Sphynx Cat Questions?

I bought a Sphynx Cat last night. I have a feeling her owner was a little shady, because she was kind of filthy and didn't even give me instructions on how to bathe her or even tell me that I needed to. I have done my research though and feel confident. What I would like to know is why she is missing her front teeth? She has fangs and back teeth but it missing her front teeh on the top and bottom.

We are going to the vet tomorrow, but any ideas in the mean time?

I am definitely not going to breed her. She is a pet, just like all my pets. They are all "fixed" & happy. Her ears and paws were also really dirty. I'm going to wait on doing her ears until I talk with the vet, so I know exactly how to do it, and don't hurt her.

I was told she is about 2 years old. Thank you all for your responses so far, Most have been very helpful!

And to some of you, I did not get this cat because she is "show" quality... She is a pet. A part of the family. I don't know why I wouldn't take her, she is just a doll and acts more like a monkey than a cat.

Missing teeth are sings of gum condition, abuse or genetics. The vet will be able to tell what happened when he gets a full assessment of her and her overall condition. I'm glad you took that cat. If she was abused you should report her previous owner.

Gum disease is common in cats. It causes bad breath so that could be a sign you definitely would want to look into. Bleeding of the gums and dropping the food when eating are also sings of a mouth which needs vet care.

Whatever it may be I'm happy that you are taking her to a vet. Please keep us updated on her health.

She may have hit the cat. Report the ***** to the police!!!

Maybe the cat was abused? Did you ask the owner and if not call them and ask why the cat has no teeth. How much did you pay? Did they have a vet that they took the cat too and if so you can call and get the cats prior vet records. If not, then why did you "buy" this cat?

Also do you know how old the cat is? A very old cat might lose its teeth.

My 13 year old cat has no front bottom incisors, because all through his life he always chewed on things (like a dog). He would chew my leather boots and levis, etc.. He wore his teeth down and ruined lots of my things, but I love him. How old is the cat?

If you visit the website http://www.cfainc.org and click on the breeds and then on Sphynx, you should be able to view the breed profile. That will tell you all about this breed. There are also books available specifically about that breed. Some breeders have wonderful websites that also give information about the cats. You don't usually need to bathe a cat, but if she's dirty you should use a shampoo specifically for cats and dilute it by half to make it easier to rinse out. Be prepared, though, because most cats don't like the process. If you clip her claws before you start, that will help. If you don't know how old the cat is, the vet may be able to tell you.

If you have questions, the website http://www.cats.about.com has a lot of information and links to other websites. Also consider checking out Cat Fancy magazine. They also have a website with a lot of information.

Sphynx cats need to be bathed often, as the oils that would usually be absorbed by the hair collect on the skin and then collect dirt. So, Sphynx get dirty quickly. However, I'm astonished that the breeder didn't provide you with the information that she would need frequent bathing and ear cleaning. I would guess that the cat was perhaps born without those teeth if she is an adult. If she's a kitten, then they may still grow in, although that's odd. She'll be fine without them. But, I'm hoping you didn't buy her to breed, as that might be an inherited trait. She couldn't be shown without her teeth.