Striking Difference Between a Sphynx Cat and a Flamepoint Ragdoll

My niece Laura just adopted a Sphynx cat. Yes, this one to the left. If you’re unfamiliar with these little critters, these are hairless cats. Sort of like petting a rat, but wait, rats have hair. OK, maybe I have no idea what it’s like to pet a Sphynx cat because I have never petted such a cat. This particular Sphynx cat lives in Minneapolis. I wonder if he needs a little coat in the winter, although I doubt this cat would wear a coat. Or, if he would wear a coat, he would probably have some sort of objection to the color. Ew, you expect me to parade around the house in black wool? I spit on it.?

You really can’t compare my niece’s critter, the Sphynx cat, to Jackson, my Flamepoint Ragdoll, who has so much hair he could sell it online as a pillow stuffer. It’s fine hair, too. Sticks in everything. Which is why I have had to cover many surfaces in my home to avoid sitting down in a pile of cat hair. Our other two, Ocicats, Pia and Pica, shed hair but not as much as Jackson. When they squabble, the Ocicats come away with such a mouthful of white hair we call them Santa Pica and Santa Pia. I also do not wear black or navy suits around my house, so it’s good thing I’m a Sacramento real estate agent and can get away with wearing whatever I want.

We adapt our living arrangements to suit the fancy of our pets. I don’t go as far as a client did and fill the living room with cat trees to resemble a forest, but I do make my home pet friendly for pets. The next person who buys my home will probably appreciate these features. Like our pet-friendly windows.

There is a building code restriction in Sacramento that says your windows must be located above a certain height from the raised foundation, I think it’s 18 inches. Also, windows that are located within a certain distance to doors are supposed to have shatterproof glass in them. You learn about these things when you consider replacing your old aluminum crank-out windows with dual pane. We installed many low-to-the-floor windows, which open, and our screen doors are full view. The cats adore it. They don’t necessarily want to go outside but they love being close to it.

All cats are different but they’re the same in many ways, just like us. The difference between my niece and me is she doesn’t need a Dyson animal vacuum cleaner.

Photos: Laura Burgard and Elizabeth Weintraub