No coat means no margin for a missed day
Every cat uses food for warmth, but the Sphynx pays the heating bill with no insulation at all. Her metabolism runs high to hold body temperature, her appetite is correspondingly hearty, and a hairless cat who refuses food is both a symptom worth reading and a state she tolerates less well than a Persian in a fur coat. Treat a full day of refusal in a Sphynx as a same-day problem to solve, not a wait-and-see.
Cold, stomach, and skin: the Sphynx triangle
Check temperature first, hers and the room's. A Sphynx in a draughty or air-conditioned space may be hunched on a heat source, ears and tail-tip cool to the touch, too focused on conserving warmth to bother with the bowl. Digestive sensitivity is the second side of the triangle: this breed is well known for reacting to food changes, rich treats, and scavenged scraps with loose stool and nausea that suppress the next meals. The third side is her skin and ears, which produce more oil without fur to absorb it; a brewing ear discomfort or a sore, irritated patch of skin can leave her feeling unwell enough to skip eating. Respiratory congestion also hits appetite hard in any cat, and a snuffly Sphynx who cannot smell her dinner has little reason to approach it.
A hands-on check for a cat with nowhere to hide
The advantage of a Sphynx is visibility: you can see her body condition, her skin, and her effort directly. Look for ribs showing more sharply than yesterday, any redness or rash across the belly and armpits, and waxy build-up or head-shaking that suggests ear trouble. Feel whether she is warm enough and watch whether she is actively heat-seeking, shivering, or curled tighter than usual. Check the litter tray for the loose stool her sensitive gut produces, and review the last two days honestly for food changes, new treats, or access to someone else's dinner.
Warmth and familiarity as first aid
Warm her world before you change her food: raise the room temperature, offer a heated bed or her usual sweater, and serve her normal diet warmed so its scent carries, in small portions at short intervals. If a food change happened in the last few days, return to the previous food she tolerated and let her stomach settle rather than trialling anything new. Keep her water fresh and close to her warm resting spot so drinking does not cost her a cold trek across the house. A Sphynx who warms up and eats a small supper with enthusiasm can be watched overnight; one who stays hunched and refuses needs more than home measures.
A shorter fuse for veterinary care
Call the vet the same day if she refuses food entirely and is cold, shivering, or lethargic, and do not let a total refusal run past a day in any circumstances, because her high metabolism leaves little buffer. Vomiting with diarrhoea, visible weight loss, ear pain, or breathing changes all raise the urgency further. Her KinsLe Pet Passport, carrying her food tolerances, weight trend, and skin and ear history in one packet, is exactly what a vet needs to move quickly with a breed whose small problems escalate fast.