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SPHYNX OUTCROSS PROGRAM

While the Sphynx are generally healthy cats,  a carefully designed outcross program introduces new gene pools and thereby should increase the overall health of the Sphynx breed. The Sphynx gene pool is still limited due to the fact Sphynx are still considerably rare. Outcrossing should be done by those with years of experience and carefully done as outcrossing is still tricky. While many believe that outcrossing is the answer, the true ramifications of outcrossing will not be known for years to come.

The gene for the hairlessness is recessive. The first generation of the Sphynx outcrosses are all normal haired, but carrying for the bald gene.  If you are considering adopting a Sphynx - please consider getting a less expensive companion with hair! Two are better than one! Please see my page - Two are Better

The accepted outcrosses allowed by CFA are Domestic Shorthairs (DSH). The accepted outcrossed in TICA are American Shorthair, Devon Rex (although few, use Devons for a Sphynx outcross anymore because the Devons have their own set of health issues - such as luxating patella, spasticity and Vitamin K bleeding disorder).

SPECIAL NOTE: There are some breeders trying to create new breeds using the baldness of the Sphynx combined with another extreme trait.  These so-called breeds (Elves, Dwelves, Bambinos,etc) are NOT recognized by any association and do NOT have true registration papers. Many Sphynx breeders are working hard to preserve and protect the breed as it is.

This is a general table of the progression of what happens with a Sphynx outcross program

(Not all breeders follow this program exactly):

 

Breeding Pair Generation Details
DSH x  Sphynx F1 All kittens will have fur because the hairless gene in the Sphynx is recessive. All will carry for the hairless Sphynx gene.
F1  x  Sphynx F2 Statistically, 50% of kittens should have hair, 50% should be hairless. Typically, a breeder will choose to keep a hairless one for her breeding program, but there may be reasons to use the one with hair too. All haired kittens will carry for the hairless gene.
Hairless F2  x  Sphynx F3 All kittens should be hairless. Most of these kittens should start to look like a typical Sphynx. 
Hairless F3  x  Sphynx F4 These (bald) kittens are considered pure-bred Sphynx by both associations and can be shown as such.


Note:  You might wonder what the "F" in "F1", etc stands for.... it means filial.  And filial means "the successive generations of progeny in a controlled series of crosses, starting with two specific parents (the P generation) and selfing or intercrossing the progeny of each new (F1; F2; . . . ) generation.