself essentially makes the hair follicles too weak to support a long coat and because of that, the hair only grows to a light peach fuzz. You have to be very careful with Sphynx cats, and you will often see bald spots that occur due to this because they grazed themselves, rubbed too hard on something, scratched too much or even over-groomed themselves in spots. This is nothing to concern yourself about, but can be very startling if your beloved Sphynx cat suddenly has bald patches that you did not expect! This is also why the modern Sphynx cat lacks whiskers!

All modern Sphynx cats today, can officially be traced back to a group of cats from Minnesota and a group from Toronto that were bred together and bred with some Devon Rex cats for health and genetic diversity to create the stable breed that we have today. But because this hairless mutation is random and not specific to any one breed of cat, I have scoured the internet and found that there were a number of little hairless wonders running around throughout history, much to the delight of the humans who encountered them!

Let's take a look at the other hairless or very short-haired cat breeds first so that there is no confusion between the Sphynx and these other hairless cat breeds. 

The Donskoy is a Russian breed that looks somewhat similar to the Sphynx and are even sometimes referred to as Don Sphynx. They come in four different coat varieties and can range from rubberbald, flocked, velour with some soft wavy hairs and brush which has sparse wiry hair and a wavy coat pattern. They may lose their longer coats with age and even develop bald spots over time. This breed originated in Russia in the 1980's, but although sometimes having Sphynx in the name, the two breeds are not related. The hairless gene in the Donskoy is dominant, which means that all cats will carry it and exhibit one of the four coat types. The Levkoy is an emerging breed developed from a cross between the Donskoy and Scottish Fold breeds and is considered experimental - they have the rough build of a Donskoy with inward-folding ears.

The Peterbald is another Russian cat breed and resulted from a cross between the Donskoy and Oriental shorthair in 1994. Their coats also come in a variety of coat types that ranges from completely bald to a full coat of hair, resulting from the same dominant gene as their ancestors. 

The Cornish Rex, which originated in Cornwall England in the 1950's. Like the Sphynx's hairlessness, the coat of the Cornish Rex was specifically bred for to make the breed that we know today. These cats are not truly hairless, but have a short, wavy coat that sheds very little. The coat is soft and lays in tight waves close to the skin which is often said to resemble a washboard. 

The Devon Rex is another curly-coated cat that originated in Devon, England in the 1960's. The coat is not hairless, but is short, dense, soft and curls inward, giving it a waved or curled appearance. The whiskers and eyebrows of the Devon Rex are crinkly and twisted. It was originally thought that the Devon Rex could contribute to the development of the Cornish Rex, but it was found that the genes responsible for their curly fur differed between these two varieties. In fact, a DNA analysis in 2010 found that the mutated gene that causes the Devon Rex's curly coat is a different mutation on the same gene that causes the Sphynx's hairless coat and that is why they were used to strengthen the gene diversity for the Sphynx breed. Similarly, the Selkirk Rex is also a mutation on this same gene, but results in a long, curly coat.

Honorable Mention to the Experimental Breeds

These breeds are not truly Sphynx but rather mixes with other breeds and not typically recognized as an official breed from most major registries worldwide. They also tend to be controversial and may present unique health concerns. 

Bambino

The Bambino is not an official cat breed, but rather an experimental hybrid of the Sphynx and the short-legged Munchkin, founded in 2005. This unique feline is known for its short legs and "baby" (Bambino) like appearance. 
Due to the short-leg gene from the Munchkin, there are welfare concerns about limited mobility and potential pain.
Health issues and long-term genetic effects are still uncertain.

Elf & Dwelf

The Elf is not an official cat breed, but rather an experimental hybrid of the Sphynx and the American Curl, founded in 2004. Similarly, the Dwelf combines the Sphynx, Americal Curl and Munchkin to result in backwards curling "elf" ears and short legs in one cat. 
These cats tend to have narrow, stiff ear canals, which can lead to a buildup of oils and wax and increasing the risk of ear infections and discomfort.

Skinderlop

The Skinderlop is not an official cat breed, but rather an experimental hybrid of the Sphynx and the Scottish Fold, founded in 2009. 
This unique looking feline is known for its inward-folding ears and the goal of this breeding program was to create a slightly comical hairless cat, smart and outgoing, very affectionate and a bit mischievous. In 2020, the founders Kirsten Leedom and Nancy Raber discontinued their Skinderlop program.

The first written accounts of hairless cats date back to the 1830's from the book "Natural History of the Mammals of Paraguay" by Dr. JR Rengger, regarding the Paraguayan "scant-haired cat" as he named them at the time. This was a colony of hairless cats that the author surmised was a natural mutation in housecats to the climate of the area. What is interesting as we follow the timeline of hairless felines, is that the hairlessness usually shows up in tiny numbers with failures to reproduce the hairless trait effectively at various stages throughout history. Thus the notion that at one time in history there was a noticeable amount of hairless cats running around an island, for even a brief period in history, is an exciting prospect. However there is very little known of these cats - beyond a few speculations that I will touch on later, so for now these cats deserve a mention as the start of our timeline of hairless cats.

The first detailed report of hairless cats, is an article in the Boston post of January 22,1878 - titled Poor Puss. These cats were entered into the first cat show that was held in Boston and provided quite the bit of charm and novelty. From what I can gather, these early cat shows had both cats of impeccable breeding and pedigree on show, as well as cats that were on display as a curiosity due to various interesting traits, deformities that were deemed medically interesting and even due to some other entertainment value such as an interesting life story. At one point in time, there was a fascination with cats that survived shipwrecks and these were often the star of the cat show along with the many perfectly bred pedigreed cats. These original two hairless cats, named Scud (male) and Mystery (female) were one such cat show curiosity display and were reported as being born to a normal "Maltese" cat (Grey domestic shorthair).  They were neglected by their mother and hand-raised and were reported to have many strange habits that were not commonly associated with cats at the time. (Sounds very much like the first two Sphynx to me!) 

In 1893, the Wilmington Messenger, a local newspaper in Wilmington, North Carolina, reported on a strange hairless cat (or possibly a hairless puppy passed off as a cat). The article states: "We were shown yesterday a strange freak of nature in the shape of a hairless cat - or part dog and part cat, as really seems to be the case. The monstrosity very much resembles a hairless Mexican dog, but is cat shaped and is as playful as kittens in general. The ears are quite large and so are the paws, although at present there is no sign of claws. When the animal sits and raises its head it looks very much like a dog from the neck down to the forefeet. It was one of a litter of five kittens now four weeks old. The other kittens have hair and are natural in appearance and hardly half as large as their strange sister. The nondescript is not only large and stronger than the other four kittens but it is smarter and particularly full of life."

Somewhere between 1893 and 1895, two hairless cats were born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They were named Nelly and Dick and were rumored to have been a gift to Mr. and Mrs. Shinick from the local Pueblo Indians - this version of their story and the naming of the "breed" as the Mexican Hairless or even the New Mexico Hairless, just does not have enough evidence to be true. No other accounts of these Mexican Hairless cats prior to the littermates Nelly and Dick were ever found and it is highly unlikely that these cats were indeed the last survivors of an ancient Aztec breed of cat as their owners claimed. Dick and Nelly were littermates and sadly Dick was killed by dogs before the age of sexual maturity in a totally avoidable accident. A suitable mate for Nelly was never found. These early hairless cats were photographed when they attended the 1898 Chicago cat show and from the photo and their descriptions, they do resemble the modern Sphynx with a less extreme face shape. These cats were noted to be 25% smaller than the local shorthair cats, normally whiskered and seasonally coated, growing a ridge of fur down their backs and tails during the colder seasons. The photo of Nelly and Dick was used in the 1903 "The Book of the Cat" and was accompanied by a letter from their owner, Mr. Shinick, in which he described their temperament as well as the feel of their coats - all of which are extremely similar to what one would expect from modern-day Sphynx cats. Nelly was never bred and was later possibly exported to Britain or continental Europe in 1903 for a while, where she was exhibited, but apparently never bred. As pets in the 1900's were not spayed, there is a (remote) possibility that some accounts of later hairlessness trace back to Nelly. 

The Albuquerque Journal, 17th December, 1908 detailed Nellie’s planned train journey to Washington to meet the President and First Lady, and then to New York for the cat show. Nellie was to be in the care of well-known cat enthusiast Dr. Cecil French, who would take her to New York City to exhibit her at the annual cat show in Madison Square Garden commencing December 30. It was to be Nellie’s last journey. A follow-up article from The Albuquerque Journal, 29th December, 1908 tells us she was bred and raised by Mr. Shinick (an admission of her origin at last despite her lifelong tales of being some near-mythical extinct breed of Aztec cat!) and had been unwell when she left Albuquerque by train and died the day after reaching Washington. The immediate cause of death was dropsy (wet FIP), but her spleen, liver, kidneys and uterus were all found to be diseased and even without dropsy, Nellie would not have lived much longer. Her body was donated to the Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C., for display, and although it was briefly misplaced, has been reunited with her information once more and can be viewed at this link: Nelly the Mexican Hairless Cat - the Smithsonian

In 1903, the book Rabbits Cats and Cavies was published by C.H Lane and in this book, there is a section on the "Mexican Hairless" cat. The author was aware of Shinick's cats and reported that he found one in England, further cementing the truth that these cats were not descendants of some ancient extinct Aztec cats after all. The cat was named Jesuit and belonged to a Mrs. McLaren Morrison who was known to be a collector of exotic cats and dogs.

The illustration that the author included of this cat, Jesuit, looks very similar to the photo of Nelly and it is suspected that the artist who drew the illustration may have used the photo of Mr. Shinick's cats as a reference for the book.
Although this cat was regarded as a special breed of hairless cat, it is now understood that these three cats were merely another example of the random hairless mutation that was observed. No other examples of the Mexican Hairless cat was ever found, as the defining trait would, according to the accounts of Dick and Nelly, be that these cats would grow a ridge of fur along the spine in winter.

Numerous hairless cats were reported on in the 1930's in various cat magazines and some of these cats made headlines at various cat shows - including accounts of hairlessness in Persian kittens. These cats were all considered prized curiosities and were found all over the world now that photographs were more common and the cat fancy was taking an interest in hairless cats as a possible breed to be cultivated.

Hairless kittens (Bald Cats) appeared in in France (1932) but failed to thrive. In April 1935, the magazine "Vie A La Campagne" (Life in the Country) carried pictures from a 1932 cat show in Paris which had featured two hairless cats called "le chat nu" (the naked cat) shown as curiosities by Professor E Letard. The naked cats had been born to two different domestic females in the same household at Kremlin-Bictre, near Paris,in 1930 though both died without reproducing in 1931. The cats had been born 4 months apart and were exhibited at the Feline Exposition in Paris. This suggests a degree of inbreeding allowing a recessive gene to be expressed. Some later reports refer to the French Sphynx being "resurrected" , but this would refer to the resurrection of hairless cats in general, not to a French strain. The French Sphynx (Le Chat Nu) never became an established breed in its own right.

Vie A La Campagne also reported the occurrence of a hairless kitten born to a shorthair female in Fêz, Morocco as well as occasional sightings of hairless cats in parts of Western Europe. The Moroccan hairless cat was born on 7th April 1934 at the home of Monsieur Paul Raibaud. Among 5 perfect kittens was a curious one with long ears, large bright eyes and no fur or whiskers. M Raibaud took in the hairless kitten and it developed normally. At the time of the account in 1935, it was a grey-blue colour like that of slate. The skin was soft and supple. The teeth and claws were normal and the cat was active and healthy.

In 1937, the Oxford Journal of Heredity published an article by Henry Sternberger titled 'A "Cat-Dog" From North Carolina Hairless Gene or "Maternal Impression"?'

Hairless Cat Or Cat-Dog: Three views of an abnormal kitten which appeared in a litter of four, only one of which was normal,—two of the others being short tailed. The genetic nature of this variation is unknown, but it has a striking resemblance to some of the genetic hairless forms in rabbits and mice.

Around the middle of August, 1936, a curious litter of kittens was born to a perfectly ordinary appearing pet cat, belonging to Mrs. Annie Mae Gannon, of Wilmington, N. C. Of the entire litter, only one of the kittens is perfectly normal in appearance - the other three being freaks. One of the cats has no tail at all; another has only a stub of a tail. But the extraordinary member of this feline family is the fourth—well, we can hardly call it a cat - so for want of a better name, we'll call it a "Nonesuch."

It is said that before the kittens were born, the mother cat was often engaged in fights by a mixed-breed dog in the neighbourhood, and on several occasions was badly frightened by the dog. This is about the only plausible explanation as to why the "nonesuch" is so unusual in appearance. In fact, this little animal - now about two months old – is about the queerest looking creature one could hope to set eyes upon. Its face is that of a black, white, and yellow spotted dog. Its ears are quite long and sharp pointed. It has the short whiskers of a puppy. The hind legs are amusingly bowed. It has a stub tail. What makes the nonesuch even more unusual appearing is the short smooth dog hair all over its cat-like body.

From the very moment of its birth, which was about twelve hours after the rest of the litter, the nonesuch was surprisingly independent in its actions. It was born with its eyes open, and was able to crawl a little - two characteristics quite unknown to new-born kittens. The nonesuch acts both like a cat and a dog. While it makes a noise like a cat, it sniffs its food like a dog. Nothing delights the nonesuch more than gnawing a bone in a very dog-like manner. When resting, little nonesuch places its paws straight out in front just as a dog would do. The little creature doesn't relish playing with the rest of its family, being entirely contented in stretching out and watching the others frolic about.

The Editor replied:

Geneticists would be more inclined to ascribe the appearance of the unusual animal described above to the action of a recessive mutation than to the ancient doctrine of maternal impressions. If the curious kitten does represent a mutation, it is one of no little genetic interest, as offering a further parallel between mutations in the cat and the rabbit. (See Keeler and Cobb, Journal of heredity 24 :181-184. May 1933). To judge from Mr. Sternberger's pictures and the description, "Nonesuch" must rather closely resemble the Rex rabbit. It was hoped that it might be possible to obtain "None-such" and test the matter genetically. Unfortunately his owner is reported to feel that this unusual creature should be so valuable for museum or sideshow purposes as rather to put it out of range of genetic experimentation. In a later letter from Mr. Sternberger we learn that all the other members of the litter have died, so that there seems little hope of being able to do more than record the occurrence of this odd form.

In 1938, a French Professor Etienne Letard (Professor at the National Veterinary School of Alfort (Seine) France) replied in the Journal of Heredity in a letter titled 'Hairless Siamese Cats'Hairless Siamese Kittens And Their Parents: Two views of hairless Siamese kittens twelve hours old, and their parents. All of them are hairless though one has a thin coat of short hairs. Note the fur distinctly visible on one of the kittens. This is especially thick on the ears and in the axes of the limbs. It disappears in a few days, being followed a short time later by another transitory coat. The two accounts of "Nonesuch", the alleged cat-dog hybrid in the Journal (March and September, 1937), have greatly interested the writer because he has had an opportunity to study a startingly similar variation in Siamese cats. The accompanying photographs show the appearance of the hairless cats, whose resemblance to "Nonesuch" is obvious. The origin and description of this hairless strain follows. A pair of Siamese cats, perfect in type with normal hair and coloring, produced from time to time one or two hairless kittens in a litter consisting otherwise of normal kittens. From these periodically appearing hairless individuals we have been able to create a strain of hairless cats, which we believe to be entirely pure.

"Carrier" And Naked Siamese Cats: On the left is a normally haired Siamese cat, which mated to a normal-haired male produced hairless offspring. She thus carries the recessive hairless gene. At right a mature hairless Siamese cat, the type of this recessive mutation. Note that the vibrissae ("whiskers") are normal. The whiskers of some hairless mammals are also affected. If one mates one of the two individuals who have produced this mutation, with other normal Siamese cats, a hairless kitten has never been produced. Only the mating of the two individuals in question produces the mutation. The crossing of a hairless animal with other normal individuals has never produced a hairless cat. We have mated two hairless cats, brother and sister; three hairless kittens were the result. With the exception of unforeseen circumstances which would have to be studied, the "hairless" can therefore be considered a type governed by the Mendelian law with hairlessness recessive to normal coat. Thus we find ourselves in possession of a strain, apparently already stable, which might be the origin of a distinct race, resuscitating the ancient race of so-called Mexican hairless cats, which is believed to be extinct.

It is imperative to mention that, though certain specimens are completely hairless, others have a slight down on their bodies. This down is subject to periodical changes, apparently closely connected with seasonal variations in temperature. Strange as k may seem, the young ones which grow into hairless cats are not so at birth, but have a growth of hair, less dense, however, than normal. A transitory pelage in young hairless rats has also been reported [Wilder, W., Et Al. A Hairless Mutation in the Rat. Journal of Heredity 23 :481- 484. 1932] The fact that the typical pattern of the Siamese cat is controlled in its development by temperature [1. Iljin, N. A. and V. N. Temperature Effects on the Color of the Siamese Cat Journal of Heredity 21 :309-318. 1930] may have a significance in this connection. This growth is most marked on the ventral surface and in the axils of the limbs. Between the tenth and fourteenth day after birth this juvenile hair has disappeared, and the "hairless skin" has become reality. The skin remains bald for several days and this is followed by another growth of hair. When the kitten has reached the age anywhere from eight to ten weeks it is covered with an abundant growth of hair which gradually disappears, until at the age of six months the final stage of adult nakedness has been reached; either the skin is completely hairless, or covered with a slight down, subject to seasonal changes.

The fact that this mutation was observed in animals which have always lived in Paris, proves again that it is not always in special environments that one has to search for visible variations, and emphasizes again the random nature of spontaneous changes in inherited characters which appear to be one of the basic mechanisms of organic evolution.

The interesting part of this article is that when we think of hairless traits and recessive genes in cats, it is usually the Toronto-based breeders that are credited with identifying these recessive traits in the 1960's and 70's. But from these Oxford Journals, it is clear to see that these traits were already understood in the 1930's! 

There are quite a few sources that reference this French breeding program, however it seems that the gene pool was just not diverse enough and it ultimately succumbed to the same fate as many of the later breeding projects faced, not resulting in a stable and sustainable cat breed at this time. 

Looking at all of these early hairless cats, I find it fascinating that the same trait of hairlessness in a cat that fascinates so many feline enthusiasts in the modern-day cat fancy, has been showing up naturally over two centuries without any intervention of humans at all! But I am so very thankful to these early breeders who ultimately laid down the foundation on which my beloved Sphynx cats of today were built.

It is not until the breeders of the late 60's and 70's really started to get together and work on establishing a viable gene pool that the Sphynx cat breed really started to develop. Many of these breeding programs still failed and the beautiful hairless Sphynx that we have today, did not happen overnight! 

A couple called the Murrays from California, obtained a hairless male cat called Silky 
(born from normal Siamese parents) and bred him to a normal Siamese female, which produced a litter of hairless babies with stubby whiskers and wrinkly skin. The Murrays named this new breed of theirs, the Mooncat and started Moonglow cattery. In 1966, Murray told the Independent Press Telegram who did an article on these hairless cats, that they had been part of ancient Chinese civilization. And then of course there was the earlier story of hairless cats coming from the ancient Aztecs, as per the "Mexican Hairless Cat" that was invented by Mr. Shinick. These wild stories helped to further embellish the background of these amazing little cats, making them even more exclusive at the time. But because of them, the actual background of the amazing, real Sphynx breed, is a little harder to find and you will even hear people still believe these wild stories over their true origins in today's time! The "Egyptian Hairless Cat" was invented around 2001 by the TV show "Friends" and mistakenly reported as fact on some veterinary websites and on usenet. The show depicted it as hypoallergenic. Hairless cats are not hypoallergenic since the allergen is in the saliva and dander, not the fur itself. It was irresponsible of the show to mislead viewers into believing the hypoallergenic myth as well as creating a belief in a non-existent cat "breed". Although the name "Sphynx" might suggest an Egyptian origin, there are currently no hairless varieties originating from Egypt.

The modern Sphynx (Canadian Hairless) may be advertised as the hairless cat from the scrolls of antiquity, but it derives from Canadian cats of either the 1960s or 1970s. It has variously been known as the Moon Cat, Moonstone Cat or Canadian Hairless and may be spelled either Sphynx or Sphinx, though the former spelling is more common. The history of the Canadian Sphynx is not continuous as the original bloodline has been lost, but the breeding program was restored when more hairless kittens surfaced later. The later cats were probably related to the earlier discovery, but there is no traceability.

“Three Little Kittens Lost Their Mittens - and Fur Coats, Too. By Eleanor Avery Price, Independent Press Telegram, May 22nd, 1966. There are experimental breeders of cats who are fascinated with discovering and establishing something new in the way of felines. When the Rex cat first emerged in both Germany and England along about the same time, it was a cat covered with a fairly thick wavy coat. The cat’s build was somewhat like an ordinary shorthair. A picture of one of the early German Rex mutations appeared in the Journal of Genetics in 1956. It seems, however, that more was to come in the way of Rex mutations. A small slender cat with a slinky manner, big ears, and body somewhat similar to a Siamese cat appeared with a thin, very soft, wavy coat and almost no fur on the stomach. This cat, when shedding, is temporarily almost completely hairless. The first genotype was called Rex I, and the second Rex 2. They were brought to the attention of A. C. Jude who wrote articles in scientific and technical Journals on the behavior of genes in rabbits which produced various Rex coats. He had known that in 1920 a Rex coat appeared in rabbits of the breeding stock of a French peasant. After studying the Rex cats, he discussed them in his book, "Cat Genetics,” describing in detail the established action of cat genes. Rex cats have since appeared in the United States. And in recent months, a hairless Siamese appeared in this area. Obtained by Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Murray, Moonglow Cattery, Bellflower, the cat, a male, was named Silki. In time, he was bred to an ordinary Siamese, Suki. The litter of kittens is hairless and is pictured today with this article. The whiskers of the three little kittens, without so much as mittens, are stubby. The skin is wrinkled but will fill out just as does the skin of the Mexican xololtzcuintli dog. Otherwise, they are normal, playful and happy. The Murrays do not know if they have added Rex No. 3, an altogether hairless Rex, or if a completely new mutant gene has appeared. The hairless Siamese in body greatly resemble the Rex curly coated cats we see in cat shows. They have the whip tail, the big ears, the exotic head. There is possibly a great future for this fascinating oddity. Anyone with an allergic reaction to cat fur might find a hairless cat just the feline he or she can enjoy. And certainly some of the cat fancy will welcome a new character. Of course, no standards have been set, no breed name given the hairless Siamese except the humorous one (which might stick) given by Murray - Mooncats - because the felines are a bit weird and because the cattery now producing the rarity is named Moonglow. Murray says that it is rumored that at one time hairless cats existed in China and that it is also rumored that at one time there were cats in Mexico with just a bit of fur on the stomach and on the ridge of the back."

Also in 1966, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a domestic cat named Elizabeth, produced a hairless male kitten, named Prune. These two cats, Elizabeth and Prune, were acquired by Ridyadh Bawa, a science graduate of the University of Toronto and his mother Yania, a longtime Siamese breeder. The two were eager to develop this remarkable breed. Keese and Rita Tenhove joined the Bawas in this breeding of hairless cats that were called "Moonstone cats" at this stage in history. 

The Ottawa Journal (Canada) 20th August, 1966, under the title “WHAT’S NUDE, PUSSYCAT?” gives us this: Paeshtett Basiett, a hairless and wrinkled tomcat on display at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto Friday, is held by owner Mrs. Yania Bawa who claims his baldness is a hereditary factor. Paeshtett's ancestry is uncertain, however, although it is believed his mother was "pure"' alley. Mrs. Bawa says she would like him to meet friends of his type with a view to extending the line - perhaps as a centennial ’ project. [. . . ] Hairless cats for owners with allergies may soon be available, says Riyadh Bawa, owner of a hairless tomcat named Prune who is appearing at the Canadian National Exhibition this year. Bawa said in an interview today that chances are that Prune can make cat history by becoming "big daddy" to a new breed of hairless cats in the next five or six years. “Think what a boon that would be to cat levers with allergies.'' said the University of Toronto graduate student. “The cats must remain hairless for seven generations to be recognized as a breed.”

However, breeding Prune with another normally haired cat, did not provide any hairless kittens. But breeding Prune back to his mother, did result in 16 normal kittens and 18 hairless kittens. This is the point in history where the breed finally got its final, official name as the Sphynx or sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sphynx and the Sphynx was given provisional showing status through the Cat Fanciers' Association for some time. The status was revoked in 1971 however as the CFA Board had concerns over fertility. The breeding program ultimately failed and the Sphynx gene pool showed to not be of a viable size at this time. The last two remaining kittens from Prune's line, were exported to a breeder in the Netherlands, Dr. Hugo Hernandez, who also failed to breed viable Sphynx from the existing gene pool and it was decided to use Devon Rex to further develop the Sphynx cat breed, as Devon Rex sometimes occur with sparse fur. A 2010 DNA analysis found that the Devon Rex and Sphynx are in fact alleles of the same gene. 

Around this same time, a hairless cat called Sylvester was found in Australia. However, although she was totally hairless, she did not produce any hairless kittens and did not contribute to the breeding program.

1975, in Wadena, Minnesota a random stray cat wandered up to Milt Pearson while he was fishing one day. He named the cat Jezebelle and took her in to live with the many other barn cats on his farm. Jezebelle gave birth to a hairless female kitten, called Epidermis in 1975 and another hairless female kitten called Dermis in 1976. Milt and Ethelyn Pearson thought their hairless cats to be particularly special and sent a photo and description of them to the University Farm at St. Paul, but were told to get rid of them as they were feral and would ruin all of the neighborhood cats in their area. But the Pearsons could not let the hairless kittens go, as they were so special to them and had shown to be quite affectionate pets. They later tried writing to enquire what was needed to show a cat, and were promptly told that they would not be allowed to show their feral cats and that it was just an example of what not to save in a cat breed. The Pearsons' cats were allowed to breed freely and a number of hairless kittens were born over several litters (at one time, the Pearsons had 14 hairless cats!), suggestion that a mutation had occurred a few generations back, followed by a degree of inbreeding.

The Pearsons and their cats appeared in local newspapers and were local celebrities for a time, but were not aware that there were breeders in the cat fancy that could not wait to get their hands on one of these hairless kittens. In a January 2012 article in the in the Wadena Pioneer Journal, titled "Prestigious Sphynx cats once considered 'feral' breed", Mrs. Pearson stated that one day a lady showed up to the farm to enquire about the hairless cats. She was asked if she would be willing to sell them and Mrs. Pearson picked a random number that she thought was totally outrageous. Without hesitation, the lady whipped out her chequebook and so Dermis and Epidermis were sold to Kim Mueske for the combined amount of $200 and became an important part of the Sphynx breeding program. Because so many of the hairless cats up to that time had been male, these two ladies were pivotal in expanding the Sphynx gene pool. Also working with the Pearson line of cats, was breeder Georgiana Gattenby of Brainerd, Minnesota, who outcrossed with Cornish Rex cats. 

In 1978, cat breeder Shirley Smith found three hairless kittens on the streets of her neighborhood and named them Bambi, Punkie and Paloma. In 1983, she sent two of them to Dr. Hugo Hernandez in the Netherlands to breed the two kittens, named Punkie and Paloma, to a white Devon Rex named Curare van Jetrophin. The resulting litter produced five kittens: two males from this litter (Q. Ramses and Q. Ra) were used, along with Punkie's half-sister, Paloma.

During the next decades, the Sphynx developed a deeper gene pool due to the selective outcrossing with the Devon Rex and American Shorthair under the loving dedication of multiple breeders across the world who dedicated themselves to the establishment of this amazing breed. The Sphynx breed continued to gain popularity among cat fanciers in the 1990's and gained acceptance in the ACFA championship class in 1994. The Sphynx was officially accepted for registration by the CFA in 1998 and advanced to championship status there in 2002, quickly followed by the other cat fanciers associations across the world. In 1997, the Sphynx cat captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the world when SGC Belfry's Ted Nude Gent (Michelle Berge, California), was cast as Mr. Bigglesworth in the 1997 Hollywood motion picture Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. In the same year, some of a cattery called Rinkurl's cats were used as models for the cover of Aerosmith's 1997 rock album, Nine Lives.

Today, there are many breeders worldwide who are still captivated by the unique beauty, playful mischief and adoring personalities of the Sphynx and who have dedicated their lives to the preservation and betterment of this spectacular breed. 

Sources:
Hairless Cats, Copyright 2002-2018, Sarah Hartwell
Fictional Hairless Cats, Copyright 2002-2016, Sarah Hartwell
LOST BREEDS - MEXICAN HARILESS, or AZTEC CAT, Sarah Hartwell
NELLIE (c1895)(includes DICK)
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, USNM 153537 public record
Oxford Journal of Heredity Volume 28, Issue 3, March 1937, A "CAT-DOG" FROM NORTH CAROLINA: Hairless Gene or "Maternal Impression"?, Henry Sternberger
Oxford Journal of Heredity Volume 29, Issue 5, May 1938, HAIRLESS SIAMESE CATS, Etienne Letard
The Insane History of Sphync Cat Breeding: Victorian Era - Present, 2023, Strange Aeons
Prestigious Sphynx cats once considered "feral" breed, January 21 2012, Pioneer Journal 
The naked truth: Sphynx and Devon Rex cat breed mutations in KRT71, Oct 16 2010, PubMed Central
Article by H.C. Brooke, The Book of The Cat by Frances Simpson, 1903
Our Cats, March 1960 (Photos by R. Daley)
Cats Magazine, November 1956 (Photo by L. Hanson)
Rabbits, Cats and Cavies by Charles H. Lane, 1903
Harper's Bazar, 14th December, 1898
Photos and quotations as per sources quoted.