OkcPets Magazine March 2022

March/April 2022 • OKC Pets 17 rhyme whenever I heard it. Until now. Until I realized that fuzzless wuzzies are truly out there. Most folks are familiar with the exis- tence of hairless cats and dogs but have no idea how many fuzzless wuzzies are avail- able as pets. Indeed, if one is so inclined toward a little research, one can find rats, guinea pigs, mice, horses, hedgehogs, and bunnies to add to the happy homestead. The standard belief is that the animals’ hairlessness prevents any problems with allergies in humans. That is wrong. The root cause of animal allergies is a person’s overactive immune system, which reacts to dead flakes of skin (aka, dander), particularly dander that has been anointed with saliva or urine prior to dying, drying, and dropping. I realize this is distasteful to consider, but if you have ever been subjected to a large dose of dander to which you are allergic, you will scramble to avoid the awful reactions it triggers: itchy, runny nose, sore throat, hoarseness, wheezing, coughing — all the fun that feels like flu coming on or even a full- scale asthma attack. Keeping a fuzzless wuzzie will reduce dander because dander tends to stick to fur, but that is hardly a promise that one is home free. The best bet to prevent reactions with any furred or furless pet is to use no rugs, no carpets, no upholstered furniture; keep no pets in the bedroom; vacuum with a HEPA filter; clean daily; and add a central air cleaner to your unit for anyone with immune system problems caused by those guys. So ... think about it. All about Hairless But let’s say you are determined to add to your family. Perhaps you think hairless cats are cool or charming, you have no al- lergy issues, and you’re tired of how many hair rollers you went through annually be- fore Fluffy crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I mean, really — just the thought of owning (or being owned by) something called a Sphynx sounds cool, mystical, and unique. You could even develop an ongoing joke to “riddle me this” for the family. Thus, you start checking out hairless pets … and you might discover: Hairless pets truly have little or no hair on their bodies; at most, it’s a very fine fuzz. Somehow, somewhere, an animal of whatever species had a genetic defect concerning its hair follicles, leaving it “hir- sute challenged.” The revealed skin might or might not have markings on it, but it’s usually pink. Although skin thickness will be the same for the hairless ones as it is for their hairier peers, it will require a certain degree of maintenance on your part. If you want to allow your bald pet to have outdoor time, be sure to lather on a special sunscreen for pets. If the temperature is chilly — the kind of chilly that would pre- clude you from a naked stroll around the backyard — then it will feel just as cold to hairless pets, and they will need proper attire to take in some fresh air. Fortunately, several companies are happy to help with that. Clothing lines for hairless pets abound, with a wide variety to choose from. “Wide variety” is an un- derstatement, I kid you not. You can find seasonal lines to celebrate every holiday, plus sweaters and booties and hats and hoodies and so forth. This perhaps takes Is BALD Beautiful? Hairless Pets Have Special Appeal by Kim Doner F uzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he? I used to think that verse was such a mindless but mildly amusing nursery