Due to their unique characteristics and lack of hair, Peterbalds do require special care. They are an indoor cat and may require extra heating during the colder months. This can usually be achieved through the use of heat mat. Try not
to let your cat go in the sun. He or she will get a bad sunburn in a very short amount of time.
Grooming
To keep a Peterbald clean, bath once a month and use Cat wipes or soft care baby wipes daily to wipe down their skin. Ultra
bald cats are oilier and need more frequent bathing than the other coat types. However, over bathing can also lead to dry skin. Get them used to water so they are not scared to take a bath. Put them in clean warm water and just pour water on their body (make
sure not to put any water in their ears and not to scare them). Pay special attention to keep the ears and nail beds clean as residue can build up quickly in these areas. The same is true of the webbing between their toes. Some cats may require daily cleaning
of their tail to prevent blackheads. Stridex, or blackhead medication from your pharmacy is useful, every other day, just a tail wipedown.
When giving a bath have all your supplies open and ready. Wear thin winter gloves to bathe your animal. Winter
gloves hold shampoo and help hold hairless kittens (these work better than facial gloves which can be too harsh on cats skin). Have a dry towel close by to wrap them in when done. I slather them down with coconut oil, then with Baby Shampoo, then put in the
sink, that was already prefilled with warm water, not too full. I have a container of Clear warm water to do the final rinse on standby. Work the shampoo into a bit of a lather on the cat, make sure you do a good job on the inner legs, tummy area, chest, under
neck, & then do a final rinse with the warm water you had on standby. If necessary I use a soft cloth while cat is in sink to do a bit of a stronger wipe down, to remove residue. Have your towel already beside the sink & gently dry them. Now is a good
time to clip nails, they are softer from the warm water.
There are pics on facebook of bathing in the bath tub, with couple inches of water & toys in it, it's on my list to try for my next litters.
Feeding
Hairless
cats have a higher metabolism. They burn off calories quicker and they don’t have as much hair as other cats. As a result, they lose body heat much quicker. They need a little extra help to stay warm and extra food to restore their fuel supply.
Be
sure to keep their food dishes full at all times with dry food to make sure they get enough to eat. I also give them wet food 2 times a day. Kibble I use Fromm Beef Livattini Veg, & Pro Plan Plus Focus or Royal Canin dry food and for
wet: Royal Canin, Authority chicken. Wet food should be given 2 times a day and mixed (optional with 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin pure( make sure
I also mix in the kibble virgin coconut oil approx 1-2 tbsp, helps keep there skin soft, and a
general all purpose additive. The kibble should be glossy from the coconut oil
Also,1 -2 times per week I mix small pieces of cooked chicken or turkey breast in with the wet food. Wash the food and water dishes at least twice a week with
soap and water. Make sure they always have a bowl of fresh water available.
As a kitten I use Royal Canin Kitten (2 parts) , mixed with 1 part:
Orjen beef, Now Kitten, Fromm Livattini Veg & about couple tablespoons of Virgin Coconut
Oil, so that the kibble is coated with the coconut Oil.
I also feed 1 cube of Primmal Freeze Dried Chicken with Salmon, or Beef with Salmon, daily night time leave out for them.
In the wet I put a drop of Salmon Oil, Great Grizzly (daily) great
for eyes.
Couple times of week I give raw ground organic extra lean hamgurger or Bison, cooked chicken or turkey
Eyes
Some hairless cats have no eye lashes so they tend to get a lot of junk in the corner of their eyes. The
eyes should be wiped daily with a warm, moist make up pad remover. Don’t use soap or baby wipes. That’ll make their eyes burn. Be sure to use a new pad every time you clean each eye.
An eyespecialist told me to use from your
local drug store, extra gentle saline solution for contact lenses. I put this on a make up pad & use to remove the goop from their eyes. Use a cottom swab moistened to roll over the eye edges. This should remove any excess allergens..They should not look
like they are wearing eye make up.
Ear Care
Some hairless cats don't have ear hair. They need to have their ears cleaned periodically. You can use Epi-Otic" by Virbac. Check weekly, or if you notice dark wax in ears. You can use
a Qtip to remove if visible. You can get Ear cleaner solution from your vet to squirt into your cat's ears, & then clean them with cotton ball, or qtip.
Nose: Please make sure to wipe down nose creases for allergens also, baby wipe is fine.
Teeth
In order to keep Peterbalds' teeth in perfect condition and to reduce the accumulation of bacteria on teeth surface, I use Enzymatic toothpaste to clean their teeth once a day.
Have The Teeth Checked Annually
Bring your cat into the vet for an annual physical. It doesn’t cost much and you can catch medical conditions before they get out of hand. Be sure to have the vet check their mouths for gum disease and for loose teeth. Most cats need to get their teeth
cleaned once every 1, 2, or 3 years. Some need it less often but don’t take any chances. Cats are vulnerable to mouth infections and may need their teeth pulled or may even die if a mouth infection spreads to their respiratory system.
Claws
Like other cats, Peterbald claws should be cut once a week if required. To enable a Peterbald to wear them down, it is good to provide your cat with a scratching post & card board scratch board, or cat furniture. You can wipe their nails (claws)
each week. I use baby wipes because they have lanolin, which gets the nail residue off quickly and easily. You can either do it before or after clipping the nails. Experiment to see which way works best for your cat. Cardboard scratching boards are useful
to divert from furniture. If you find kitten squirms, wrap in a blanket & do each foot, extend the nail, to ensure you get all the residue off..they should appear white, not black or brown. You can use coconut oil to moisten the nail & then go back
& wipe off with baby wipe.
Children and other Pets?
They get on well with other cats and dogs and make ideal pets for children. They love to play and will be happy so long as the children aren't too rough with them.
Life
Expectancy
This is a new cat breed, but having a look at the Oriental and Don Sphynx, we can safely assume that a well cared for cat will have a life expectancy of about 12 - 15 years.
Allergies
If you are allergic
to cats, the lack of coat does not necessarily mean that you will not be allergic to a Peterbald. Allergic reactions are triggered by different proteins-some may be from saliva, some from coat, and some from the skin dander. Make arrangements to spend time
in the company of some Peterbalds to see if they trigger a reaction. You might be able to lessen your reaction by wiping your kitten down weekly with baby wipes.