Bald, a missing eye, wrinkled. Not exactly mother’s prettiest. Still, the Provincial Drenthe Animal Home in Beilen is looking for a new owner for cat ET “Very nice, sweet cat.”
Anyone who visits the open day of the Provincial Drenthe Animal House Beilen this weekend will encounter something that rarely occurs, says manager Alwin Tol. “We now have something special to show. You won’t easily see this in the shelter.”
A few weeks ago, ET, named after the alien movie, arrived at the Animal House, just like six of her kind. “We took them over from another shelter,” Tol explains. “They came in there after they were taken from the owner because they did not receive proper care.”
ET is not your average cat, but a Sphynx. “It really is one of those breeds: if you love them, you either love them, or you hate them.” It is not known why ET is missing her eye, but according to Tol it does not bother her.
So far, the preference of interested parties has been to the detriment of ET, because there is little interest in the animal, even though its character is completely different than its appearance suggests, says Tol. “They are really nice, sweet cats. They crawl all the way up your neck for attention. Very affectionate, they really want to be with you.”
According to Tol, the cats are also called ‘dog cats’. “They are very people-oriented.” That is why it is important that the new owner knows what he or she is getting into his or her home, he says. Because the cats cannot actually be left alone for a day. “You can’t be gone all day, that’s not wise with these cats.”
In addition to their preference for human contact, they also require a strict grooming regimen, due to the lack of hair. “They need to be washed regularly, rubbed with lotion, the nails need extra attention and the ears also need to be cleaned more often than with normal cats.” In addition, hairless cats produce a lot of sebum. “They leave sebum wherever they are.”
The cats are also not allowed to walk around freely outside. “Because of the cold, but also because of the vulnerable skin. Normally when cats fight with other cats they encounter, there is not much damage, but with these cats you see it right away.”
Anyone who likes that can come and see ET and the other Sphynxes this weekend.