Fashionable Felines Suffer For Their Looks

Fashionable Felines Suffer For Their Looks

Fashions come and go. They always have and they always will. Style conscious fashionistas will always want the latest in thing, only to discard it when it's yesterday's news. Whilst silly trends do result in a great deal of wasted cash, there is no real harm done. But the situation is far more problematic when animals are being bred to produce certain looks and those looks threatened their health.

Feline Stars

Many felines have become social media sensations. In some cases, this is because of their quirky, grumpy appearance which tends to be the result of a flat face and shortened muzzle. These cats look amusing and rather cute but their facial features often lead to a raft of health issues. Nonetheless their celebrity status online has increased the popularity of these troubled cats to an all-time high.

It would appear that whatever the likes of Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton choose as pets, the rest of the world simply has to follow.

Cats and Dogs

It was dogs which were first bred for their quirky, flat faced look but cats are now also paying the price of looking trendy. Grumpy looking features are now decidedly the height of fashion. The features are becoming more and more extreme as the demand for the look gathers pace. Now vets are warning that things have gone too far.

Health Issues

The shortened muzzles lead to breathing difficulties, eye and skin infections and problems with picking up food. The flat faced or brachycephalic cats have prominent eyes and downturned mouths which give them a funky look but these features can cause issues with tear ducts and often result in infections to the folds around the nose.

Popular Cats

However, statistics issued by the microchipping database Pet Log show that this type of cat is becoming increasingly common. There are over 77, 000 flat faced cats registered with Pet Log and more are added every day.

Charities and animal welfare campaigners are calling for the breeding of these animals to be stopped. They want unnatural facial features to be outlawed. They are urging cat lovers to speak out and not to invest in designer animals. If there is no demand for them the breeding will stop. In addition to the common health problems that these animals already endure, there is also a danger of inbreeding which can result in painful deformities.

What is wrong with a good, old-fashioned moggie?

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