New Designer Cat Breeds—What Are the Consequences? · Kinship Leave a comment

With regards to cats, I solely acknowledge two sorts: cuddly and never cuddly. My three kitties span the snuggle spectrum, with one who likes to be stroked and squeezed, one who will (considerably reluctantly) permit it, and one who high-tails it into the following room when he sees that let’s cuddle gleam in my eye. Nonetheless, extra discerning cat mother and father than I are seemingly acquainted with dozens of various breeds, together with some that you could be by no means have heard of. (Hearken to Taylor Swift impressively rattle off an inventory of cat breeds on dwell TV.)

Talking of cat breeds, have you ever ever encountered a Chausie cat? They’re identified for being extremely social and clever, with sculpted cheekbones and svelte physiques to rival any supermodel. Then there are Tiffanie cats, who’re affectionate (cuddly!) and talkative. A Toyger cat, as you would possibly guess, resembles a miniature tiger, with a striped coat and athletic construct. And Ringtail Sing-a-Ling cats have tails that curl towards their backs, giving them a particular look. 

The factor that every one these breeds — Chausie, Tiffanie, Toyger, and Ringtail Sing-a-Ling — have in frequent is that they’re all hybrids. Chausie cats are the results of jungle cats (like those historic Egyptians typically had mummified together with their departed pet mother and father) mating with home cats. The primary breeding of a Chausie cat was recorded in 1990. Tiffanie cats have been bred within the Nineteen Eighties and are a mixture of Persian Chinchillas and Burmese cats. Toygers have been “designed” by a girl named Judy Sugden (additionally within the Nineteen Eighties), whereas Ringtail Sing-a-Lings are a comparatively new breed (the primary one was born in 1998), and nonetheless fairly uncommon.

When animal shelters are overflowing with cats in want of properties, the ethics of breeding and promoting these so-called “designer” cats are questionable, to say the least. However are there different concerns, corresponding to well being penalties, that have an effect on these specifically bred cats? I requested Dr. Julie Hunt, a veterinary marketing consultant for Embrace Pet Insurance coverage, if she’s ever encountered any of those cats in her apply, and what folks have to find out about designer cat breeds.

“Whereas I’ve not seen designer cats in my apply but, I’ve handled purebred cats that suffered from diminished well being because of buildings purposefully created to fulfill breed requirements,” Dr. Hunt instructed me. “For instance, I handled a Persian cat that had such narrowed nasal openings that she required surgical procedure so as to have the ability to run or play like a standard cat. The identical cat additionally had persistent, extreme infections in her facial folds, and tear-staining attributable to her tear ducts not being fashioned proper and never draining tears usually. Moreover, she had issues with dental illness and needed to have enamel extracted due to her over-crowded oral cavity.” Poor kitty!

Why are purebred and designer breeds extra prone to have well being issues?

Dr. Hunt says that when breeders repeatedly cross-breed cats in the identical household, they create offspring which might be inbred. Inbreeding is linked with numerous well being issues, together with stunted development — and that’s not all. “Any disease-causing genes within the unique mother and father are prone to be amplified within the offspring,” Dr. Hunt says. “This has already been noticed in some breeds the place the gene pool is small; for instance, Maine Coon cats are identified to be at nice threat of growing a coronary heart illness referred to as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”

Any excessive characteristic in cats can result in well being issues, in line with Dr. Hunt. “Cats bred with both no tails, corresponding to Manx cats, or with curly tails, are much less in a position to categorical their angle to different cats and to people,” she says. “Moreover, a few of these cats with quick or altered tails can have modifications to the top of the spinal wire that may trigger urine or fecal leakage.” That’s not enjoyable, for both the cats or the mother and father on this situation.

And there’s extra. “Brachycephalic, or ‘smushy-faced’ breeds, can have problem respiration and are susceptible to pores and skin issues within the facial folds, and eye issues as a result of a shortened nostril, smaller airways, and slender eye drainage ducts (nasolacrimal ducts),” Dr. Hunt says. (It’s price noting, although, that in case you have your coronary heart set on a selected breed, please take into account doing all your analysis and discovering a purebred rescue.)

The U.Okay. has proposed legal guidelines towards the breeding of sure varieties of hybrid cats, however is there any motion towards banning the breeding of designer cats, who’re susceptible to such extreme well being issues, within the U.S.? “One might hope that we now have realized from what occurred with the creation of designer canine breeds,” Dr. Hunt says. “Some nations have banned the breeding of brachycephalic canine because of the moral considerations related to purposefully breeding an animal with diminished well being. In the meantime, a brachycephalic canine breed, the French Bulldog, has turn into the preferred breed in the USA.”

The underside line? “No veterinarian desires to see an animal should battle with these sorts of ongoing points, all in order that the proprietor can have an unique or unique-looking cat,” Dr. Hunt says. As for me, I’ll be cuddling my candy rescue cats, whom I adopted from the shelter down the road, a bit of bit nearer tonight — in the event that they’ll let me.

References

• Adams, Christian. “American Ringtail Cat Breed Data: Traits, Character & Footage.” Catster, 15 Nov. 2023, www.catster.com/cat-breeds/american-ringtail-cat/.

• “Are Tiffanie Cats Pleasant? Temperament and Care| ASPCA Pet Well being Insurance coverage.” Aspcapetinsurance.com, 2015, www.aspcapetinsurance.com/assets/tiffanie-cat-facts/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

• “Chausie – TICA – the Worldwide Cat Affiliation.” TICA – the Worldwide Cat Affiliation, 4 Dec. 2024, tica.org/breed/chausie/.

• Marvar, Alexandra. “You Thought Your Cat Was Fancy?” The New York Instances, 27 Could 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/model/toyger-fever.html.

• “Toyger – TICA – the Worldwide Cat Affiliation.” TICA – the Worldwide Cat Affiliation, 4 Dec. 2024, tica.org/breed/toyger/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.