History of the Blue Sphynx
The hairless trait reported in Latin America (1830's), Europe (1966) and has probably occurred elsewhere without being recorded.
The breed as we know it began in Canada in the mid sixties with the birth of a hairless kitten to a domestic black and white shorthair.
Originally named the Canadian Hairless, the breed was developed by the Tenhoves family and scientist Ridyodh Bowa who was able to determine the auiosomal recessive gene for hairlessness and his mother, also a breeder.
Provisional showing status granted to the Tenhoves by the Cat Fanciers' Association but revoked in 1971 due to the Board of CFA determining the breed did not have a consistent standard or an adequate gene pool.
Two different sets of hairless cats appeared in the late 1970's in North America. The first was reported in Wadena, Wisconsin and occurred naturally as did several others in later litters from the first Queen. The second was reported in Ontario in the late 70'2 and 80's and included three kittens derived from three separate litters to a black and white shorthair. The first born, Bambi, lived to age 19.
Poloma and Punkie were the next born in1979 and 1980. They were acquired by Hugo Hernandez but he failed to develop any kittens from the union of these and a Bowa cat from the earlier Canadian litter.
Punkie was later bred to an almost hairless bevon Rex which produced three kittens of different degrees of hairlessness. These offspring formed the genesis of a successful breeding program which led to the breed being recognized by TICA at the Championship level in 1985.
At the request of Solveig Pfueger, TICA Genetics Chairwoman, Walt and Carol Richards of Texas bred their bevon Rex to a Sphynx from Europe based on her study of Hernandez's outcross breeding.
This union produced four kittens including Britanyas Lady Godivo, the first Supreme Grand Champion and the first Best International Sphynx in 1987, and QGC Britanya's Lord E. I'm Naked1, the first Sphynx International Sire.
Continuing to gain popularity in the 90's, the Sphynx was accepted into the ACFA Championship Class in 1994, the CFA Miscellaneous Class in 1998, and are currently showed in the CFA Championship Class.
There are now five International breeder groups - ISBFA, NASAR, SARA, and 5CC that recognize the Sphynx as a breed.