Naturewatch Foundation
Naturewatch Foundation - Advancing Animal Welfare
Naturewatch Foundation is urging the public not to buy into a concerning new cat breeding fad.
Bullycats, which are unnatural hairless sphynx-like cats with shortened and bowed legs and heavily wrinkled skin, have gained a disturbing following on social media platforms in recent months, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
So-called because of their resemblance to similarly unnatural and extreme-looking dog breeds, such as exotic and pocket bully dogs, experts are warning that Bullycats are likely to suffer serious health and welfare issues because of our human fascination with their exaggerated and unnatural appearance.
This extreme Bullycat body shape appears to have originated in the United States, but Naturewatch Foundation, which investigates the illegal trade in companion animals, is appalled to see that Bullycats are now being bred in the UK, too.
A spokesperson for Naturewatch Foundation said, “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. Bullycats are an animal welfare disaster unfolding before our eyes and this kind of breeding is just cruel.”
Naturewatch Foundation is urging the public to boycott social media accounts that promote Bullycats.
Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), said, “The RVC has generated huge volumes of research over the past decade showing the enormous suffering that humans have imposed on dogs because of our fascination with extreme body shapes. It is heartbreaking to now see the same suffering now being visited on cats by the invention of the Bullycat.
“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.1 Deliberately selecting for disease mutations, such as hairlessness that leads to sunburn, dwarfism that leads to mobility issues and joint pain, and folded skin that leads to lifetimes of skin infections means that many Bullycats will endure lives blighted by suffering.
“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.”
Naturewatch Foundation’s message to prospective cat owners is simple, “If you’re thinking about getting a cat, don’t buy into these harmful designer fads, as you’ll pay a high price in vet fees and you’ll have to endure the pain of seeing your beloved pet suffering from lifelong health issues. There are lots of wonderful cats out there who need a home, so please go to a reputable rescue instead and choose a cat or kitten with a natural body shape.”
If members of the public are concerned about low-welfare or unlicensed pet selling, they can report what they know to their local authority’s licensing department (find your council). Naturewatch Foundation also investigates tip-offs about the illicit pet trade, and these can be reported to the charity here.
To learn more about our work, you can visit our website.
References
- Teng KT-y, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, O’Neill DG. Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 2024;26(5):1098612X241234556.
Image credit: Belikart by Getty Images Pro.
Note, the image above depicts a sphynx cat for illustrative purposes. Sadly, Bullycats look even more extreme.
The post Animal welfare warning after horrifying Bullycat fad reaches UK first appeared on Naturewatch Foundation and is written by Morwenna.