Share this Story: Allergic pet owner loves his Sphynx
Allergic pet owner loves his Sphynx
Growing up, Tyler Bogdan always wanted a pet to cuddle and care for. Because of his allergies to hair, though, he was restricted to fish and an iguana."I've always wanted a cat but I was always allergic," said Bogdan. Then he and his boyfriend Conner Nix, a veterinary technician, looked into getting a Sphynx cat, a purebred hairless breed. They got their cat Tickles in May from a breeder in Kelowna, B.C., and he has been almost perfect for Bogdan. "I still get a little bit allergic but it's not so bad. I maybe once a week have to take an allergy pill."
ASHLEY MARTIN
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REGINA, SK: November 28, 2012-- QC Meet My Pet photos of Tickles the hairless cat and owners Conner Nix (left) and Tyler Bogdan in Regina Saskatchewan November 28, 2012 (BRYAN SCHLOSSER/Regina Leader-Post) Photo by Bryan Schlosser /Regina Leader-Post
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Growing up, Tyler Bogdan always wanted a pet to cuddle and care for. Because of his allergies to hair, though, he was restricted to fish and an iguana."I've always wanted a cat but I was always allergic," said Bogdan. Then he and his boyfriend Conner Nix, a veterinary technician, looked into getting a Sphynx cat, a purebred hairless breed.
They got their cat Tickles in May from a breeder in Kelowna, B.C., and he has been almost perfect for Bogdan. "I still get a little bit allergic but it's not so bad. I maybe once a week have to take an allergy pill."
Allergic pet owner loves his Sphynx Back to video
That's because you can be allergic to hair or dander, and all animals have dander, explained Nix.
Q: What was it like dealing with the breeder?
A: Bogdan: The cat got pregnant and (the breeder) would update us with ultrasounds. ... She's got a waiting list. She's got to have the kittens sold before they're even impregnated.It was very important to find something reputable ... The genetic line isn't very big with a Sphynx so you don't want inbreeding and stuff because then they get sick.
Nix: Because I've seen some not-so-good breeders, I knew that if we were going to do it and spend the money I wanted to do it properly, but also more importantly I wanted to do it ethically for his breed. There's no sense in breeding animals that have genetic problems, who aren't healthy.
Q: How much did Tickles cost?
A: Bogdan: He cost $1,200 ... If anything expensive happens (illness), we have him insured.
Q: How did you bring him home?
A: Nix: I flew out there to pick him up. ... I just decided it would be less stressful for him (than being) stuffed in cargo somewhere.
Q: How did you name him?
A: Nix: Because I'm a vet tech I've heard every name, so I wanted it to be something unique but also kind of funny in a way. Tickles, he's not really ticklish and cuddly, he's bony.
Bogdan: He also kind of looks like an armpit I guess. ... You want to name him Fluffy or something because it's ironic.
Q: How does Tickles compare to a regular cat?
A: Nix: He's kind of like cuddling with a bag of sticks. He's poky and elbowy.
Bogdan: He has a heat disc, it's just a microwaveable disc and it stays warm for 10, 12 hours. ... We just got it because he's cold all the time. We put it under a blanket and he sits on it all day.
Nix: He needs baths (every few weeks). If you always pick up your cat they can get oils and stuff in their hair but they clean it out. He's getting filthy hands directly on him so he gets greasy.
Bogdan: He doesn't like (baths) that much but he doesn't complain too much; he'll meow but he doesn't try to escape.
Nix: We have to be really careful in the summertime where he's laying, the window and stuff, because he can get sunburned pretty bad.
Q: How does he behave?
A: Nix: He's really, really outgoing.
Bogdan: It is a Sphynx thing. They're supposed to have a nicer demeanour and be friendly ... When people come over he comes and sits on their lap right away. He's not scared of anything. I've heard him hiss once — because I walked to the kitchen with my coat on and the lights were off and he got scared for some reason.
Q: Tell me a funny Tickles story.
A: Bogdan: I was baking one time and I left a bag of shredded coconut on top of the fridge and we came home a few hours later and he had eaten almost the whole bag of shredded coconut. (Nix) had to look it up in his books whether that was poisonous or not. You just don't know off the top of your head.
Q: How do people react to him?
A: Nix: I had him at work yesterday and ... the clients' reaction out front who'd never seen him was like, 'Oh that's the cutest thing I've ever seen,' or, 'What is that?' It's kind of either or. I think people think he's adorable or they're kind of like, 'That's gross.'