By Brian Anderson
San Ramon Valley Times

Nov. 29, 1999

PLEASANTON — They're as hairless as a newborn baby, eat like cows and leak more oil than an old hotrod. But to Jennifer Abbott, Sphynx cats are irresistible.

"They are the most personable cats," Abbott said Sunday afternoon as she stroked her fleshy Sphynx kitten, Mar-rob's Lord Luciano. "And they dry right away."

Abbott's cats were three of nearly 300 felines competing Sunday at the Foaming Frenzies All Breed Cat Show at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.

Made famous in the movie "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" as Dr. Evil's pet Mr. Bigglesworth, the Sphynx is an unusual creature, even among cats.

It is a mutation, Abbott said, and a descendant of cats born during the 1970s in Minnesota, a surprising place to be from without a fur coat.

The hairless animal also is tail-less.

Their velvety skins leak natural oil that must frequently be washed away, said Abbott, of Moraga.

And they can eat four times as much as a garden-variety cat. Their appetite is likely due to an increased metabolism that helps keep them warm, Abbott said.

Leigh Polli, president of the cat club sponsoring the event, said feline fanciers such as Abbott compete with others for top honors in divisions and individual breeds.

There are no cash prizes at cat shows, just colorful ribbons, she said.

"You don't make money doing this," said Polli, of Auburn. She said she shells out about $5,000 each year to care for her 15 cats. "It's a very expensive hobby."

Pet owners, or guardians if they're from San Francisco, collect points like drivers on the race car circuit. Points are added up and winners announced at The International Cat Association's annual show, which this year is in Las Vegas.

But it's not really about competition as much as it's about cat lovers getting together to talk about their passion.

"They're very affectionate," Tricia Hogan, of Glendale, said of her Bengal cat that was doing what cats do best in a cozy bed secure from the outside world of dogs and cars. "The personality of the Bengal is extremely interesting."

That's what they all say, said judge D'Ann Kovic, of Dallas.

"Each person thinks their breed is the best," Kovic said. "It's my job to see which one is the best for the day."

For Abbott, the best of Sunday and every other day, for that matter, were her svelte Sphynxes.

"Once you've had one of these you never go back," she said.