In the realm of pet fashion, the latest trend hitting the headlines is not just controversial—it's creating a stir among animal welfare experts and ethologists.
Enter the 'Bullycat,' a so-called new breed of cat that has sparked a serious debate about the ethics of prioritizing aesthetics over animal health.
It comes after the controversial rise in popularity of the XL Bully dog resulted in parliament introducing new sanctions against pet owners.
Since February 2024, it has become a criminal offense to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without a special exemption certificate.
This law, enacted under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, was a response to several incidents across the UK. According to BBC News, the new regulation prompted the submission of 61,000 exemption applications through the UK government's portal before the deadline.
Now, the so-called "XL Bullycat" - emerging as the feline equivalent of the prohibited XL Bully dog breed in England and Wales - is making headlines.
The "XL Bullycat" - referred to more commonly on social media as "bullbino" - combines characteristics from two distinct breeds: the hairlessness of the Sphynx and the short legs of the Munchkin.
This genetic mix has resulted in cats that exhibit exaggerated traits such as "excess skin folds" and significantly shortened limbs.
The health implications for these felines are severe. Reports from The Telegraph and The Independent highlight that these cats are prone to a host of health issues, including serious skin conditions due to their excessive skin folds and intense joint strain from their disproportionately short legs.
Dr. Dan O’Neill - the Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology of the Royal Veterinary College - points out the sad life expectancy of these cats, noting that Bullycats, like their Sphynx counterparts, may live significantly shorter lives than the average cat due to their engineered physical form.
"Bullycats are likely to suffer similarly shortened lives to those reported from a recent RVC VetCompass paper in Sphynx cats that lived just 6.7 years compared to an average of 11.7 years in cats overall," Dr. O’Neill tells the Naturewatch Foundation.
"The advice to anyone thinking of acquiring a cat or a dog is to always put the welfare of the animal first and to stop and think before acquiring an animal with an extreme and unnatural body shape that does not exist commonly in nature," Dr. O’Neil adds.
Dr. Grace Carroll from Queen's University Belfast warns prospective pet owners of the risks associated with these designer breeds. She advocates for a shift towards ethical breeding practices that focus on the health and welfare of the animals rather than aesthetic appeal.
"Consumers hold purchasing power," Dr. Carroll highlights. "We can discourage breeders from prioritising aesthetics over the health and welfare of the animals by refusing to buy breeds with extreme traits.
“A fashion toward ethical breeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun."
She also stressed that, "Bully cats, being both hairless and short-legged, may face twice the number of challenges encountered by sphynx and munchkin breeds."
Her advice is clear: "We should let cats be cats."
Dr. Carroll's warnings were echoed by a spokesperson from the charity Cats Protection, who told The Guardian: "Their short legs are a genetic defect which can lead to painful arthritis and cause problems with their general mobility."
This sentiment is echoed by a 2018 study from Utrecht University, which found that breeds like the Sphynx - which often lack whiskers - face disadvantages in communication and spatial navigation, further complicating their ability to engage in natural feline behaviors, per The Conversation.
The RSPCA has been vocal about the rise of the Bullycat, urging cat lovers to consider adopting from shelters instead of purchasing from breeders.
A spokesperson for the animal welfare organization tells The Independent: "We understand that their emerging presence on social media may fuel a demand for these kinds of cats but we would urge fellow cat lovers to consider adopting the many rescue cats in our care instead of buying from a breeder.
"We would also urge breeders to prioritise the health and welfare of any animal over the way they look."
And addressing the rise of the breed on social media the NatureWatch Foundation - which campaigns on animal welfare and investigates the illegal trade in animals - also tells The Guardian: "It’s shocking to see that these poor cats are starting to appear in the UK.
"We’ve seen increasingly extreme breeding practices in the dog world in recent years, and it appears unscrupulous people are now turning their attention to exploiting cats in the same way, all in the pursuit of greed and social media likes."
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